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Botanic Ale ROTM


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Hello all,

I could finally source some Nectaron hops and I'm looking forward to making this one.

I had a couple of questions about the recipe:

I can only get hold of Coopers Original Pale Ale and not the Bootmaker Pale Ale kit. I understand that the Bootmaker is more of an American Pale Ale., so I assume is a bit more hoppy Should I adjust the hop profile to compensate when using the Original ?

According to the recipe :

 

Add the 50g of Nectaron Hops to the FV (we recommend wrapping them in a mesh cleaning cloth, pulled straight from the wrapper).

When do you take them out ? I tend to leave my FV for about 2 weeks before kegging or bottling.

Bottles kept unrefrigerated should improve in the short term.

Should I keep the keg or bottles in the fridge to preserve the hoppiness like an IPA or will they be ok for two or three months ? I saw elsewhere from @Coopers DIY Beer Team that is was recommended to keep them in the fridge.

 

Thanks in advance !

 

 

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7 hours ago, stquinto said:

Hello all,

I could finally source some Nectaron hops and I'm looking forward to making this one.

I had a couple of questions about the recipe:

I can only get hold of Coopers Original Pale Ale and not the Bootmaker Pale Ale kit. I understand that the Bootmaker is more of an American Pale Ale., so I assume is a bit more hoppy Should I adjust the hop profile to compensate when using the Original ?

According to the recipe :

 

Add the 50g of Nectaron Hops to the FV (we recommend wrapping them in a mesh cleaning cloth, pulled straight from the wrapper).

When do you take them out ? I tend to leave my FV for about 2 weeks before kegging or bottling.

Bottles kept unrefrigerated should improve in the short term.

Should I keep the keg or bottles in the fridge to preserve the hoppiness like an IPA or will they be ok for two or three months ? I saw elsewhere from @Coopers DIY Beer Team that is was recommended to keep them in the fridge.

 

Thanks in advance !

 

 

Coopers Original Pale Ale versus the Bootmaker Pale Ale kit.  It depends how close you want to drive the Australian Pale Ale to the Bootmaker.  You will have to compare their attributes and do what you can to make the APA closer to the Bootmaker.  Check their IBU's.  You might need to do a short hop boil to increase the APA's IBU's.  Colour-wise, probably add a hot steep of some Crystal Malt.  Hop flavour: Find an old post saying what hops are in the Bootmaker.  Do a hot steep with whatever hops they use.

@Coopers DIY Beer Team said to leave the hops in the FV until ready to package.  See the post here.

Storing in the fridge, after carbonation in the bottle, is best practice.  However, I think you would get 2 months of good aroma/flavour if you could not refrigerate.

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Thanks for the detailed reply Shamus 👍

I hadn’t noticed the question had already been asked, serves me right for looking up on the phone, not as easy as the PC.

I’ll post my findings re hops, IBUs and colour .

Looking like an interesting brew! It’ll make a nice summer brew I reckon - my summer, not yours 😉

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Can’t really answer your question, but here is my Botanic Ale. Day six , SG 1018 (OG 1056). It still hasn’t cleared up, you can see that is still active. Tastes nice, bitter and fruity. Like the original, or close? Really can’t say. I did set my Inkbird to 18 degrees, but the last  daYs it was cold and the temperature dropped to 17.8 degrees. Thought it is a bit cold, so for the first time I am using a heat belt in he fridge. Set the temperature to 18.3 degrees and it’s constant now. Will check it again on Thursday and soak my bottles tomorrow, so come bottling day it will be so easy.

IMG_1077.jpeg

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9 minutes ago, Brauhaus Fritz II said:

Can’t really answer your question, but here is my Botanic Ale. Day six , SG 1018 (OG 1056). It still hasn’t cleared up, you can see that is still active. Tastes nice, bitter and fruity. Like the original, or close? Really can’t say. I did set my Inkbird to 18 degrees, but the last  daYs it was cold and the temperature dropped to 17.8 degrees. Thought it is a bit cold, so for the first time I am using a heat belt in he fridge. Set the temperature to 18.3 degrees and it’s constant now. Will check it again on Thursday and soak my bottles tomorrow, so come bottling day it will be so easy.

