Coopers Dark Ale, With A Twist

[simone1989]

Hi, I'm new to this forum, not so new to home brewing and wanted to get some views on my next brew, I'm planning on a Coopers Dark Ale kit, using a safale yeast with all-malt fermentables which have a lactose component to cut down on bitterness of the beer, I was hoping to get some thoughts on whether to do a boil or just start it off in the brew tub with boiling water, I'm really hoping to get a decent quality beer out of this, any advice would be great!

 

[Acasta]

I think that if your adding hops, its been suggested that boiling some malt will help extraction. But im not too sure about that, its just a thing people say, but it can't hurt! If your not boiling hops, just feel free to dump the ingredients into the fermentor.

Just if u wanted to know, if u want a good kit Dark ale, go the dark ale can and a coopers aus pale ale can with some english hops and it will turn out AWESOME. The best kit brew i made.

 

[Pennywise]

Welcome to AHB mate :icon_cheers: The lactose in your brew booster wont make the beer less bitter, but it will add sweetness, which reduces the amount of percieved bitterness in the beer. That aside, the Coopers kit itself shouldn't need boiling as it's sanitary already, if the other fermentables are in dry form then I give that a quick boil in a few litres of water just to sanitise it. The important thing is to make sure all your equipment is clean and sanitary. Which Safale yeast are you planning to use?

 

[Pennywise]

if u want a good kit Dark ale, go the dark ale can and a coopers aus pale ale can with some english hops and it will turn out AWESOME. The best kit brew i made.

Really? I wouldn't have thought those two go well together

 

[simone1989]

I'm planning on using safale-04, and I have done a full boil for a pilsner before. My main concern was getting the full quantity of the dry malt mix to dissolve, my original plan was to add boiling water to the brew tub, add my dry fermentables and stir till disolved, then add the can of extract. Then fermentation at 22 degrees.

Welcome to AHB mate :icon_cheers: The lactose in your brew booster wont make the beer less bitter, but it will add sweetness, which reduces the amount of percieved bitterness in the beer. That aside, the Coopers kit itself shouldn't need boiling as it's sanitary already, if the other fermentables are in dry form then I give that a quick boil in a few litres of water just to sanitise it. The important thing is to make sure all your equipment is clean and sanitary. Which Safale yeast are you planning to use?

 

[Acasta]

Mate, its amazing! Out of the fermentor its weird and brown, but after 2 weeks of conditioning it comes out black and really nice! I suggest you try it!

 

[Acasta]

I'm planning on using safale-04, and I have done a full boil for a pilsner before. My main concern was getting the full quantity of the dry malt mix to dissolve, my original plan was to add boiling water to the brew tub, add my dry fermentables and stir till disolved, then add the can of extract. Then fermentation at 22 degrees.

That will work, tried and proven. Just put the dry in, add 2L boiling (kettle will do) and swirl until dissolved. Also try spoon to help mix. May take up to 5 min.

 

[manticle]

I don't remember that kit being particularly bitter and all malt plus lactose will give quite a high FG and a sweet brew. Maybe that's what you want.

Back in my KK days I did a couple of the dark ale tins with 500g dme and 500 odd dextrose and they turned out great. I'd drop the temp a little if you can (certainly see 22 as the upper limit of the range).

 

[MaltyHops]

I'm planning on using safale-04, and I have done a full boil for a pilsner before. My main concern was getting the full quantity of the dry malt mix to dissolve, my original plan was to add boiling water to the brew tub, ...

Guess you could do this but it might be a lot more convenient to dissolve the
dry malt in a pot of boiling water (~1L say) first - lumpy malt is enough of a
pain to dissolve in a pot. Probably want to ensure the pot is well rinsed of any
household detergent first if you do this - could even soak pot in sanitiser if one
is a bit obsessive :huh:

...
Just if u wanted to know, if u want a good kit Dark ale, go the dark ale can and a coopers aus pale ale can with some english hops and it will turn out AWESOME. The best kit brew i made.

Thanks for posting this tip - bought an armful of Coopers cans the other day
when I read about Coles' big homebrew dumping - including 8 dark ale, 3 lager, ...
- and was thinking of something along these lines. Am about to do a Belgian next
using two of the dark ale cans with syrup, Wy1214 and EKG (dry hopping only as
the two cans ought to be bitter enough).

Tom.

 

[Zapp Brannigan]

Mate, its amazing! Out of the fermentor its weird and brown, but after 2 weeks of conditioning it comes out black and really nice! I suggest you try it!

Hi Acsasta, Im interested to try your suggestion. Could you please post as much info as you have for this. I recently picked up some cheap Coopers tins at the local supermarket and I have a Coopers pale ale and a Coopers traditional dark ale, and I was wondering if I could combine some of these together.

 

[Acasta]

Sure mate, what would you like to know? What kinds of beers/hops do you like? Ill make a recipe for you.
maybe PM me, as to keep this thread on the original topic.

 

[bum]

Jesus wept...

Anyway, most of the good stuff has already been covered but I'd like to stress manticle's point about thinking of 22 as the absolute max temp for this yeast. Also, you needn't stress too much about ensuring all the lumps are gone from the brew booster/LDME - the yeasties will find it either way - only issue might be is a marginally lower than accurate OG reading so it's up to you if you think that is critical.

 

[simone1989]

Yer, I can understand the 22 as a maximum, keeping it at a temp is no problem, might step it down to 20. My setup uses a fridge (turned off, just keeps temp steady) a heat pad and a thermostat to keep it at whatever temp I choose, thanks for the advice from both you and manticle, temp is important and i'd like this one to go really well.

Jesus wept...

Anyway, most of the good stuff has already been covered but I'd like to stress manticle's point about thinking of 22 as the absolute max temp for this yeast. Also, you needn't stress too much about ensuring all the lumps are gone from the brew booster/LDME - the yeasties will find it either way - only issue might be is a marginally lower than accurate OG reading so it's up to you if you think that is critical.