What To Add To A Some Cheap Cans I Picked Up.

[lobedogg]

Hey all,

thanks in advance.

Picked up 4 cans of Coopers Stout and 4 cans of Tooheys Special Draught at Coles the other day for $4.50 each. Sucks they are ending their homebrew range but happy to pick up a couple of bargains.

I was thinking of trying a Toucan special. One can of each maybe plus some additions. Any suggestions?

 

[Pennywise]

Hi, You could do one batch just like a black & tan, one can of each, see how that goes. Maybe then do a 2can headbanger stout with the stout tins and another kilo of malt (maybe even a kilo do dex as well h34r: :beerbang: ) The rest I spose you could just do 2cans with a bit of steeped grain (if your up for that?). In all situations I'd use a specialty yest and ferment at correct temps.

 

[TeeTwo]

Hmm! Just add water and stir.

Sorry could not help it. Why add anything. made correctly they compare with the best. I always ferment with Dextrose. I have added Malt, steeped grains and added corn syrup at odd times and have come to the conclusion that the kit has been formulated by brewing experts. The fact that the ingrediants are condenced may have a slight difference to a brew that is all in but those that go the whole hog do not always get it right whereas with a kit, follow correct procedures and you get top class results every time.

I have brewed kit beer for 30 years and the various results I have tried of non kit beer has not convinced me to change. Go to a local brew shop where you can try many styles. If they taste better that your kit beer then you are not doing it right.
Do what I do occationally buy a current beer simular to the style you made. You will probably wished you had saved the money and use it for snail bait. Beer is good for that you get many happy but dead snails after placing a dish of beer a day in the garden

 

[Mick74]

Can't say I agree with you Tadaholic. Generally supermarket kit beers can turn out ok if done by kit instructions (well maybe not the no name brands). But with just a bit of tweaking (using malt,hops, steeped grains, better yeast etc.) an ok beer can become a great beer. Even though the kits are "formulated by brewing experts" they are often the first to offer suggestions on how to improve on their generic instructions.

But I guess if your happy with the beers you make using only dextrose then that is the important thing.

 

[Lecterfan]

The coopers stout cans are great. I think they are consistently the best of the coopers products. Get yourself a can of the stout, get 250 gms crushed roast and 80 gms crushed choc grains, stick it in 3 Litres of water and get it to 65 degrees c for about 30 mins. If you can't be bothered doing that then just mix them in with the 3 L of water 24 hours before you brew and let it just sit overnight...it is the flavour and "essence" you want, not trying to extract fermentables out of them. Grab 20gms of Fuggles hop pellets while you're at the homebrew shop getting the grains. Doesn't matter if they don't have any, its just a suggestion.

Bring a couple of litres of water to the boil in a large pot, strain your grain water into it and bring to the boil, add your can of extract and mix it so it is combined nicely with the hot water. Add 1 kg of light dry malt extract. Bring it to the boil and shut it down. CHuck in the hops if you found some (don't stress if you skip this).

As it is a stout and going to be as black as ______________ (fill in your own analogy), don't worry about chilling it (chill haze etc) , just pour the 5L into your lovely, clean, sanitised fermenter, top up to 21 Litres if you like aggressive stouts or 23 Litres if you have nothing to prove.

Use two packs of a slightly fancy dried yeast (in my opinion the coopers yeast ferments very well but tastes fairly average [to me it tastes like pizza dough])...your homebrew shop can give you an idea which ale yeast to use, or if you want to have a go at something new then brew it with Wyeast 1084. If you are a bit of a beer snob or have a sensitive palate then the difference that the 1084 will make will blow your mind.

All respect to previous posters, but if you can't taste the difference between this recipe and a simple addition of 1kg sugar and the kit yeast then I would suggest that homebrewing is not a hobby so much as a way to simply make inexpensive alcohol (and there is nothing wrong with that - I merely mention it as it is a matter of personal preference and volition).

Have fun...always remember that it is what YOU think of the brew at the end of the day that matters. :icon_cheers:

 

[bum]

Can't say I agree with you Tadaholic. Generally supermarket kit beers can turn out ok if done by kit instructions (well maybe not the no name brands). But with just a bit of tweaking (using malt,hops, steeped grains, better yeast etc.) an ok beer can become a great beer. Even though the kits are "formulated by brewing experts" they are often the first to offer suggestions on how to improve on their generic instructions.

But I guess if your happy with the beers you make using only dextrose then that is the important thing.

Try not to be too hard on Tadaholic. I also disagree quite strongly with his advice but we need to remember he is addicted to tadahol and needs our support.

You might want to have a look at the amounts and processes used when adding these elements, Tad. When done appropriately (even subtly (which I am DEAD SET AGAINST)) these additions can do nothing but elevate a kit. I have no issue with someone not wanting to or not thinking it is worth the effort but don't tell people that proven methods and ingredients can only ruin a brew. That's kinda dumb.

 

[Lecterfan]

Diplomatic and sound advice, Bum.

