'battle Of The Toucans'

[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 )

 

[Grmblz]

I have yet to master a chocolate stout & cherry/choc mix. So any pointers ????

Ok it's cheating and not "proper brewing" but seeing as this is a can thread, for a super chocky stout get a creme de cacao essence (still spirits or similar) your LHBS will have it in the distilling section, it's quite potent so start with half or quarter of a bottle to 19ltr of stout, you can always add more. Check this out https://distilleryking.com.au/blogs/news/still-spirits-essence-guide the options are endless, after choc stouts try coffee stouts, or an IPA with a hint of strawberry maybe, for experiments try an eye dropper with one drop of essence into a ltr of beer it's surprising what tastes great (and absolute **** but you've only lost one ltr) not exactly cherries but Icon liqueur black raspberry royale would be interesting mixed with the choc stout.

 

[Blackman]

Really enjoying this thread. Been BIABing for last 5 years, never toucan'd. My first one is still carbing at the moment.
Coopers draught
Canadian light
500g ldme
25g Citra steeped
Both yeasts
25g Citra dry hop.
Made 30ltrs cos I like to fill keg and put a carton aside for later.

Got another one on go straight away.
2 x Blackrock Munich Lager
1kg ldme
450g honey
2 x 10g Belgium M41 rehydrated
30ltrs again.

I have 100g of Hallertau to use in this one too. Haven't decided yet how much I will put in.

After 12hrs it is well on the way.

 

[Blackman]

She has settled down now, tomorrow I will clean the air lock.
Any suggestions on the Hallertau dry hop addition?

 

[Blackman]

Perhaps I should have used only one yeast. I have never had a beer cook the air lock like that.
Fermenter was pretty full I know, but have had it there before with whole grain brews.