Kit Enhancing

[TheTrueBrew]

Looking for things to do/add to enhance the Coopers Dark Ale can. I've only done a few brews now so I'm still learning and I want to make a dark ale that taste better then just the kit (add extra malt extracts, hops, fermentables, change yeast) but I don't know what goes with what. would love any recipe ideas and any knowledge you feel like passing on.
[SIZE=13.0909px]Also Just General Kit Enhancing Discussion.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=13.0909px]Cheers[/SIZE]
[SIZE=13.0909px]-Josh[/SIZE]

 

[stewy]

Depends on what you like, but I would try this:

Can of Dark Ale + 1kg LDME

Steep the following grains in 2-3L of 68C water for around 30 mins then remove grains & pour another 1-2 litres of 80C water slowly over the grains to rinse excess sugars into the pot. Boil resulting wort for 30 mins (minus the grains of course)

200g light crystal
150g dark crystal
100g pale choc

You could throw in 15g of Fuggles with 5 mins to go

Add it all to the fermenter with your can of goo & LDME (you can actually add the LDME to the boiled wort after you switch the flame off and mix it in) then top your fermenter up to desired volume with cold water to get the total volume close to 20C.

I would probably ferment with S-04 at 18C for the first 48-72 hours then free rise it to 21 for the remainder (assuming you have temp control). If no temp control ferment no higher than 20 if you can.

You could also add 150g of Carapils to your steep to add some body to the beer.

If you wanted a more US style version of this, replace the Fuggles hops with 30G of Cascade or Centennial & ferment with US-05 at 18C

 

[burrster]

HI

using the same instructions as stewy ( to save writting them all again) you could try the following:
Can of Dark Ale + 1 Kg of LDME
200g Pale chocolate
200G carafa 1
20g of Fuggles or East Kent Goldings in the last 5 minutes of the boil.

My yeast of choice( for my dark ales) is a liquid yeast wyeast 1728, but I've used windsor, S04 and Nottingham, with good success in the past. My only commment about S04 is that it can be difficult to get it to final gravity ( it often stalled at 1.020) if your process isn't 'perfect'. If i had to choose a dry yeast now, I'd probably go nottingham for its slightly drier finish.

Good luck!

 

[TheTrueBrew]

Thanks heaps Boys these are definitely some help tips and good ideas will be trying them out.


Cheers
-Josh

 

[stewy]

Agree on the S04 stall comments. It needs good handling skills. I ALWAYS rehydrate & follow the time/temp schedule & have never had it stall. When used right it's a delicious yeast.
Don't use Nottingham unless you can control temp to keep it under 20.
Windsor is also a great yeast with slightly lower attenuation. Typical English fruity esters at upper end of range.

All 3 are solid.

If you don't have great temp control I would go Us05. I've had it up to 22C & the resulting beer was great, it's very forgiving (takes longer to clear though, so leave in fermenter 3 weeks)

Good luck!

 

[TheTrueBrew]

Whats the best bang for buck when looking for temp control equipment? very interested in making it my next purchase.

 

[stewy]

STC1000 from EBay - $25. (Needs wiring but plenty of diagrams online & it is simple.. Legally should be done by a licensed electrician... I don't know anyone who has used a sparky though)
2nd hand fridge from Gumtree - can get a great quality one for $150

This is the single best investment you will make!

 

[malbeven]

If you're using a plastic fermenter, the best / cheapest heater is a test tube type aquarium heater. Stick it through the side wall of the fermentor with a grommit. Mine's has a temp adjusting dial on it, so you can set what you want. Works a treat.

Get one of ebay for about $20.

 

[Digga]

Hi
One brew that doesn't run dry in my kegs is a dark ale (WRDA clone) that I have done numerous variants of. The basics are for ale 23-25L batch:
Dark ale can
LDM between 0.5 and 1kg
Dex between o.5 and 1kg
Chocolate Malt between 250 and 600g steeped as above.
30-50g Goldings hops either 10min boil or steeped
Kit yeast, s04 or US05

All have tasted really similar which is bloody close to the real deal.
IMHO. Very please with all of them and really adding the grain malt dex Goldings you can't go wrong...

Easy to hide a number of things beneath such a complex beer!

My 2c.