Coopers Stout Kit

[wardy]

My local Coles supermarket has just got in the full range of coopers kit beers (not the heritage series), so at $9.49 per can it is quite a cheap form of malt extract. And certainly cheaper than my HBS at $14. I am happy to boil it to remove the hop flavouring if necessary.... which has nothing to do with my question except that i've picked up a coopers stout kit and wanted to do something special with it.

I have never done a stout before, but love drinking guiness, kilkenny, etc. I wanted to know what i could add to the kit to make it special??? or at least, taste better. Should i add any chocolate malt or dark malt, or crystal malt????

what kind of hops? i think i have fuggles? is that in character?

what kind of yeast? i also have london 1028, is that in-line with the character?

I was thinking of using two kits in the one brew? would that be a good idea?

Also, something a bit off-character, but i love chimay blue and i remember reading somewhere they use rasberry puree? I was thinking of experimenting with that, anyone tried it?

If anyone has experimented with any ideas that have turned out great, i would love to hear them.

cheers

 

[pr1me]

only stout ive done is with a grumpys colonial stout baggie, but it smells and tastes a treat, not sure what was in it, but hell, experiment mate! it may turn out like motor oil but its all part of the fun to try things noone else has tried yet you might even try my trick and slap some chocolate into the brew for a youngs double chocolate clone.

 

[wardy]

chocolate, now that's a great idea!!!

It certainly is going to be an experiment, i plan on throwing in as many complimentary ingredients as i can find, and chocolate just went to the top of the list!!

thanks prime

 

[Wreck]

I do the same thing and use coopers kits as my base. I usually go for the lighter ones though, and get the desired colour with the grain.

I'd go some chocolate or black malt. Not sure how much with a stout kit as it's already pretty dark.

EKG hops are the way to go. Never used fuggles, but I think they are similar.

I'm chasing a Chimay Blue also. My second attempt went into the bottle about a week ago, but I'm pretty sure I've missed the target. Should be a nice drop, but not there yet.

Wreck.

 

[deebee]

Steep 250g of crystal malt and 250g of roast barley and add your extracts to the resulting liquor for a boil. You will need to add more water too. You could put 15-30g of fuggles in towards the end of the boil. Or not. Stout should have minimal hop aroma or less. Northern brewer or EKG would be better. Then add kit, chill, pour into fermenter, top up and pitch yeast.

Other ingredients might be fun for experimentation but the above recipe will give you a decent stout without corn syrup or dark sugar or molasses or chocolate.

 

[GMK]

I add 50 - 100gms of home brand dark compound cooking chocolate to me y dark ales and stouts...

also roast, choc and black grains.
and
200gms of dark brown sugar
and lactose....

also added oak chips and cinamon and nutmeg to my huge RIS....

 

[Jovial_Monk]

Yeah something like 250g chic and 500g roast barley

Hops not too important, just add some target or POR at start of boil

250g wheat malt extract will put a nice head on it.

Leave the chocolate (food) till your second batch

Jovial Monk

 

[wardy]

thanks for all your replies.

i take it that i steep all the specialty grains like choc, black and roasted barley?

Also, GMK you mentioned lactose, in what form and how much would you add?

 

[GMK]

i get dry powdered lactose....

Usually add it into the saucepan for the boil with everything else...including the chocolate...
use approx 100gms in dark beers and 150 - 200 in stouts.
ie add 150gms and before bottling taste - sometimes i add another 50gms to achieve a better balance.

Hope this helps.

 

[Jovial_Monk]

I would cold steep the dark grains (mix with cold or tepid water the day b4 you brew.

Had a sip of a stout with lactose, it had a nasty little chemical edge to it. Mind you, that was the only time I tasted a milk stout

Jovial Monk

 

[wardy]

thanks for your help guys, much appreciated.

anyone tried coffee beans in a brew?

 

[wardy]

ok, well i've got the ingredients you guys have suggested and i am going to brew as follows:

1.7 Kg coopers stout
1kg Dextrose
500g Dry Light malt extract
250g choc malt (steeped)
250g roasted barley (steeped)
20g fuggles hops @ 5 mins

Yeast: Wyeast 1028 London

Do the steeped grains add any fermentable sugar? or is it only colour, taste?
anyone see any fault with the above?
cheers

 

[Jovial_Monk]

mostly color and flavor. IIRC they are like 10% fermentable

Jovial Monk

 

[deebee]

KG of Dextrose????

I would make it 1kg to 1.5kg of DME and drop out the dex or cut it back to 250g.

 

[wardy]

About to put my stout on using the coopers stout kit as a base. 1028 london wyeast, and:
200g crystal malt
200g choc malt
200g roasted barley

I've never used choc or roasted before so i'm not sure if these ratios will balance well or overpower one or the other??

Also, hopping with fuggles. Was thinking of about 20g in the last 10 min. Will this add bittering, with only minimal aroma? Or should i just go with 15g POR at the beginning?