IMG_1077.jpeg

That seems to be developing nicely BF & if I am not mistaken, I notice a Choko on your bench, I love them done in many ways, what's your favourite?

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3 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

That seems to be developing nicely BF & if I am not mistaken, I notice a Choko on your bench, I love them done in many ways, what's your favourite?

These ones are from my daughter’s garden, we have some as well. We actually gave her the seedling. I love to steam them and either have a salad with a lemon vinaigrettes or with dry fried mince. Love them also in Thai curries as a flavour carrier

image.jpg

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I mixed up the Coopers Botanic ale today. Surprised me that it appears quite dark as the recipe says that it has EBC of 12, which is quite pale. Anyway perhaps it will change colour as the ferment gets going. I did substitute the LDM with a liquid light malt extract but I doubt that has done much to the colour.

2613e.jpg

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56 minutes ago, Brauhaus Fritz II said:

These ones are from my daughter’s garden, we have some as well. We actually gave her the seedling. I love to steam them and either have a salad with a lemon vinaigrettes or with dry fried mince. Love them also in Thai curries as a flavour carrier

image.jpg

Yeah, they are so versatile. 

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1 hour ago, kmar92 said:

I mixed up the Coopers Botanic ale today. Surprised me that it appears quite dark as the recipe says that it has EBC of 12, which is quite pale. Anyway perhaps it will change colour as the ferment gets going. I did substitute the LDM with a liquid light malt extract but I doubt that has done much to the colour.

2613e.jpg

Interesting stuff. I reckon I won't bother adjusting the EBC when I use the Australian Pale Ale kit, but maybe add some American hops in with the juniper steep to up the IBU (or boil them first).

Bootmaker IBU > 560 > EBC 130
Australian IBU > 340 > EBC 90

I didn't find a direct reference to the hops used, but in the description "citrus and pine hop". Depending on what I have, something like Chinook and Citra.

 

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Posted (edited)
23 hours ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

That seems to be developing nicely BF & if I am not mistaken, I notice a Choko on your bench, I love them done in many ways, what's your favourite?

Moved to more appropriate area of forum. 

Choko resource.

 

Edited by glivo
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Posted (edited)
10 minutes ago, Brauhaus Fritz II said:

Bottles are ready to be filled tomorrow with the Botanic Ale. Soaked yesterday, rinsed today. Bottling is no stress at all. It’s all part of the process.

IMG_1097.jpeg

Looking good BF II 🙂

I received my delivery of the hops yesterday, it's a long weekend here so I'll be brewing this as well as a Summer Berry Sour (and I'll double the fruit). I'll be bottling both brews (I've run out of kegs too, and I have a double batch of Duvel in the brew fridge to deal with after an extended cold crash.

I also managed to get hold of a few packets of Lallemand London yeast. Santa came early, and he brought me some grain and also a hard-to-find Coopers Wheat kit. I’ve never tried the Marris Otter LME, looking forward to it 

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Edited by stquinto
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16 minutes ago, stquinto said:

Looking good BF II 🙂

I received my delivery of the hops yesterday, it's a long weekend here so I'll be brewing this as well as a Summer Berry Sour (and I'll double the fruit). I'll be bottling both brews (I've run out of kegs too, and I have a double batch of Duvel in the brew fridge to deal with after an extended cold crash.

I also managed to get hold of a few packets of Lallemand London yeast. Santa came early, and he brought me some grain and also a hard-to-find Coopers Wheat kit. I’ve never tried the Marris Otter LME, looking forward to it 

IMG_2964.jpeg

IMG_2965.jpeg

IMG_2966.jpeg

Looks like you gonna be very busy, ha ha

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57 minutes ago, stquinto said:

Looking good BF II 🙂

I received my delivery of the hops yesterday, it's a long weekend here so I'll be brewing this as well as a Summer Berry Sour (and I'll double the fruit). I'll be bottling both brews (I've run out of kegs too, and I have a double batch of Duvel in the brew fridge to deal with after an extended cold crash.

