Intro And Our Iron Brew Challenge

[Farnk]

Hi everyone,

I'm Farnk, have been reading the forum for a while and thought I'd introduce myself.

Been brewing for a year or so and enjoying the fruits of the process whilst trying to learn and improve my brewing. Just as in all things, this is a pastime that is easy to do but a real challenge to master!

A number of my work colleagues also brew beer so I put the call out for an 'Iron Brew' challenge.

So we have 15 people here at work, approx half are old hands and the other half novices, all making a brew based on the Cooper's sparkling ale kit. The only rules are that the contents of the can must be used, (yeast and other additives along with brew method are completely optional) and that the process is documented.

We're convening in 2-3 months for a tasting and judgement session. Should be interesting!

 

[jdsaint]

good luck mate and welcome

 

[Andyd]

G'day Farnk, and Welcome!

So, where are you based?

Enjoy the community!

Andy

 

[mattemmo]

Love the idea of a good challenge! Let us know how it all goes.

mattemmo

 

[jojai]

Welcome Farnk

So what are you planning to do with your brew? Or is that top secret at the moment?

 

[Mantis]

What a great idea. Wish I knew enough homebrewers around here to do something similar. Good luck with your effort eh.

 

[Farnk]

Thanks for the welcome!

I'm based in the Eastern suburbs of Melb.

Well, my take on the Iron brew is to aim for a crisp, dry flavour with a bitter, clean finish.
To that end I used the following:

Coopers Sparkiling Ale can (Mandatory)
SafAle US-05
1.5Kg Coopers light malt
1Kg Dextrose
10g Pride of Ringwood hops
Filtered / untreated water

Opening Grav was 1058, bottled at 1008 after 5 days.

My major differentiating factor is using water which has been filtered but not treated. (i.e from the catchment and bugs filtered out but no flouride, no chlorine, etc.)

It's been a week in the bottle, I'll try some in a couple of weeks and report back!
The others in the challenge have tried a wide variety of approaches. I'll get their recipies and our judging results and post them when it's all done.

 

[sponge]

Howdy farnk

just a quickie, what temp was that brewed at?


Sponge

 

[Farnk]

Howdy farnk

just a quickie, what temp was that brewed at?


Sponge

HI Sponge,

My thermometer read 19 - 21 degrees over the period.
A bit higher than I'd like, but I've yet to find a fridge to modify to keep the fermenter cool.

 

[boingk]

Coopers Sparkiling Ale can (Mandatory)
SafAle US-05
1.5Kg Coopers light malt
1Kg Dextrose
10g Pride of Ringwood hops
Filtered / untreated water

Opening Grav was 1058, bottled at 1008 after 5 days.

Holy mackerel! Thats running a 6.5% alc vol! Should be a crowd pleaser for sure
Of course, the sugars used to prime will add another 0.3% give or take...so it sure will be a strong drop. Still, I wouldn't mind giving that a go - I reckon it'd go down alright, perhaps adding some specialty grain may be the next step...

Let us know how it turns out, and how you go vs. your mates!

Cheers - boingk

 

[Sammus]

(yeast and other additives along with brew method are completely optional)

Haha that could almost mean the yeast is optional... would be an interesting "beer" then :lol:

 

[jojai]

That sounds like a swell recipe, I was planning a Sparkling Ale for my next brew (unless the temperature drops enough for me to do a lager). So if you reckon it's good I might go with your recipe

 

[Farnk]

Haha that could almost mean the yeast is optional... would be an interesting "beer" then :lol:

Ah yes, it would be.. I of course meant that use of the coopers yeast was optional.
I will let you all know how it turns out, although I tried an early sample and it was awful.. Only been a week or so in the bottle, so here's hoping it improves after a month or so.

If I do this brew again, I won't leave out the 500g of dry malt that the standard recipe calls for. It's early days but I feel that the hops are leaving a bitter finish that is just too strong. Time will tell.

