'battle Of The Toucans'

[eungaibitter1]

Just cracked my first toucan after a month in the bottle.
Coopers real ale
Coopers sparkling ale
Fuggle 2x tea bag
500g ldme
Both kit yeasts.
Quite strong and bitter. Didn't calculate the alcohol content. Hops hardly evident. A short boil and or dry hop would've been better. Reminds me a bit of some sort of strong Polish drop. Its not too bad but at the same time, not quite one for the greatest hits collection.

 

[menoetes]

A straight toucan is never going to be brilliant without some extra work but is certainly quite good for the minimal work and cost involved IMHO. Because you are using two pre-hopped kits your IBU's will already be in the 45+ range before any additions (depending on the volume you made it up to) basically making it an Extra Strong Bitter (ESB) from the get go.

As you've started with two can that are already quite bitter (I know the real ale is 30 IBU more than twice that of the Cerveza and almost twice that of the APA) you have probably got a very bitter ESB.

How long did you boil the Fuggles for? Most toucans only really need the finishing and dry hops, as you've worked out. A boil of over 15 - 20 minutes could be adding another 6 or 7 IBUs to your already strong tasting brew.

If you don't like bitters then this might not be the brew for you. Having said that, I wasn't sold on my first toucan at the start but it quickly grew on me and soon I was planning my next one. See how you go after a few more bottles.

 

[eungaibitter1]

Could get a taste for it. The fuggles were just the tea bag variety. Not boiled but added before the yeast. I have a couple more toucans in the waiting which I employed the short boil. 20 min I'm sure. This one is more of a two longnecker. Three tops, rather than getting stuck well into it. I don't mind the bitter or the strength. A bit more hop presence would be the key.

 

[boingk]

Sounds good mate, although I've never been one for Fuggles, bi too earthy for my tastes. Could do well with some Galaxy or Centennial to cut through the double canning?

- boingk

 

[menoetes]

I used Amarillo (with a little cascade) which, from the taste of it out of the fermeter, has done a great job of cutting through the toucan bittering effect. I'm sure that Galaxy would do just as well and though I have never used Centennial, from what I have heard of it I don't doubt it would be pretty effective. From what I have learned so far, I have to say that late hopping a toucan is an excellent idea.

 

[eungaibitter1]

Amarillo works well. Since above post I've cracked the home brand toucan with Amarillo. Much more palatable than the coopers/fuggle. Galaxy seems to get a pretty good rap though I've not tried it yet. About to replenish stocks soon and will include some galaxy for sure.

 

[aamcle]

Sugestions please, I have to hand, 2 x bitter and 1 x lager kits, and a range of hops n grains.

I got the kits because they were stupidly cheap and well in date, what could I make as a toucan?

Should I get a stout ( sadly full price) and go for a RIS, I like dry stout so maybe S05?

Atb. Aamcle

 

[menoetes]

Toucaning two bitter kits will produce something extraordinarily bitter. Some have tried it before and most say that they can't drink it. A bitter and a lager kit together, made up to 27lts or so will still be very bitter but if you like ESBs (and other beers of the bitter breed) than you should be ok.

What hops do you have? I try using the more floral/fruity hops to cut through the bitterness, thought in my last brew I used over 70g of amarillo and cascade late in the boil and you can only just taste them over the isohops. Someone has mentioned using galaxy previously and as it is very fruity I would certainly consider it for a toucan (maybe with some citra). Just keep in mind that you'll be trying to balance an extremely bitter beer.

If you are worried about the kits being a bit old, why not just make up three hoppy brews? The used by dates on these things are never the actual date of spoilage, in fact they are rarely even close. The Bitter cans could make for a nice base for a couple of IPAs and a faux lager late hopped with some galaxy could make for a very drinkable session beer...

 

[aamcle]

Menoetes thanks for responding, I think I'll either get a can of stout and make a RIS (coopers recipe) or go with IPA as you have suggested.

ATB. Aamcle

 

[Forever Wort]

I have done sixteen extract and kit brews now, with the seventeenth fermenting in the wardrobe as I type.

For some reason without exception my most popular beer has been the following toucan:

The Wales St Lager

1x Coles Lager kit
1x Tooheys Lager kit

20g Perle @ 40 mins
20g Perle @ 20 mins

Both kit yeasts used and fermented for seven days at 20-22 degrees. OG 1040, FG 1013.

