Dark Ale

[gavor]

Hiya,

I got a can of coopers dark ale for christmas but I don't know quite what to do with it and a search of the forums turns up a lot of unrelated posts.

Currently I only have the can and about 150g of carapils grain in the cupboard. I don't think that grain is any good for a dark ale so I need to go shopping at the local HBS.

Any suggestions on a grain/hops combo would be appreciated.

g

 

[InCider]

Hiya,

I got a can of coopers dark ale for christmas but I don't know quite what to do with it and a search of the forums turns up a lot of unrelated posts.

Currently I only have the can and about 150g of carapils grain in the cupboard. I don't think that grain is any good for a dark ale so I need to go shopping at the local HBS.

Any suggestions on a grain/hops combo would be appreciated.

g

Hey G,

I'd bust up another $10 note and get a stout can and make a two can mix. I've got a Miners Stout can here that's waiting for another dark ale... only 5 months until it gets cold!

InCider

 

[MHB]

Personal favourite would be a 1.5 Kg can of Amber malt or 1 Kg of powdered amber and some English hops for taste; the obvious would be Golding or Fuggle, but Challenger would be worth a try.

Coopers, Morgan's and Blackrock all offer Amber in the 1.5 Kg size, for an old style beer; personally I think I would choose the Blackrock; its the lightest amber and has a lot of rich toffy and caramel notes.

The Muntons Amber in the powdered form is defiantly worth a go, especially if you like the typical Muntons toffy sweetness.

For a grain addition all the usual suspects; Chocolate, Dark Crystal, Black Patent, a touch of Roast is you want to move toward a porter, the German Carafa 1,2&3 are all good in an old and very soft, something a bit out of the box would be a shot of CaraAroma.
In any case be restrained with the dark grains, dont boil them or you can get some harsh tannins, a 10 minute steep at around 80 C, strain the juice to the fermenter.

For mine its easy to overdo the grain, let the malt and hops lead.

MHB.

 

[petesbrew]

Hi Gavor, I've got one I just mixed up which I'm really happy with...

Lord Vader's Darth Ale
coopers dark ale
brew enhancer 2
250g choc grain (steeped for 30 min)
20g Goldings (steeped for 10min)

It's got a really toasty flavour thanks to the choc. Halfway between a tooheys old and a stout.

Otherwise, the dark ale goes really well with a coopers stout as a 2can brew!
All the best with your recipe.
Pete

 

[gavor]

Hiya,

Thanks for the ideas, I went with...

150g choc grain steeped for 30 mins
20g fuggles steeped for 10 mins

and an extra can of Morgans amber ale (1.5kg)

Topped off to 23L it was 1048 @ 28C (stupid brisbane weather). I've got it under the house cooling down now.

Here's hoping.....


g

 

[Brownie]

A good recipe that I have used:

1 Can Coopers Dark Ale;
Safale S-04 Yeast (11g Satchet)
50G Dark Brown Sugar
150G Corn Syrup
500g LDME
500g DDME
Tea Bag Tettnanger Hops
Tea Bag Goldings Hops.

Re-hydratred Safale Yeast for 30 Mins.

Boiled (Hgh Simmer really) DDME, LDME, DBS, Corn Syrup, Kit Yeast and Tettnanger Hops for 30 Mins. Turned off heat added Goldings Hops and left sit for 10 Mins. Added Coopers Dark Ale Can, gave a damn good stir, poured into Fermenter, added cold water to 23 Litres.

Added Yeast and left for two weeks to ferment

Starting Gravity - 1044
Left in Secondary for 2 weeks
Final Gravity - 1014

Bulk primed with 30g Corn Syrup and 150g LDME and bottled on 10 September 2006.

Been tasting this drop over the Xmas break and it is damn good, nice head, good flavour.

Brownie.