Out Of Date Kits

[Silvern]

You're in for a very bitter beer. Scraping the top of the boil isn't going to reduce the bitterness of the kits, and the galaxy + magnum additions are going to give you something like another 60 IBU. I'd consider turning the stove off now.

Thanks for the advice! Went and had a taste at the 50 minute mark, and yeah it was pretty bitter. That's what I was going for so rather than risk going crazy by adding the magnum, I just turned off, threw in the crystal, whirlpooled it and then let it sit for 10 minutes.

I've now filtered into the fermenter and topped up to 23 litres. Had a taste and still bitter but much closer to what I was going for. Thanks so much for stopping me from making a total hopped up disaster

Waiting for it to cool before pitching a yeast starter.

EDIT: Take a reading and got 1.085, seems very high. Is OG affected by temperature?

Thanks,

 

[manticle]

OG is affected by temp but the other way (hotter = lower).

However you also want to make sure your sample is mixed through properly, especially when using things like dry malt extract which can clump.

Take another reading before adding yeast.

Bitter tasting wort does not necessarily equate to how bitter the beer will be. Lots of things happen during fermentation.

 

[Silvern]

OG is affected by temp but the other way (hotter = lower).

However you also want to make sure your sample is mixed through properly, especially when using things like dry malt extract which can clump.

Take another reading before adding yeast.

Bitter tasting wort does not necessarily equate to how bitter the beer will be. Lots of things happen during fermentation.

well, guess I just have to wait and see now!

 

[Oakers]

If my experience with Galaxy is anything to go you are going to end up with a harshly bitter beer. IMHO Galaxy should only be used in reasonable quantity at the end of the boil. Anyway, let us know how it turns out.

 

[Silvern]

If my experience with Galaxy is anything to go you are going to end up with a harshly bitter beer. IMHO Galaxy should only be used in reasonable quantity at the end of the boil. Anyway, let us know how it turns out.

Yep will do! it chilled down I took a second reading for the OG and it was a much more expected 1.068. Exactly where it should be according to the Extract Spreadsheet.

I really like my big bitter beers (and yes I'm a regular at the wheatsheadf! So hoping this one is actually very bitter. By my calcs it should be around 93IBU, was aiming for 90 so this should be ok.

Anyway, pitched my yeast starter last night and it's bubling away beautifully now. Probably made the right call making this instead of something lighter, it's warming up outside today!

Excited to be back brewing again after such a long hiatus

 

[Silvern]

An update on how this turned out.

I put a 1 litre swing top bottle aside after kegging, dropped a carbonation drop in and let it mature for two weeks.

Poured it last night, HOLY COW AMAZEBALLS! Definitely the best beer I've ever made. Colour turned a deep rich amber (those old cans sure do darken). Taste is very big on the Galaxy hops but still sweet enough to balance it out. Nice fine bubbles and strong, lingering head. Really couldn't be happier with how this turned out.

Now I just need to go and buy myself half a dozen cans of Coopers Lager and Real Ale and let them get two years past their use by date.... Watch this space in 2016 ^_^

 

[Liam_snorkel]

awesome, glad you had a win!

 

[tricache]

Good to see you ended up with something good I just put down a beer and after pitching the yeast and cleaning up found out the kit was out of date :lol: (I gotta stop drinking while making beer) and I'm just trying it now, Coopers Pale Ale, and I am plesently surprised!!

 

[carniebrew]

An update on how this turned out.

I put a 1 litre swing top bottle aside after kegging, dropped a carbonation drop in and let it mature for two weeks.

Poured it last night, HOLY COW AMAZEBALLS! Definitely the best beer I've ever made. Colour turned a deep rich amber (those old cans sure do darken). Taste is very big on the Galaxy hops but still sweet enough to balance it out. Nice fine bubbles and strong, lingering head. Really couldn't be happier with how this turned out.

Now I just need to go and buy myself half a dozen cans of Coopers Lager and Real Ale and let them get two years past their use by date.... Watch this space in 2016 ^_^

Fantastic result, is it a hop monster? From the recipe it sounds like you could be in the 80's. Also, how much dried malt extract did you add to the two kit cans? Would've had to be like 1.5kg to get it up to a 1068...giving you a brew of well over 7% abv! Maybe all that alcohol is doing a great job hiding any off flavours from old liquid malt....

 

[Silvern]

Fantastic result, is it a hop monster? From the recipe it sounds like you could be in the 80's. Also, how much dried malt extract did you add to the two kit cans? Would've had to be like 1.5kg to get it up to a 1068...giving you a brew of well over 7% abv! Maybe all that alcohol is doing a great job hiding any off flavours from old liquid malt....

Surprisingly well balanced given that using the Kit Extract spreadsheet I ended up with around 94IBUs. I didn't use any dried malt extract, just the real ale, lager, and 1.4kg can of liquid pilsener malt (can't remember the brand). Got a final gravity of 1.022, so less fermentables because of the aging of the cans. I think I got a ABV of 6.5%.

 

[carniebrew]

Surprisingly well balanced given that using the Kit Extract spreadsheet I ended up with around 94IBUs. I didn't use any dried malt extract, just the real ale, lager, and 1.4kg can of liquid pilsener malt (can't remember the brand). Got a final gravity of 1.022, so less fermentables because of the aging of the cans. I think I got a ABV of 6.5%.

You can call it your "Expiry IPA"...