Sorta New To Home Brew

[trax]

Hi im not completely new to home brewing i tried it a few years ago with no succsess at all so i lost interest and my kit got packed away in the shed i got it out about 6 months ago and decided id give apple cider a go and well i guess the end result was perfect that is if you like a dry cider which i dont ha ha, it was crystal clear nice and carbonated and very little sediment so with that succuss i think im going to try another beer i was thinking coopers mexican cerves, but i tryed a beer on the weekend called stone and wood it is a full malt beer thats brewed in byron bay and its great i really enjoyed it , so i was wondering if anyone knows of a kit beer that mimics or resembles this beer and if there is i want to have a go at making this beer.
cheers dan

 

[Kieren]

I know of no straight up kit that will give you a Stone and Wood Pacific Ale (I'm guessing?). Galaxy hops is it's signature falvour contributor.

For something really simple I would try a can of Coopers wheat (Thomas Coopers Selection) and a can of Coopers light malt extract. Boil up 20g of Galaxy hops for 20 mins then add 40 g of Galaxy and turn off the heat let it sit for 10 mins or so then strain off into the fermenter with the cans, add cold water to reach 23L then add US-05 yeast. Ferment at 18-20 degC. Will get you a beer with similar characteristics.

Or look at this thread for more detailed recipes...

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=49076

 

[dcx3]

Cant help you with the stone and wood trax,but quite a few of the boys have tried this one and love it.
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=35657

 

[chrisso81]

Well, if you're talking about their Pacific Ale, Galaxy hops are the star of the show, so you'll need to hunt down some of those to get anything that'll come close. Being only 2 brews into my own beer making adventure, I can't offer too much advice, but be brave. My second brew has seen me steep grains, add hops and use a better yeast (Safale US-05 in a hoppy pale ale). Brew at a lower temp as well, those kit yeasts give off some awful esters if brewed too high. Good Luck!

 

[Aus_Rider_22]

I know of no straight up kit that will give you a Stone and Wood Pacific Ale (I'm guessing?). Galaxy hops is it's signature falvour contributor.

For something really simple I would try a can of Coopers wheat (Thomas Coopers Selection) and a can of Coopers light malt extract. Boil up 20g of Galaxy hops for 20 mins then add 40 g of Galaxy and turn off the heat let it sit for 10 mins or so then strain off into the fermenter with the cans, add cold water to reach 23L then add US-05 yeast. Ferment at 18-20 degC. Will get you a beer with similar characteristics.

I would do this as well. Won't be 100% the same but it will have that same passion fruit taste and will have wheat in it like the real thing does. B)

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Get a tin of light liquid malt extract, a tin of liquid wheat malt extract (I used to use morgans unhopped wheat extract when I was doing extract).

Hopping schedule:

10g Galaxy at 30 minutes (assuming full volume boil)
45g Galaxy at 10 minutes

Dry hop with a bit of saaz, if you'd like, but I don't think it'd be mandatory.

Yeast US05 or Nottingham if you live in a colder climate (as it goes lower than US05).

Hope this helps you out.

Goomba

 

[trax]

ha ha ha ha i think im out of my league . . . . . . i had a look at those recipes in that wood and stone reciepe thread and i dont even know what 90% of that stuff means lol i think im gunna stick to the coopers cervera just till i get a little better anyone have any hints and tips for me along the way. cheers for the info though top stuff

 

[Bribie G]

Mate if doing the Coopers Cerveza, instead of using a kilo of sugar, use a kilo pack of Coopers Brew Enhancer 2 which will give you a smooooother beer, and chuck in some extra hops - see if you can get some Galena hops (the hop of Corona) and just throw 15g into the fermenter after a couple of days.

Better still PM me with your address and I'll post you some (I've got a kilo sitting in my freezer)

 

[chrisso81]

Be brave man! Like I said, second brew down and I have already had a crack at steeping grain, adding hops to the boil, making a hop tea etc, it all seems daunting at the start, but just get your head around a few basic concepts and you'll be wondering what the hell you're gonna do with all your kits when you've decided that you're moving to all grain brewing anyway! (Or is that just me?)

All the stuff you need to make a Stone & Wood-ish copy should be available from a decent homebrew store, or just get it from one of the online stores. The process is all pretty straight forward, I will be putting one down very soon! (Just finishing my last S&W for the evening now...sadness)

While the AG guys talk about wheat and malt and grain ratios and all that stuff, you can do that on a simpler, lower level by getting a can of light malt extract and a can of Coopers Wheat or wheat extract (just cans of goo) so once you break it down you realise just how easy it can be. If you start with a nice, low bitter, light malt base, you can allow the hops to do all the talking. After all, S&W pacific is a nice, light coloured, low bitter ale with a massive smack of passionfruit from the Galaxy hops. Give Lord Raja's recipe a go and see what you think, thats the way I'll probably be going as well.

My advice is read as much as you can here, disregard the instructions that come with the kits regarding fermenting temps and think about investing in some decent yeast for starters. Brew at around 18 for an ale and you should avoid a lot of the esters from kit yeast (brew too high and it makes your beer taste like cheap cask wine, well, it did for me anyway) or get onto a nice clean ale yeast like Safale US-05.

I've brewed one horrible beer, and one that tastes like awesome REAL beer, and I have this forum to thank for it (and pennywise who I harrassed via pm)!!!

Be brave man, be brave!!!

 

[Asha05]

If you can cook and follow a recipe. You can make beer by following a recipe. Do you research, get your head around the numerous names for the same things and all should be good.

 

[trax]

cheers guys im definitely gunna give it a go

 

[RobboMC]

Based on the replies already I'd start with something really easy like this:

1 can coopers Wheat
1 can Coopers light malt

1 packet Galaxy Hops ( buy on-line from one of the site sponsors )

When you empty the cans pour half of the hops into each can and fill with boiling water.
Let one can sit for 5 min and pour all of it into fermenter, let other can sit for 20 min, then add.

This little trick is an easy way to start adding hop aroma and some flavour to your brew.
Not as good as boiling, but better than nought.

Once when my brewing got banned from the kitchen I made an entire IPA by only sitting the hops in boiling water from a jug ( called steeping ) It turned out smooth as silk and absolutely wonderful.

 

[Samuel Adams]

^ Nice trick Robbo !

If I had found this site ages ago I would've made much better beer with just 2 things - lower temp & better yeast.
I'm just starting to taste the results of my beers since doing this and I can tell you it makes a big difference

So my advice would be small steps doing more when you get confident.
First good temp & good yeast (18*c & US-05 for eg.)
Second buy some hop pellets and do a small boil (use 100g of dry malt per litre and then add hops and time it)
Third you can steep some grain and add that to the boil (before adding hops)
Fourth well I haven't got here yet but I guess the next step would be extract, partial, all grain !

I put down an Ale today using some Galaxy hops and they smell amazing, can't wait to drink it !!