Recipe Suggestions

[Sticky Wicket]

I have the following ingredients and would appreciate some help with a basic steeping recipe using 1 kilo of the grain and a can of Coopers Sparkling Ale, dry malt etc, dont want to be over powered by hops and are looking for a beer around 5-5.5% ABV, made to 23 lts.

 

Ingredients at hand are as follows;

 

1 Can Coopers Sparkling Ale

1kg Cara-red

1kg Light Cara

1kg Biscuite

1kg Carapils

1kg Light Dry Malt

1kg Dextrose

500gms Honey

50gms Fuggles UK T90

50gms Cascade USA T90

50gms Moueka NZ T90

30 gms Hallertau

US 05 dry yeast

 

Some suggestions would be great, as I have only just started adding grain and hops to my beers.

[Hairy]

1kg of spec malt is a fair bit, depending on the style of beer your are making. It is probably best to fit the grains into the recipe you designed, rather than designing a recipe around a heap of spec malt.

 

Since you are after a simple brew you could try:

 

Coopers Sparkling Ale

1kg Light Dry Malt

300g dextrose

300g light cara (I assume this is a Caramalt)

200g carapils

23 litres

 

As for hops it sounds like you are after something more subtle, so maybe Fuggles. Although cascade and Moteuka would be nice.

 

Also, I think biscuit malt may need to be mashed. What brand of biscuit malt did you get?

[Sticky Wicket]

Cheers Hairy,

 

Thats the recipe then, with the Fuggles.

 

Not sure what brand it is, as you can see I have limited knowledge when it comes to the grain. What effect will using larger quantity's have?

[PhilboBaggins]

Using larger quantities of speccy grains will leave more residual sweetness in the beer, as most of the sugars extracted will not be fermentable. If you have enough bitterness from the hops in your recipe then larger amounts will be okay, but if you're after standard levels of hopping and ABV then Hairy's recipe would be as much as you'd want to use IMHO.

 

For example, the IPA I made last weekend had well over 500g of specialty grains IIRC, but the IBUs were over 50 [lol], today I'm making a stock standard pale ale which will only have 320g. It depends on the recipe and also your personal preference.

 

Try with a little, and if you like what you're tasting, up it next time.

[Sticky Wicket]

Cheers Phil,

 

I get it, the wort did taste very sweet, is it to late to steep some more hops for bitterness or will they only add aroma/flavour?

[Hairy]

Cheers Phil,

 

I get it, the wort did taste very sweet, is it to late to steep some more hops for bitterness or will they only add aroma/flavour?

Sticky, the wort will taste sweet because it is full of unfermented sugar. As fermentation progresses the bitterness will come through.

 

If you are interested in using larger quantities of grains before moving to AG then perhaps a partial might be the way to go. With a partial you are replacing some of the dry/liquid extract with a base malt, such as a pale ale malt.

[Sticky Wicket]

Best I leave it alone and let the yeasty s do their thing!

 

A partial sounds like what I should be doing, have watched some videos, it doesn't look overly difficult. Touch wood, don't want to jinx myself.

[PhilboBaggins]

It aint difficult at all man. If you can steep, you can mash. Only difference is you have to be able to hold a particular temp for the duration. Shutloads of fun, and very rewarding.[love]