'battle Of The Toucans'

[batfastard]

Hi guys,

I'm wishing myself up to trying a toucan brew.

What I'd like to end up with is something similar to the James Squire Porter.

I'd expect the coopers stout +dark ale may come out too bitter.

I'm thinking adding some dry light malt to sweeten it up a little.

Any suggestions?




Ta.

Doh! Wishing = setting or something. Got autocorrected.

 

[YAPN]

Hi guys,

I'm wishing myself up to trying a toucan brew.

What I'd like to end up with is something similar to the James Squire Porter.

I'd expect the coopers stout +dark ale may come out too bitter.

I'm thinking adding some dry light malt to sweeten it up a little.

Any suggestions?




Ta.

I'd go the dark ale + real ale combo and add some steeped chocolate malt

 

[batfastard]

Ta for the tip.

Re the chocolate malt, is that something I can get as a can of extract?

I'd prefer to avoid the whole mashing and boiling and straining thing if I can.

 

[koshari]

Ta for the tip.

Re the chocolate malt, is that something I can get as a can of extract?

I'd prefer to avoid the whole mashing and boiling and straining thing if I can.

Just steep it.

 

[batfastard]

And this means...?

Is it as simple as sticking a kilo of chocolate malt in an old stocking and just hang it in the fermenter while it all brews?

Or is there more technique than that?

 

[Digga]

You have to boil a pot of water then “steep” the grain in this with a lid on and towel around it for 1/2hr. Remove the grain and then you are supposed to boil the resultant liquor for 15 or so min to sanitise.

I’m sure it’s not been boiled before and been ok but to be safe to be sure!

 

[batfastard]

Cool, got it.

Thanks for the explain.

Do I keep the water on the boil during steeping? Or do I take it off the boil for that bit?

 

[YAPN]

Ta for the tip.

Re the chocolate malt, is that something I can get as a can of extract?

I'd prefer to avoid the whole mashing and boiling and straining thing if I can.

I get mine from the homebrew shop.
200gm milled Chocolate malt, place that in about a litre of water overnight in the fridge, strain into a pot and bring to the boil to sterilize the liquid, add to fermenter.

 

[batfastard]

Brilliant! Thanks, will give that a go.

 

[Cheap Drunk]

I just recently finished the last of my toucan that was Thomas Coopers amber ale and a Homebrand draught, with just the Coopers yeast. Pretty good for my standards.
Today I chucked in a Coopers Mexican Cerveza with a TC pale ale and a kilo of Coopers brewing sugar. Both yeasts.

 

[monkey brewing]

If doing a toucan is there any need for extra added ldme or dextrose?
I have this laying around
1x coopers stout
4x coopers real ale
1x coopers ipa

 

[peterlonz]

IMHO, No so long as you feel comfortable with an ABV in the range 4.0 to 4.5.
I have had good success with Coopers Real Ale but I seem to use a different approach every time I brew it.

 

[PaulG79]

Most recent one I did was a Canadian Blond + Wheat on a T-58 yeast cake leftover from one of the Cooper's recipe packs. The Belgian yeast gave it just enough character to take it out of the soft drink aisle but it was still ridiculously easy drinking lolly water basically. It got smashed in record time though so I must be doing something right

I'm thinking of trying that dark ale + stout combo that seems to be a classic, I've got some fuggles in the freezer - what would ppl recommend? Tea steep? Dry hop? 5 min boil with a bit of malt?

 

[Jet01]

I’ve done a search but can’t find and answer.
Just wondering whether anyone has done a similar coopers toucan

1 x Coopers Lager
1 x coopers pale ale
1 box of light dry malt
1 box of BE2


I wasn’t really a fan of the standard coopers lager and hoping to up the ABV and get a better flavour.

Anyone done something similar. Would love to be able to get it between 5-6%.

Should I be mixing a pale and an amber ale together instead of the mixing the lager in?

 

[KegLand-com-au]

Hey guys. We have been looking for someone to work with us in making extract recipe kits. Would any of you guys like to work with us in recipe development for clone recipes. We would like to work with someone who has done quite a bit of extract brewing and extract recipe development.