I also managed to get hold of a few packets of Lallemand London yeast. Santa came early, and he brought me some grain and also a hard-to-find Coopers Wheat kit. I’ve never tried the Marris Otter LME, looking forward to it 

IMG_2964.jpeg

IMG_2965.jpeg

IMG_2966.jpeg

Did the Hefe wheat a while ago twice, it’s a nice one but it’s bubbling manically with a really high krausen, be careful 

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17 hours ago, Brauhaus Fritz II said:

Bottles are ready to be filled tomorrow with the Botanic Ale. Soaked yesterday, rinsed today. Bottling is no stress at all. It’s all part of the process.

IMG_1097.jpeg

No luck bottling today, the SG is 1016 now. Will have to check it again tomorrow

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I put it together this weekend. In the end I used the Coopers Draught tin, and put 15g of Citra in with the juniper berries to steep. I got 1.054

I also knocked up a Summer Berry Sour, 1.050.

Quite a productive weekend (it was a bank holiday on Monday).

 

IMG_3003.jpeg

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On 5/18/2024 at 11:10 AM, Brauhaus Fritz II said:

No luck bottling today, the SG is 1016 now. Will have to check it again tomorrow

I would be interested to hear how your Botanic ale is going @Brauhaus Fritz II, especially the gravity. Mine has been in the fermenter now for 7days and it looks like it has nearly parked up at 1.017. I did use Nottingham yeast rather than CCY. I reckon that it will be a high FG finishing beer.

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Posted (edited)
4 hours ago, kmar92 said:

I would be interested to hear how your Botanic ale is going @Brauhaus Fritz II, especially the gravity. Mine has been in the fermenter now for 7days and it looks like it has nearly parked up at 1.017. I did use Nottingham yeast rather than CCY. I reckon that it will be a high FG finishing beer.

I did bottle mine on Sunday, OG 1056, FG 1016, so it should finish around ABV 5.8%. I used the kit yeast and an extra packet of Coopers Ale kit yeast. I fermented it for 10 days. My only concern is that I might closed the hopsock too tight and didn’t leave enough space for expansion. Nevertheless the sample tasted like a promising brew

Edited by Brauhaus Fritz II
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Looks like the Botanic ale finishes with quite a high gravity. I reckon that mine is very close to FG @ 1.016, so very similar to yours @Brauhaus Fritz II. Mine is at Day 7 and I have removed the Nectaron hops as I was a little concerned about grassy notes, I know that Cooper's say to leave the dry hop in until packaging but that had me a little worried - it did smell very nice when I removed the hop sock 😜.

Looking forward to sampling this one.

bA2.jpg

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Posted (edited)
40 minutes ago, kmar92 said:

Looks like the Botanic ale finishes with quite a high gravity. I reckon that mine is very close to FG @ 1.016, so very similar to yours @Brauhaus Fritz II. Mine is at Day 7 and I have removed the Nectaron hops as I was a little concerned about grassy notes, I know that Cooper's say to leave the dry hop in until packaging but that had me a little worried - it did smell very nice when I removed the hop sock 😜.

Looking forward to sampling this one.

bA2.jpg

I was worried as well, but left it in. Couldn’t detect any grassy notes. And as I really like to taste them side by side I just ordered myself another case.

Edited by Brauhaus Fritz II
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On 5/22/2024 at 6:17 PM, Brauhaus Fritz II said:

I was worried as well, but left it in. Couldn’t detect any grassy notes. And as I really like to taste them side by side I just ordered myself another case.

My babies arrived, took only 2 days 

IMG_1128.jpeg

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Sneaky preview of my Botanic Ale. A little stubby, only five days in the bottle. Perfectly carbonated, nice fruity and caramel aroma. My wife loves it, I find it quite hoppy bitter, can’t detect the fruity flavours yet. Better wait another week for my second try

IMG_1130.jpeg

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