Pimping a Coopers Kit with a Partial Mash

[Hangover68]

Did my pale ale kit today, pre ferment taste is awesome. Steeped grains at 70c in 2l of water for 60mins, added hops and then a 30min boil.
Currently cooling in a cube awaiting yeast addition, i made a mistake and didn't mill the grain before steeping so will see how it turns out.

CPA tin
BE2
500g Crystal malt
10g Cluster hops
SG 1060

 

[peterlonz]

Well you know you can't expect an optimum extraction if the grains are not crushed. But you have done no harm so relax.
I do not follow your method though: what exactly did you boil for 30 mins & why so long?

 

[koshari]

iam sure your pale will be fine however as peter mentioned not milling the grain will reduce the flavour you otherwise will have extracted from it, being a partial grain yo may as well eliminate the boill and use the kit for bittering. then add late dry hop for aroma and flavour. you dont state your batch size so iam assuming 20 to 23 litres where 10g of hops is going to be very light, i use 150g for 40 litres when dry hopping and could easily go 200g. also get yourself some Dry malt extract to use in place of the be2.

 

[Hangover68]

My reasoning was that the kit is already hopped so didn't want to go overboard, i read a few partial mash guides and picked a bit out of each. A lot of flavour came out so i know it will be an improvement of the kit alone, some guides said 150g and some said 1kg of grain so i went sort of middle of the road.
I got the potatoe masher out and gave it a mash after i realised my mistake.

 

[koshari]

My reasoning was that the kit is already hopped so didn't want to go overboard, i read a few partial mash guides and picked a bit out of each. A lot of flavour came out so i know it will be an improvement of the kit alone, some guides said 150g and some said 1kg of grain so i went sort of middle of the road.
I got the potatoe masher out and gave it a mash after i realised my mistake.

my go to batch summer ale uses 500g of crystal malt in 40 litres , i use 500g in my dark ale as well with 150g of roasted barley again in a 40l batch. i always use milled.

even with your unmilled batch you will get sweetness carry through from the les fermetable grains.

 

[Hangover68]

Certainly did, the taste pre yeast pitch was awesome, currently cold crashing and FG came down to 1.010 with an ABV of 6.56%.

 

[Hangover68]

When bottling i always put the last few bottles worth into odd bottles as samplers so after 1 week i test one then 2 weeks test another, cracked one open on Wednesday night and i must say its quite tasty.
Nicely carbonated (first time bulk priming) and with a slightly creamy head, no kit after taste at all.

 

[MarkosBM]

Good stuff mate. I used to tinker with partials, 2.5kg of grain with a 45min mash and 45min boil with max 20 g of hops added at both early and late. Mixed it with a coopers tin and the results where fantastic.

It was my gateway into AG, but honestly the partials make a great brew, and its a bit of fun mixing and matching.

 

[Hangover68]

Good stuff mate. I used to tinker with partials, 2.5kg of grain with a 45min mash and 45min boil with max 20 g of hops added at both early and late. Mixed it with a coopers tin and the results where fantastic.

It was my gateway into AG, but honestly the partials make a great brew, and its a bit of fun mixing and matching.

I think it will be a good way to use up small amounts of grain, i only used 500g and it made a marked difference to the original product.