We have already started to make a few recipe kits ourselves like these ones:
https://www.kegland.com.au/ingredients/recipe-kits/extract-recipe-kits.html

Ideally would like to put together a database of clone brews and have 50-100 different recipes. We have also been working with Muntons to do some competitions for extract beers. What type of competitions would you guys like to see us do. It would be good to get some ideas from you guys.

 

[DU99]

Dr Smurtos Golden Ale extract made a few times.

 

[KegLand-com-au]

Dr Smurtos Golden Ale extract made a few times.

Really got to meet this Dr Smurto some time. He is practically a genius in recipe development.

 

[Jet01]

Made a few toucans.

Stout/dark ale/1kg brown sugar - will be good with more time in the bottle
Sparkling/real ale/500g LDM - looking forward to this one being ready.
APA/Lager/1kg coopers BE2 - too sweet.

Going to try the following

Stout/dark ale/500LDM/500brown sugar.
Real ale and dark ale toucan with 500LDM

I’ll keep you posted.

 

[Cloth Ears]

Just started a 'toucan' - 2 Coopers Canadian Blonde and 2 Coopers Real Ale (plus 4kg of malt).

And just realised I don't have a hydrometer, so the OG sample is waiting for me in the fridge.

 

[stevonz]

Wow that is more like a four can... looking for high gravity beer? Probably need 2 x packs of yeast to ferment that right out ?

 

[Jet01]

This is a bit of a combo post that i’ll put in both threads for the stout novice.

My second batch of beer ever was a coopers stout kit and kilo. Used the kit and bag of ESB stout booster. Started drinking it after 3 weeks in the bottle and was finished the whole batch at the 4week mark. The last few bottles were a lot better than the first few. Lesson learnt to be as patient as you can to get the best taste out of your stout.

I also made a toucan last month. Coopers stout/dark ale with 1kg brown sugar, M42 yeast. 2carb drops per long neck.

13days in the primary
26days in the bottle.

I ran out of home brew after I took a case away with me on a camping trip, so was forced to buy some off the shelf stuff. I bought a case of cooper Best Extra stout, which was the beer that inspired me to start home brewing.

I was surprised that I really didn’t like the taste of the BES anymore, tasted like a burnt mess.

I prefer the toucan that I made and will be doing what I can to make more in the future so I don’t have to buy the commercial stuff.

It’s really bitter which I like, but doesn’t seem to taste as burnt as the BES. I’m thinking the sweetness from the brown sugar has taken some of that out.

I’m going to make another Stout/Dark Ale toucan next batch, but with 500g LDM instead of the brown sugar. See how that goes...

Thanks for all the tips and tricks so far. It’s been great.

 

[Jet01]

I’ve noticed that all of my toucans seem to have this weird taste in common, i’m sure it’s not an infection, and have had my mates taste it.

I’m a newbie and have only been using coopers kits.

I’ve made the following toucans so far. With the youngest being 27days in the bottle.

I’ve made:
stout/dark ale with 1kg brown sugar
Sparkling/real ale with 500 LDM
APA/Lager with 1kg BE2.

Best out of the bunch is the APA/lager I reckon. All are pretty average.

Fermented all 3 for at least 14 days in the fermenter and then bottled with 2 carb drops in longneck bottles.

I’m assuming they’re all way too bitter and that’s the common theme.

Has anyone else noticed anything similar?

 

[hoppy2B]

I’ve noticed that all of my toucans seem to have this weird taste in common, i’m sure it’s not an infection, and have had my mates taste it.

I’m a newbie and have only been using coopers kits.

I’ve made the following toucans so far. With the youngest being 27days in the bottle.

I’ve made:
stout/dark ale with 1kg brown sugar
Sparkling/real ale with 500 LDM
APA/Lager with 1kg BE2.

Best out of the bunch is the APA/lager I reckon. All are pretty average.

Fermented all 3 for at least 14 days in the fermenter and then bottled with 2 carb drops in longneck bottles.

I’m assuming they’re all way too bitter and that’s the common theme.

Has anyone else noticed anything similar?

It's going to have a higher bitterness because you are using 2 cans of extract which are both designed to have a level of bitterness from 1 can to suit the style. If you want a lower level of bitterness you will need to use 1 can of hopped extract and 1 can of unhopped extract.