What gives? I have no idea. It is a nice drop but nothing special. Mid-strength in alcohol, easy to drink, nice clear light colour, dry bitterness. In my own opinion I would put it in the mid-range of the beers I've done; not the worst, nowhere near the best. Yet the popular verdict is this is The Beer of The Heavens and I must Repeat It Or Perish.

I put this recipe out there for those who are looking to try something different, to succeed in unusual ways but mostly because I don't want to brew this beer again but am interested in what more beer aficionados think of it for the laity have spoken and their judgement is bizarre.

 

[Wigarus]

I have done sixteen extract and kit brews now, with the seventeenth fermenting in the wardrobe as I type.

For some reason without exception my most popular beer has been the following toucan:

The Wales St Lager

1x Coles Lager kit
1x Tooheys Lager kit

20g Perle @ 40 mins
20g Perle @ 20 mins

Both kit yeasts used and fermented for seven days at 20-22 degrees. OG 1040, FG 1013.

What gives? I have no idea. It is a nice drop but nothing special. Mid-strength in alcohol, easy to drink, nice clear light colour, dry bitterness. In my own opinion I would put it in the mid-range of the beers I've done; not the worst, nowhere near the best. Yet the popular verdict is this is The Beer of The Heavens and I must Repeat It Or Perish.

I put this recipe out there for those who are looking to try something different, to succeed in unusual ways but mostly because I don't want to brew this beer again but am interested in what more beer aficionados think of it for the laity have spoken and their judgement is bizarre.

Well at least it looks cheap for a toucan anyway...

 

[jkhlt1210]

Anyone got a killer stout toucan??

 

[eungaibitter1]

I've got this in the secondary at the moment.

Coopers Stout
Coopers Dark Ale
500g DME
300g roasted barley steeped
30g goldings 20 min.
Nottingham yeast
20ltr.

Bout to bottle it. Wort from hydrometer tests has tasted great. OG 1060. Around 1010 now. Pretty basic but should come up nice.

 

[jkhlt1210]

I've got this in the secondary at the moment.

Coopers Stout
Coopers Dark Ale
500g DME
300g roasted barley steeped
30g goldings 20 min.
Nottingham yeast
20ltr.

Bout to bottle it. Wort from hydrometer tests has tasted great. OG 1060. Around 1010 now. Pretty basic but should come up nice.

Keep us posted..... That sounds great !

 

[Droopy Brew]

Cams 2can IPA- one of the best I have made. And pretty easy with just a bit of pimping.

OG: 1.065
FG: 1.017
IBU: 54
ABV: 6.3%
Volume: 22L

2 cans of Coopers Lager
1x Goodies pack (400g DME light, 400g Dex, 200g Cornstarch/maltodextrin)
250g Medium crystal (135)
Cascade 20g @ 5min
Simcoe 10g @ 5min
Galaxy 10g @ 5min
Cascade 20g dry hop
Simcoe 10g dry hop
Galaxy 10g dry hop

Packet of Bry 97 West coast Yeast
Ferment 10 days, dry hop on the 8th day then cc for 4 days.


This is a photo of the first pull after 3 days in the keg. It has cleared up significantly since then and is a very nicely balanced beer. Plenty of sweet maltiness to balance out the bitterness- even the missus can drink a few of these and she normally cant touch anything greater than 30IBUs. The head lasts to the final deliceous drop.

This one will be made again without doubt although I may even up the dry hop schedule a bit next time for more aroma.

 

[Tahoose]

Droopy that looks the goods, think I might do something simular but maybe with 1 tin and a half batch...

I really want a pint of that IPA now...

 

[Droopy Brew]

Just a tease- 7 days in:

High tide



Low tide

 

[Tahoose]

It was straight after I posted yesterday that I realised that my IPA fresh wort kit that I bottled 2 weeks ago was good to go, so off I went to the fridge and did manage to have a couple of IPAs

Mind you yours still looks good

 

[Droopy Brew]

Bonus!

I read your thread on your AG cherry. I've been meaning to get into it for a few months now and after going to the link to the 2v system you provided Im finally going to give it a go. Turning out a brew like this in an hour but makes it hard to commit to a 3 hour process, if all my extracts were this good I wouldn't bother to be honest, alas they are not.

 

[Tahoose]

Do it mate, that system works for me and is good efficiency wise. It is worth the extra time, believe me... As long as you enjoy it your time is free, so it takes a couple of hours longer but you get great beer then who cares.

I just bought a second pot today so I'll be moving up from 12ltr batches to full batches (23-24)...

I would suggest if time was a massive issue then maybe BIAB is another option to consider.

Make sure you let us know how it all goes and photo's are always good.