First ever kit - dark ale

[dasbootfish]

Bloody hell fellas - you lot don't mess about. Thanks very much for all the advice, I think I'll crack on with a coopers stout (+enhancer) and rapidly follow it up with the coopers dark ale. I was probably trying to run before I could walk - I just assumed the bog standard tins maybe wouldn't provide anything with enough body or flavour, but Coopers obviously do some seriously good stuff. I had a look on you tube at some vids and there's all sorts getting chucked into the cauldrons. I'll keep things simple for now.
Two further thoughts that I wouldn't mind comments on:
1. I bought a Geordie Winter Warmer kit from Wilko's - read a few reviews which slate it and say you might as well be on the evian.
2. Has anybody had the pleasure of tasting a bottle of Headless Peg by the Bowland Brewery in Lancashire - seriously good.

Thanks again for all the tips etc. Wasn't expecting such a response. Bring on the FV (shit - starting to use acronyms)!

[WalesAles]

Bloody hell fellas - you lot don't mess about. Thanks very much for all the advice, I think I'll crack on with a coopers stout (+enhancer) and rapidly follow it up with the coopers dark ale. I was probably trying to run before I could walk - I just assumed the bog standard tins maybe wouldn't provide anything with enough body or flavour, but Coopers obviously do some seriously good stuff. I had a look on you tube at some vids and there's all sorts getting chucked into the cauldrons. I'll keep things simple for now.
Two further thoughts that I wouldn't mind comments on:
1. I bought a Geordie Winter Warmer kit from Wilko's - read a few reviews which slate it and say you might as well be on the evian.
2. Has anybody had the pleasure of tasting a bottle of Headless Peg by the Bowland Brewery in Lancashire - seriously good.

Thanks again for all the tips etc. Wasn't expecting such a response. Bring on the FV!

dbf,
Stop wasting time on the Bloody Computer and get Brewing!
We are always here hovering looking out for the New Brewers, be afraid, be very afraid!
You look like a candidate for the ELC!
WA

[dasbootfish]

ELC - as in the Early Learning Centre? Don't worry, I'm not hanging around, the kit will be in the FV tomorrow. Roll on home brew, no more of the 4 ales for £6 at Tesco's palarver.

[Ditch]

I think I'll crack on with a coopers stout (+enhancer) .....

FFFS! Tell him, Wales. In fact; Slap him and tell him!

Ninety five pages and Still we see this?!

[Sooty]

brew it short to 20l

Jesus. Cheers, Sooty. I've made my gear that way for so many years now, I'd completely forgotten the tins tend to say 5 Gallons ~ which is a recipe for urine, of course! Glad you were around, before poor DBF realised his worse fears.

I only mention it as I use roughly your stout method for everything (1kg spraymalt and a splodge of sugar to get the yeast going a bit sooner) but I did my last coopers dark ale kit with the BKE it came packaged with, and wasn't paying attention when filling it up. I have the coopers microbrew fermenter and it has small raised marks at 20 and 23 litres and I went to the wrong one. It's watery enough that I now have a giant red marker line accross the 20l notch.

Although the sparkling ale I did called for 2kg of malt and it's awesome, and hasn't even finished fermenting yet, so I might try that again on something else

[WalesAles]

ELC - as in the Early Learning Centre? Don't worry, I'm not hanging around, the kit will be in the FV tomorrow. Roll on home brew, no more of the 4 ales for £6 at Tesco's palarver.

No dasbootfish,
ELC is `Easily Led Club`, but the `Early Learning Centre` has got a Fantastic ring to it for all new Brewers!
Early Learning Centre Swansea, Ahhhhh, brings back memories of MrsAles and 3 Kids going Oooooh, Ahhhhh, can I have that? No!, I`m buying Beer Stuff today!
Go and ask your Granny, She`ll buy it for you!
WA

[Monkeybrew]

This is an official hijack!

[Ditch]

Naah, mate. This is a hijack! " "

This is just Friday night at Jims!

[Hengoedbrewer]

Bloody hell fellas - you lot don't mess about. Thanks very much for all the advice, I think I'll crack on with a coopers stout (+enhancer) and rapidly follow it up with the coopers dark ale. I was probably trying to run before I could walk - I just assumed the bog standard tins maybe wouldn't provide anything with enough body or flavour, but Coopers obviously do some seriously good stuff. I had a look on you tube at some vids and there's all sorts getting chucked into the cauldrons. I'll keep things simple for now.
Two further thoughts that I wouldn't mind comments on:
1. I bought a Geordie Winter Warmer kit from Wilko's - read a few reviews which slate it and say you might as well be on the evian.
2. Has anybody had the pleasure of tasting a bottle of Headless Peg by the Bowland Brewery in Lancashire - seriously good.

Thanks again for all the tips etc. Wasn't expecting such a response. Bring on the FV (shit - starting to use acronyms)!

1. I did the Winter Warmer as my first kit and ended up chucking most of it...but then I had no idea what I was doing at all... Now I'd at least know enough to brew short and dispense with brewing sugar and use DME instead! Might be alright with some tweaks. I think general rule is one can kits need help; 2 can kits less so.

[tazzymutt]

I bought a Geordie Winter Warmer kit from Wilko's - read a few reviews which slate it and say you might as well be on the evian.

I did a Winter Warmer last year with a kilo of BKE, after around six months conditioning it was OK, but not spectacular. However, when bottling it I kept about half back in the FV and added a tea made with about two inches of root ginger chopped very finely (I brewed it for around 10 minutes in a cafetiere before adding it to the FV). The gingered brew came out rather well and has been one of the more popular brews I made last year. I will be doing something similar again but I'll brew the batch short and use more ginger; I reckon 8 inches of root (Oooh er Missus) for a 20 litre brew should be about right. I may also add a little cinnamon fir a Christmassy twist.

You've got the kit so you may as well brew it and see what you get.

Happy brewing,


Ian.

[dasbootfish]

That's that then - picking the stout and enhancer up from Tesco's this afternoon, had to order the stuff. Also ordered the coopers dark ale off ebay so that should be here next week.

So my Early Learning Centre initiation will begin with a Coopers stout made to 20 litres + bke. Closely followed by the dark ale made up in the same way. Anything else I need to know or is that about it? Should I chuck in a stick of licorice, some chocolate extract, a vanilla pod, muscovado, cacao nibs, chicken lips, starlings talon, lesser spotted otters gizzard.....or maybe keep it simple eh.

Thanks again for all the tips....plenty to learn but I think it's gonna be worth it. Ta.

[Ditch]

That's that then - picking the stout and enhancer up from Tesco's this afternoon ..... Anything else I need to know or is that about it? Should I chuck in a starlings talon ....?

This is a f**king disaster. BKE in Coopers Stout?! You've stood at the very threshold ..... And f**ked it. And, guess what I'll do to Wales, when I get my f**kin hands on him!

Starlings Talon? Obviously! Here's one I got, just this morning, in preparation for Mondays brew .....