 

[boingk]

Yeah, it should definitely improve. I've had similar things happen - overpowering harsh bitterness that fades and mellows with age [4 weeks+]. After 2 or 3 months, you should be looking at a pretty swell brew

 

[Farnk]

Yeah, it should definitely improve. I've had similar things happen - overpowering harsh bitterness that fades and mellows with age [4 weeks+]. After 2 or 3 months, you should be looking at a pretty swell brew

Certainly hope so, seriously thinking that I should do another batch just in case...
Given CSA is my favoured drop at the local, should not be a drama if I end up with a large quantity to get through. :icon_cheers:

 

[AlwayzLoozeCount]

If your doing that brew up to 23L its gonna have a high ABV% 7.5%ish not that that scares me but get some beds or a designated driver it could take a few beers before you figure out (argue) who has the best drop.

Is it considered cheating for you to use this site? I know it helps me way too much.

Also I made this recipe last year and its only come good just now. http://www.coopers.com.au/homebrew/makeBee...d=5&bid=119

1.7kg Premium Selection Sparkling Ale
1.5kg Thomas Coopers Light Malt Extract
500g Coopers Light Dry Malt
300g Dextrose/Sucrose

way too malty to be a sparkler clone but it is a nice drop.

Good Luck

 

[Farnk]

If your doing that brew up to 23L its gonna have a high ABV% 7.5%ish not that that scares me but get some beds or a designated driver it could take a few beers before you figure out (argue) who has the best drop.

Is it considered cheating for you to use this site? I know it helps me way too much.

Also I made this recipe last year and its only come good just now. http://www.coopers.com.au/homebrew/makeBee...d=5&bid=119

1.7kg Premium Selection Sparkling Ale
1.5kg Thomas Coopers Light Malt Extract
500g Coopers Light Dry Malt
300g Dextrose/Sucrose

way too malty to be a sparkler clone but it is a nice drop.

Good Luck

Ah, but then I signed up to the forums after I did this brew!
I had an idea of what I was trying to aim for taste wise, the blokes ate the brewers den helped me out with advice re specifics.

 

[Steve]

Ah, but then I signed up to the forums after I did this brew!
I had an idea of what I was trying to aim for taste wise, the blokes ate the brewers den helped me out with advice re specifics.

15 brewers in one workplace! Faaark - I bet you have decent work christmas parties.....do you ever get any work done? :beerbang:
Cheers
Steve

 

[Farnk]

Yea, funny about that..

There were about 6 of us who have been brewing for a while, and a few who expressed an interest in starting 'one day'.

The background to the challenge is that we've had a department shakeup and ended up with about 40 or so new people. We're a service team, with different people in specialised sub-teams, so communication is never too good. The idea was to find a non-work related activity that people could try, and maybe learn something along the way by talking to each other and sharing ideas.

It's worked well and has got people out of their shells and talking to each other..

I'm typing this as I sip my second sampler. Still very bitter but I think that it should mellow out and be quite drinkable. Just as an exercise, I've got another CSA in the fermenter with the following:

CSA can contents
1.5kg coopers light malt
500g dextrose
650g light dry malt
10g pride of ringwood
SAFale s04
Brewed with catchment water

This one opened with a gravity of 1078 so hopefully It'll be a real skullcrusher. Just the thing for a quiet ale at home. I bought a couple of the 100 can coolers at Anaconda on the weekend and it's quite happily bubbling away at a steady 13.5 degrees. Five days in and the krausen has only just broken down.

I just need to find a name, I'm thinking of calling it 'le-onpenjya'

I'm leaving the other fermenter free, as it's only a couple of weeks until the kellybrook cider festival and I'm going to have a go at a cider from fresh pressed juice!

 

[Farnk]

Bubbles have stopped, so out of the cooler it came!
I'll let it finish off at room temp now as the yeast looks to have gone to sleep at 13.5 degrees.
Grav is down to 1020. Hoping to get it under 1010. Tastes sweet and malty!