Rather than using carb drops, just boil up 6 grams of sugar per litre in a small amount of water and add it to your ferment vessel / bottling vessel and then fill your bottles. Make sure the sugar mixture is properly mixed in before bottling.

You should really boil the whole volume of water and all of your ingredients (if you are not). Some people don't think so, but I recommend it.

 

[Jet01]

It's going to have a higher bitterness because you are using 2 cans of extract which are both designed to have a level of bitterness from 1 can to suit the style. If you want a lower level of bitterness you will need to use 1 can of hopped extract and 1 can of unhopped extract.

Rather than using carb drops, just boil up 6 grams of sugar per litre in a small amount of water and add it to your ferment vessel / bottling vessel and then fill your bottles. Make sure the sugar mixture is properly mixed in before bottling.

You should really boil the whole volume of water and all of your ingredients (if you are not). Some people don't think so, but I recommend it.

Thanks for the tip.

Will boiling the water and ingredients change the flavour?

 

[stevonz]

Thanks for the tip.

Will boiling the water and ingredients change the flavour?

No. Just safeguards against introducing an infection to you wort.

 

[hoppy2B]

Thanks for the tip.

Will boiling the water and ingredients change the flavour?

As stevonz points out, it is a precautionary measure.

If you get into steeping specialty grains, you only boil the liquid after removing the grains.

Check out John Palmer's free online book "How To Brew".

 

[spotarama]

just finished the last of a toucan blackntan this weekend, came out way better than i expected

it was coopers dark ale and stout with i kilo dextrose and the 2 packets of yeast that came with the cans, a month in the fermenter

i knew i'd got it right when a lad i know from county mayo in ireland said after the first mouthful " dats orright dat is" high praise from one brought up on the real stuff....after a couple more he pronounced it as good a stout as he'd had, none of the bitterness of commercial brews, very smooth and 'thick' with a beatiful dark amber head that stays to the bottom of the glass

both he and another friend have commissioned me to brew for them to buy but i think i'll stick to giving it away

now we shall have to wait and see what the lamington beer comes out - coopers lager, cocoa powder, vanilla extract ( the expensive paste stuff, not the thin cheap liquid version, just don't tell mrs spotty thats where her good cake making vanilla went...) and toasted dessicated coconut

 

[Cloth Ears]

Wow that is more like a four can... looking for high gravity beer? Probably need 2 x packs of yeast to ferment that right out ?

Sorry for not replying earlier.
My fermenter is 60l, not the usual 30l version. It give me a few better options and it also means that the first major ferment doesn't overflow like it did with the smaller ones.
And I tend to use two yeasts. The first one is the major flavour profile and the second is to ensure that the sugars are close to fully fermented. Prior to doing this the beer would be a bit sweet, as I like using malts instead of dextrose and a lot of yeast just cannot cope...

 

[peterlonz]

Not sure what is meant by the post from Cloth Ears.
In the case of stout you are not generally expecting any flavour from the yeast.
But you always hope & expect complete fermentation, even when tow cans is the basis of the brew.
I acknowledge that I have also noticed more recently that my brews are often sweeter than I like & this after up to 2 weeks in a controlled temp fermentor.
I'd like to know why?
BTW most two can stouts will taste better than Guinness, no question, every time I have friends do a taste comparison my stout is selected as the better of the two.
I have yet to master a chocolate stout & cherry/choc mix. So any pointers ????

 

[Journeyman]

Not sure what is meant by the post from Cloth Ears.

I think he was responding to the post he quoted - the OP addressed those Q's.

I hae a toucan running in the FV right now. I bought some 2nd hand brew equipment and there were 2 x out-of-date (Sept 2019) cans of Coopers Draught.

So both have gone in, with 11g US-05 (plus the kit yeast and some boiled bread yeast as nutrient) along with Coopers BE3 pack & 200g brown sugar.
Have just added in 50g Cascade tea and 50g Simcoe dry hop to the mix. (Late on the tea I know - been brewing since Saturday 9th arvo)

OG 1.072, IanH's SS says FG (as an APA) should be around 1.010 for around 8.7 ABV.

Now THAT should make a decent Xmas drink! (I hope )