Rookie recipe questions.

[Lowlyf]

Hey guys,

So tomorrow I'm thinking of trying something a little more complicated than just an extract only brew (albeit barely complicated). Below is the recipe I have taken from Brewerschoice.com.au. What I am wondering is in the first line of the recipe. It says - Put down a rich Winter ale now and let it mature.

This has me thinking, how long would you guys let a brew like this mature? 4 weeks? 8 weeks? 12 weeks? MORE!?

Also as a side question, what do you think this beer would compare to on the market? Or what do you think it would taste like? It sounds bloody awesome to me and I'm really excited to try it out.

Cheers.



Winter Ale


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Put down a rich Winter ale now and let it mature. Perfect drinking for a cold winter’s night.

You will need:

• 1x MJ Craft Series Chocolate Brown Ale
• 1kg Light Dry Malt
• 1x Amber/Brown Ale Grain Kit
• 1x Fuggles Hops Bag
• 1x EK Goldings 15gm Hop Bag

Procedure:

1. In advance, place 10 litres of water in closed containers in a fridge and chill*
2. Steep Amber/Brown Grain Kit in 1 litre of hot tap water for 20
3. Strain grain through sieve into saucepan and rinse with 1 litre of hot water into saucepan.
4. Bring to boil, add Fuggles Hop Bag and boil for 10
5. Turn off the heat and add Goldings Hop Bag. Steep for 5
6. Pour the hot Wort mixture into the fermenter, add contents of the Brown Ale satchel and Malt and stir to dissolve thoroughly.
7. Add chilled and tap water to make up 23 litres at 20-25°C and stir vigorously for 5 minute.
8. Add the provided MJ Kit Yeast, seal fermenter and store in cool conditions **

 

[butisitart]

my guess, and it's only a guess cos i've never done grain kit, but i'd taste at 2 weeks, taste at 3. maybe it'll be good to go by then. most all grains are pretty drinkable by 4 anyway. and it's good to taste one each week - you get a feel for how the flavours mature and blend. and you'll know when it's good to go. you could just mature for 12 weeks - but then it wouldn't be winter anymore. this is all assuming you're using bottles.

 

[Lowlyf]

my guess, and it's only a guess cos i've never done grain kit, but i'd taste at 2 weeks, taste at 3. maybe it'll be good to go by then. most all grains are pretty drinkable by 4 anyway. and it's good to taste one each week - you get a feel for how the flavours mature and blend. and you'll know when it's good to go. you could just mature for 12 weeks - but then it wouldn't be winter anymore. this is all assuming you're using bottles.

Okay yeah that's a good idea. I'll test it each week. And you're correct, I'm using bottles

 

[Lowlyf]

I have decided to change recipe. I don't want this to turn out like a Newcastle Brown Ale. How can I delete this post?

 

[butisitart]

just change the recipe. the post is good. the recipe idea is good.
relax... making beer is a pleasure, not a matriculation exam. so post back when you've come up with the new plan

for a suggestion, i'd go :

whatever your choice of dark ale/stout whatever,

no more than 10gm hops (of your choice) on the bill. that lifts the flavour, but 25gm will probably be overkill. kits already have hops, so you don't need a whole lot.

maybe 50-100 gm steeping grains (of your choice) to make the flavour more complex.
steeping grains are just like steeping tea - into hot water for a while, then tip that into the mix. adds flavour.

that alone will lift the roof off ordinary. no need to get all scientific or stressed about this. keep a record of what you actually do on each brew and it will all come as a big adventure.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Let it age at least 6 months

 

[Rocker1986]

Let it age at least 6 months

+1

I normally brew my dark beers around Oct/Nov, so they've got heaps of time in the bottles before the following winter rolls around, by which time they are really really nice. Been working well doing it this way the last few years. B)

 

[Lowlyf]

Let it age at least 6 months

Whoa! These never would have been ready for end of August! I'm glad I changed brews now!

 

[butisitart]

they might not hit peak at the end of aug, but they'll be certainly about 8 levels above anything you'll get in a bottleshop. i'd go for it anyway. 6 months conditioning is fine when you've got the reserves, but 3-4 weeks on kit beer will still give you a bloody good brew.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Do a proper stout and let it age 12mnths.....

It will make you selfish

 

[butisitart]

go 18mnths and you'll find god.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

go 18mnths and you'll find god.

B)

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

+1

I normally brew my dark beers around Oct/Nov, so they've got heaps of time in the bottles before the following winter rolls around, by which time they are really really nice. Been working well doing it this way the last few years. B)

I used to do my red in abouts july/aug. Average temp was still nice for an ale, and w1728 loves a nice crisp winter