Yeah the 2 cans of stout can be a bit bitter. It's OK if you like that but I find using a dark ale with the stout mellows it without the need for long storage.
I suppose you could always go 2 stouts and 1 dark ale...that'd be interesting.
FazerPete,
I took your lead on the stout toucan after reading one of you posts a while ago.
I have done a couple of toucans in the past (wander draught and larger was the last, not too bad either) so was expecting a bit of a fast start to the ferment along with a bit of a mess out of the airlock, so I normally try to sit the fermenter in a tray to catch any overflow.
However I was not prepared fort he rather violent start I got to the following mix up:
Coopers Stout
Coopers Dark ale
600 grms brown sugar
500 grms dried corn syrup
both yeast packs.
I brewed this up in a morgans fermenter (it has a press on lid a bit like a tupperware container not a screw lid like the coopers), and being aware that the start can be a bit hard I removed the airlock and replaced it with a a length of transfer hose and a 2 litre bottle half full with water.
Well the morning after puting this down I walked into the laundry to see the fermenter blown up like the Good year Blimp, WTF
(there was that much foam on top of the brew that it had partially blocked the airlock tube)
I decided to relieve a bit of the pressure before it exploded all over the laundry (the boss would not be happy).
I gently eased the lid up to release the gas and OH ST****T!
This was not the smartest thing I have ever done, particularly in a clean work shirt, it was back to the the shower for a de-scunge and another quick visit to the wardrobe.
The fermenter has spent the last 12 day with 3 paving bricks sitting on top of it and an exclusion zone of 2 metres.
The ferment is almost finished now and going by taste from the SG sample it is showing great promise so I can't wait to get it into the keg and get stuck into it.
The best part of brewing (after the drinking) is the fun you can have experimenting, my next planned bit of excitment is going to be,
2 - cooper stout
2 - coopers dark ale
1 kg brown sugar
500 grms dcs
500grms dark malt extract
maybe some licorce essence
and 40grms fuggles.
I will brew this to 50 litres in a 60 litre fermenter
I am open to suggestions or comments on the above.
YAH GOTTA LOVE THIS HOBBIE. BREW ON :super: