Stickers Posted September 8, 2020 Share Posted September 8, 2020 I want to try a modification to the recipe i've just done (fair drinkum pale ale) to use up some ingredients i've already managed to stockpile over my first few brews. (I've just literally nicked the recipe and changed a few ingredients) Ingredients 1 x 1.7kg Coopers Draught (only thing i'll need to buy for this) 1 x 1kg Coopers Brew Enhancer 2 1 x 250g Crystal Malt Grains 1 x 50g Vic Secret Hop Pellets (21.2% AA) 1 x 7g Coopers Yeast (from Draught can - Ac = Coopers ale yeast) 1 x 7g Coopers Yeast (from Aus Pale ale can - Ac+L = Coopers ale/lager yeast blend) 1 x 250g Coopers Carbonation Drops (will use 1 x drop, 1 x sugar cube per 740ml) 1. Mix Place the Crystal Malt Grain in a plastic zip-lock sandwich bag and crack it using a rolling pin. In a good size pot (around 5 Litres) bring 2 litres of water to approximately 65-70°C, add the crushed grain (we recommend wrapping in a mesh cleaning cloth, pulled straight from the wrapper) and let steep for about 30 minutes. Remove the grain by gathering up the corners of the mesh cloth and lift, allowing the liquid to drain from the grain back into the pot. Bring the liquid to the boil for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and add half of Vic Secret Hops (25g) and steep for 30 minutes with the lid on the pot. Set the pot in a cold/ice water bath to cool (approx. 15 minutes) then strain into a fermenting vessel (FV). Add the Coopers Draught extract and Coopers Brew Enhancer 2 to the FV, stir to dissolve then top up with cool water to the 17 litre mark and stir thoroughly. Check the brew temperature and top up to the 21 litre mark with warm or cold water (refrigerated if necessary) to get as close as possible to 19C. Sprinkle both yeast sachets then fit the lid. 2. Brew Ferment temperature should be as close to 20C if possible. Once the foam has subsided around day 5, add the remaining Vic Secret Hops (we recommend wrapping them in a mesh cleaning cloth, pulled straight from the wrapper). Fermentation has finished once the specific gravity is stable over 2 days. I think i've filled in the IanH spreadsheet with the right details.. Any and all feedback would be graciously accepted 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris! Posted September 8, 2020 Share Posted September 8, 2020 Sounds pretty good. It should be nice and crisp with some great aroma and flavour to it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iBooz2 Posted September 8, 2020 Share Posted September 8, 2020 (edited) @Stickers I think your recipe looks fine. I did a similar one a while back albeit I used W34-70 yeast and made a lager out of it. I used 2 x 500 g packs DME and 250 g white sugar to get it where I wanted it. I think you will find your OG will be a point higher than 1.044 and also you FG will not get down to 1.012 with the kit yeasts but I am guessing a bit here so lets us know what the numbers come in at. Also I think there will be more IBU as the spreadsheet does not take into account any implied or resulting bitterness from a hop steep but that's ok as it may not be much and worth worrying about. You can always tweak it next time you re-make this brew. I also think it should be mandatory for a grain addition to all Coopers kits as I have found a big difference in head and head retention when a simple cold overnight steep of an appropriate grain is used. So +1 for your grain addition. Mine have varied from 100 g to 250 g and I will settle on a number further down the drinking path. Have not done a hot steep of grains for years so cannot say if it would be better than just an overnight in the fridge. Others who do a hot steep, mini mash thing can comment on this. I have some VS and some POR hops here and know where you are heading with this recipe but have not tried either yet. Unfortunately lager season is nearly over for me, maybe might squeeze another one or two in. I have a draught can here so maybe will have a crack at using it in a pale ale. The specialty beer selection in the Ian H spreadsheet is pretty much open slather for all greens as the number range is from go to whoa. I usually try to find a beer style that gets as close to the recipe as possible, too bad if one section is red. Good that you have picked up on the tip of 1 x carb drop and 1 x sugar cube if bottling in 740 ml PET as this tip has made my lager season much more enjoyable now that I am test "tasting" a few batches. Cheers - AL Edited September 8, 2020 by iBooz2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stickers Posted September 8, 2020 Author Share Posted September 8, 2020 cheers for all the feedback. before last weekend i didn't actually realise how delicious the smell of steeping some grain would be - same thing with opening those first bags of hops. i'll post the numbers over the course of the brew, and most importantly, how it all tastes in a few weeks time 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stickers Posted September 12, 2020 Author Share Posted September 12, 2020 OG 1.040 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stickers Posted September 12, 2020 Author Share Posted September 12, 2020 yeast pitch timelapse IMG_5967.MOV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stickers Posted September 16, 2020 Author Share Posted September 16, 2020 Started Saturday 12/9 1.040 Dry hop Wednesday 16/9, 25g Vic Secret. Currently reading 1.008, on track to bottle saturday morning. no foam on top when i removed collar and dropped in the hops. Tasted the hydrometer pull (please tell me i'm not the only one that does this) and it's sure got some flavour already, nice lingering aftertaste and i think will be a good sipping beer. What could go wrong from here is that it's already got a bit of a kick from the initial Vic Secret addition, perhaps another 25g will make it a bit too bitter. Time will tell but so far the numbers are good and so far tastes like something i could enjoy. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stickers Posted September 22, 2020 Author Share Posted September 22, 2020 final gravity was 1.005, bottled on friday 18/9, sample tasted like it had mellowed a bit after the 2 day dry hop, will taste friday 2/10 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lickedthestamp Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 Interested to see what you think about the final result, as I am about to launch into the Fair Drinkum Pale Ale myself and will have a heap of ingredients left over from that as well 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lab Cat Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 On 9/16/2020 at 2:48 PM, Stickers said: What could go wrong from here is that it's already got a bit of a kick from the initial Vic Secret addition, perhaps another 25g will make it a bit too bitter. Time will tell but so far the numbers are good and so far tastes like something i could enjoy. Hops will fade in the bottle, especially if only dry hopping. If you still have any bottles left after a couple of months, you notice it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stickers Posted October 4, 2020 Author Share Posted October 4, 2020 (edited) Nice drop and i'll make this again. If anything I think I like this better than the fair drinkum pale. This one feels like a beer you could drink all night. Edited October 4, 2020 by Stickers photo placement adjustment 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thirsty Jim Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 Nice jar. 500ml ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stickers Posted October 5, 2020 Author Share Posted October 5, 2020 3 hours ago, Thirsty Jim said: Nice jar. 500ml ? more like 440ml (to brim). a james boag's strongarm bitter promo glass from mid 2000s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thirsty Jim Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 Thanks. I like it. Nice base, big handle. As my beer goes into 750ml and 500ml bottles I am searching for those sizes in glassware so I can draw off a whole bottle in a single pour. I'd also like to find decent 375ml glassware, not for stubbies but 'one for me one for you' from a 750ml bottle. I have a 500ml handle that serves me well but I am still looking for a 750ml . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stickers Posted November 21, 2020 Author Share Posted November 21, 2020 kept one in the cupboard for 2 months and cracked it open tonight. i'll be making this beer again, closest i've got to what i'd call a 'pub' beer 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lickedthestamp Posted November 21, 2020 Share Posted November 21, 2020 Has the hops taste faded in the bottle over that time? I have found the Fair Drinkum Pale Ale (made to recipe and about 6 weeks in the bottle) has seen the hops recede quite a lot, initially a lot more fruity in flavour - now you get quite a subtle hint of it. I am going to do another batch but try doing a hop tea, rather than a dry hop and see if that makes any difference. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stickers Posted November 21, 2020 Author Share Posted November 21, 2020 it kept a really full flavour. only used vic secret - fair drinkum has enigma too from memory, just using vic secret led to a beer that was less fruity and sweet than fair drinkum and felt like it had a bit more tooth if that makes sense 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lickedthestamp Posted November 21, 2020 Share Posted November 21, 2020 Yes enigma hops as well in the Fair Drinkum recipe. Interesting that you say it wasn't as sweet, as I thought the sweetness came from the crystal malt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iBooz2 Posted December 7, 2020 Share Posted December 7, 2020 On 11/21/2020 at 6:28 PM, Stickers said: kept one in the cupboard for 2 months and cracked it open tonight. i'll be making this beer again, closest i've got to what i'd call a 'pub' beer Good to see your beer turned out ok. You inspired me to make another lager using my stash of POR hops before the summer heat kicks in too much. Basically its 2 x 1.5 kg tins of Coopers liquid light malt extract, 200 g Carapils/foam cold steeped overnight, 200 g dextrose, 25 g POR boiled for 25" and 5 g POR boiled for 5". 2 x 11.5 g sachets of W 34/70 yeast. EBC = 4.8 IBU = 18.4 ABV keg = 4.5% Ferment @ 13 C. Its nearly finished fermenting. Its for my mate who does not like hoppy beers so there will be no dry hop this time. Will let you know how it goes and tastes further down the track. Cheers - AL 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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