Extra Sugars Etc For A Toucan?

[ploto]

For my third brew I am planning to make a toucan of the Coopers original series Lager. What effect should I expect if I add 500g of BE1 (60% dextrose / 40% maltodextrin)? I was also considering adding 500g of honey, either in place of the 500g of be1, or in addition to it. Would this be excessive?

Also I have read it suggested that there may be an advantage in adding fermentables that impart flavour (ie honey) at a later stage, the reasoning being to let the yeast eat up the flavourless fermentables first - is there any basis to this?

Yeast will be just the two sachets supplied with the cans as I am unable to get to a HBS before I put this next brew down, although I would like to try better yeasts in the future. I understand the coopers lager is more of an ale and I'm fine with that as I have yet to implement temperature control suitable for proper lagers.

I also intend to add some finishing hops after the initial fermentation subsides, possibly POR, although I have access to others including Cascade, Nelson Sauvin, & Tettnang. Any suggestions on what might best complement the Coopers Lager cans?

 

[manticle]

For my third brew I am planning to make a toucan of the Coopers original series Lager. What effect should I expect if I add 500g of BE1 (60% dextrose / 40% maltodextrin)? I was also considering adding 500g of honey, either in place of the 500g of be1, or in addition to it. Would this be excessive?

I would make a basic toucan then adjust next time if you think it necessary. Kit additions should be judicious - too much can be.....well........too much. Your tastes will dictate.

Also I have read it suggested that there may be an advantage in adding fermentables that impart flavour (ie honey) at a later stage, the reasoning being to let the yeast eat up the flavourless fermentables first - is there any basis to this?

Not quite but it might just be an misinterpretation. Yeast will digest glucose and other simple sugars before it digests maltose. If it has too much simple sugar it may not produce be able to utilise some or all of the maltose. Nothing to do with flavour though. Therefore in high gravity brews particularly, simple sugars like white sugar, honey or candy sugar might get added when active ferment is mostly done. I have also found overdoing the sugar addition too early can lead to too much hot alcohol (as can other things).

I also intend to add some finishing hops after the initial fermentation subsides, possibly POR, although I have access to others including Cascade, Nelson Sauvin, & Tettnang. Any suggestions on what might best complement the Coopers Lager cans?

tettnang

 

[mwd]

I don't think you need the BE1 with a toucan the beer should have ample body alone. If you add the honey don't boil it first or you will drive off all the flavour and aroma. The honey is nearly all fermentable so will push up your alcohol levels. You might want to use Ian's famous excel woorksheet it will give you a very good guide to ABVs Og and FG.

I have never done Coopers lager so will leave the hop choice to somebody else but tettnang I would think is most likely.

Edit beaten by Manticle's good advise.

 

[ploto]

Thanks for your reply manticle. I currently have in the fermenter a toucan of Pale Ale & Canadian Blond with no extra sugars and will be bottling it tomorrow, so not much chance to see how it goes before I do the next one. However my first brew (lager + can of pale malt) is two weeks in the bottle today and improving, if a little on the malty side, so I was wondering if adding some sugars might balance it out a little.

You are of course right about taking small steps and I have been trying to avoid making drastic changes, but the hardest thing for me is the wait! Now where did I park my tardis... Given I have two all malt kit brews down I am willing to try one with a little sugars added. Since I have the box of unused BE1 from the starter kit I figured I may as well try with it. I think will leave the honey idea until I have a few more brews under my belt (hic!).

cheers,
ploto

 

[ploto]

I don't think you need the BE1 with a toucan the beer should have ample body alone. If you add the honey don't boil it first or you will drive off all the flavour and aroma. The honey is nearly all fermentable so will push up your alcohol levels. You might want to use Ian's famous excel woorksheet it will give you a very good guide to ABVs Og and FG.

I have never done Coopers lager so will leave the hop choice to somebody else but tettnang I would think is most likely.

Edit beaten by Manticle's good advise.

Thanks for your advice TB. The ABV calculation on my second toucan only brew comes out at around 4.5% so I think there is room for a little more alcohol, although that is not the sole objective. The toucan lager won't be going down for 3 or 4 days so I will mull it over and contemplate your advice, pending tasting of my first brew speaking of which, it is just about lunchtime and the first test bottle has been in the fridge overnight...

Tettnang sounds the go so I will try that, say 20g steeped for 20mins and added on day 3/4.

 

[mwd]

Yeh always eager to test the first bottle gives a good indicator. Toucans tend to give a good robust beer that some say get better with time in the bottle. Cannot verify that though as I have great trouble keeping a batch more than 2 months after bottling.

 

[ploto]

Well I finally got around to laying it down today B)

2 x coopers original lager cans, both sachets of yeast. I accidentally overfilled the FV to 24.5 litres as I misread the markings due to all the froth <_< I guess this won't really make any difference other than slightly dropping the final alcohol content. Oh well I'll just have a couple of extra bottles to drink, life is tough eh!

I got hold of tettnang pellets that I will add in a couple of days when I take the krausen collar out (I've got one of the new coopers kits).

I was planning to steep about 25g - 30g in a small amount of boiled water - would I be better off boiling half of it for 10 mins or so then adding the rest dry? or will the toucan mix have enough bitterness, in which case should I just dry hop it all?

cheers,
ploto

 

[manticle]

My experience of dry hopping with tettnanger hasn't been great. It is limited to one unsuccessful attempt though and the beer was wrong for tett anyway - it was a salvage operation which didn't work.

I'd tend towards a small boil with a touch of malt to get tett flavour in there - 10-20 mins. Again err on the side of caution and up it next time if it's not enough.