Strong Taste Of Dr Smurto Golden Ale - Kit Version

[roverfj1200]

Try a few hops along this line to work out your palate

2 kg LDME
500g dex
100g dark crystal steeped 30 min
22g Amarillo @ 45
8g Amarillo @ 10
S-23 at 12deg

5 litre boil with steepings and 500g LDME

You could use more LDME and ditch the dex...

Just change hops and work to the same IBU's to find a hop that suites your palate.

cheers

 

[barneyb]

What are isohops? I've tried searching google and this site but can't find any info on them. Are they the hops added to the kits?

I was planning a DrS GA soon and was contemplating whether to do the kit versions as above or the full extract version, replacing the Coopers Sparkling kit with a light LME and bittering 20g amarillo @ 60. Seeing as Coopers tend to use Pride of Ringwood hops wouldn't this create a different beer? Or does it not really matter what type of hop is used for bittering?

Is it just a better idea to go full extract?

Cheers

 

[muckey]

What are isohops? I've tried searching google and this site but can't find any info on them. Are they the hops added to the kits?

have a look at the sponsor's lnks and that will give you some info (I beleive craftbrewer has them, unsure on the others)

(i cant give you a link as works internet access beleives its inappropriate :angry:

 

[glaab]

I've made it with the kit and it was bloody marvellous!,,both with the Aust Bitter and the Real Ale, they are both fairly bitter. How did you do the boil?, what did you boil? Maybe you just don't like Amarillo?, do you like JSGA?

 

[paulwolf350]

I have made the kit version, a jull extract version and all grain version, The kit is slightly off compared to the others with regard to the bittering, I believe it is the POR used in the bittering, and the use of isohop in the kit, i wouldnt worry about it.

It is still fantastic beer for kits and bits

EDIT: looking at you recipe further, I did 15min and 0 min amarillo into the boil, no dry hop. I would give it a few more weeks for the dry hop to settle down, it will be a cracker

EDIT 2: And if the Amarillo is still a bit much for your palate, change the hops to Glacier and it will be a great james Squire amber ale, I made this a few times too

Paul

 

[MaestroMatt]

The last golden ale I made (pretty much same hop additions) had the same problem. I deduced in the end that it was a problem caused but oxygenation of the beer after it was fermented.

This gave the bitterness a much harsher hit that it would usually be - a little metalic taste though that was hidden beneath the bitterness.

 

[barneyb]

have a look at the sponsor's lnks and that will give you some info (I beleive craftbrewer has them, unsure on the others)

Ah cheers, found it on the Grain and Grape one.

I have made the kit version, a jull extract version and all grain version, The kit is slightly off compared to the others with regard to the bittering, I believe it is the POR used in the bittering, and the use of isohop in the kit, i wouldnt worry about it.

It is still fantastic beer for kits and bits

This is exactly what I was looking for, looks like I'll be going full extract. I did my first extract last weekend for Neill's Centenillo and it is the first time a brew has smelt good while it is fermenting!

What boil quantities did you use? My pot can only hold ~ 5L water plus extract, should I boil 1/3 tin with it like I did for Neill's or should I use more? Maybe I should head down to big W and look at bigger pots...

 

[hefevice]

What are isohops? I've tried searching google and this site but can't find any info on them.

[snip]

Isohops are hop extract (typically extracted from the hop cones using liquid C02) in which the bittering compounds (primarily alpha acids) have been chemically "isomerised" so they become soluable in water. In their natural form, alpha acids are not very soluable in water. This is one of the reasons that hops are boiled in the wort - the alpha acids are isomerised by the heat associated with the boil. As Isohops are soluable, they can be added after the boil (in some cases on the cold side prior to bottling).

Isomerising means re-arranging a molecule without changing its chemical formula. This process can change various chemical properties (such as colour, flavour and soluability).

Hope this makes sense.

Edit - speliling

 

[Digger11]

The last golden ale I made (pretty much same hop additions) had the same problem. I deduced in the end that it was a problem caused but oxygenation of the beer after it was fermented.

This gave the bitterness a much harsher hit that it would usually be - a little metalic taste though that was hidden beneath the bitterness.

Hew Maestro - how would the beer become oxygenated post-fermentation ?

 

[Digger11]

EDIT 2: And if the Amarillo is still a bit much for your palate, change the hops to Glacier and it will be a great james Squire amber ale, I made this a few times too

Paul

thanks Paul, I am thinking (as a few members have said) that maybe the Amarillo is a bit strong for me at the moment. I like the idea of trying a milder Hop.

I am storing the remaining 24 bottles at room temp. to speed up the aging - I assume this is better than in the fridge from an aging perspective ?

 

[mwd]

I have brewed the self same kit with only 500g of wheat malt + 1kg light dried+ 250 medium crystal.
same hop schedule and it turned out quite bitter.
the Sparkling ale can is fairly hoppy to start with.

The beer was very good with some bottle time to knock off the harshness.
Found it to be more like a hoppy Amber than Golden.

 

[barneyb]

Isohops are hop extract (typically extracted from the hop cones using liquid C02) in which the bittering compounds (primarily alpha acids) have been chemically "isomerised" so they become soluable in water. In their natural form, alpha acids are not very soluable in water. This is one of the reasons that hops are boiled in the wort - the alpha acids are isomerised by the heat associated with the boil. As Isohops are soluable, they can be added after the boil (in some cases on the cold side prior to bottling).

Isomerising means re-arranging a molecule without changing its chemical formula. This process can change various chemical properties (such as colour, flavour and soluability).

Hope this makes sense.

Awesome explanation, thanks for the detail.

 

[adumicic]

One thing I did notice with this is that the kit version should work out to be about ~42 IBU's @ 20L, whilst the AG version is only ~31 IBU's. I assume that's a good deal more bitter, so is that possibly another reason some may find it a bit much?