I hated beer until I was 29 because all I had tasted was VB and Carlton draught. I was a bourbon man %100. I moved to WA, drank my uncles homebrew and my eyes (metaphorically my minds eyes tastes buds hahaha) were openend. Within the space of 6 months I had gone from total ignorance to a connossieur (spelling?) of some of Southern WA's best microbreweries and wineries. Turns out I can pick a cab sav from a shiraz at 300 paces, a merlot from a viognier blend at 500....and as such I could differentiate a dark lager from a porter based on yeast and alone (never mind grain profile). I am not bragging, in fact being sensitive to these things can be a curse as a home brewer; I'm just saying that taste and palate can be really important for a lot of people (even if they feel emasculated when saying it). I don't think anyone knew to the hobby/craft/science/art should be told if they aren't making beers as good as experienced brewers then they aren't doing it right. get to extract, then partial, then grains and make stuff better than what is mass produced...so what if part of the quality that makes it "better" is psychological? The snapper I catch tastes %100 better than the snapper I buy...part of that is objective, part of that is subjective, but the end result is f**king awesome either way.

 

[lobedogg]

The coopers stout cans are great. I think they are consistently the best of the coopers products. Get yourself a can of the stout, get 250 gms crushed roast and 80 gms crushed choc grains, stick it in 3 Litres of water and get it to 65 degrees c for about 30 mins. If you can't be bothered doing that then just mix them in with the 3 L of water 24 hours before you brew and let it just sit overnight...it is the flavour and "essence" you want, not trying to extract fermentables out of them. Grab 20gms of Fuggles hop pellets while you're at the homebrew shop getting the grains. Doesn't matter if they don't have any, its just a suggestion.

Bring a couple of litres of water to the boil in a large pot, strain your grain water into it and bring to the boil, add your can of extract and mix it so it is combined nicely with the hot water. Add 1 kg of light dry malt extract. Bring it to the boil and shut it down. CHuck in the hops if you found some (don't stress if you skip this).

As it is a stout and going to be as black as ______________ (fill in your own analogy), don't worry about chilling it (chill haze etc) , just pour the 5L into your lovely, clean, sanitised fermenter, top up to 21 Litres if you like aggressive stouts or 23 Litres if you have nothing to prove.

Use two packs of a slightly fancy dried yeast (in my opinion the coopers yeast ferments very well but tastes fairly average [to me it tastes like pizza dough])...your homebrew shop can give you an idea which ale yeast to use, or if you want to have a go at something new then brew it with Wyeast 1084. If you are a bit of a beer snob or have a sensitive palate then the difference that the 1084 will make will blow your mind.

All respect to previous posters, but if you can't taste the difference between this recipe and a simple addition of 1kg sugar and the kit yeast then I would suggest that homebrewing is not a hobby so much as a way to simply make inexpensive alcohol (and there is nothing wrong with that - I merely mention it as it is a matter of personal preference and volition).

Have fun...always remember that it is what YOU think of the brew at the end of the day that matters. :icon_cheers:

Thanks for the advice Lecterfan. Think I might actually try this or something very close. Excuse my ignorance but when you say "add your can of extract" is this the second can of stout?

Suggestions for the Tooheys draught? Have made about 6 brews so far but still a fair rookie and have just mainly followed kit recipes from my mate at Brewcraft so far.

 

[mkstalen]

Thanks for the advice Lecterfan. Think I might actually try this or something very close. Excuse my ignorance but when you say "add your can of extract" is this the second can of stout?

Suggestions for the Tooheys draught? Have made about 6 brews so far but still a fair rookie and have just mainly followed kit recipes from my mate at Brewcraft so far.

For the Tooheys I'd go with:
Tin of Tooheys goop
150g caramalt (steeped)
1kg Light Dry Extract
500g dex (for a bit of extra kick, you could leave this out..)
30g Cascade dry hopped
US-05 yeast

 

[Lecterfan]

Nah, just use the one can of stout in that recipe.

This is rough and ready, but a good, simple recipe that makes as good a K+K as I've ever tasted.

Something like:

1 can coopers stout
1 kg light dry malt extract
250gms crushed roast grains
80 gms crushed choc grains

the grains get the 65 degreeC for 30 minute treatment in about 3 Litres of water (steeping), then strain the liquid into another pot and add another 2-3 litres of water (so now you have 5 or 6 litres all up), bring that to the boil and get your 1 kg of light dry malt into it, mix through well and bring back to the boil as quickly as possible, then pour your can of stout in. The contents of the can don't have to be boiled but I like to add it to the pot just so it is well stirred through and mixed...otherwise it has a tendency to sit on the bottom of the fermenter.

If you have some hops chuck them in when you turn the heat off/take it off the stove...I think you'll find with this type of stout you won't miss it if there aren't any extra hops, but chuck em in if you've got them.

Refer to the original post for the rest of the story.

The great thing about stouts when you are wrapping your head around brewing is just how forgiving they are of a few mistakes. Because they are so robust they will hide a lot of flavours - having said that once you get into partial mash/AG they aren't quite as easy haha.

Enjoy!