Beginning Cooper's IPA and Dark Ale Questions

[alanj]

I'm new to this homebrewing. I think I'm going to start with a Cooper's IPA or the dark ale.

After searching through this forum I'm even more confused than when I started Can any kind sould give me a starting 'recipe' as regards to fermentables/and or hops that should, if nothing goes wrong, give me a good first time brew for the pale ale?

Regarding the dark ale, I'm assuming it's Australian dark ale, which I've never sampled. Is there a pub beer to compare it with to give me an idea of what to expect? And again any recipes would be much appreciated.

Thanks a lot for any help.

Cheers, Alan.

[AlexCricket]

The IPA I did with 250g Brewing sugar and 1kg Medium spraymalt. I would use light spraymalt as it turned out a little too amber in colour but otherwise pleasant - not really a really hoppy IPA though but as it's your first brew you might want to keep it simple rather than using hop teas etc.

The Dark Ale I'm a big fan of. I brewed it with 1kg of medium spraymalt and it was lovely. Nice head good dark colour. I would compare it to Wychwood's Hobgoblin or Theakstons Old Perculiar in flavour.

[alanj]

Cheers for that mate. I'll do the IPA with 250g brewing sugar and 1kg light spraymalt. I wouldn't mind adding some hops from what I've been reading on here, 250g of East Kent Goldings. When and how would you advise adding them?

Thanks again.

[Friary]

sounds like a lot of hops to me! I used about 15-20g goldings for a 45 min boil, added about another 15g for the last 20 minutes, then about another 10g on flame out in one brew. Another I made a late hop tea with about 20g in...

Has to be said, that I don't really know what I'm doing with hops yet, so I could be wrong.... Either wait for these brews to mature so I can tell you, or wait for someone else to comment before you add that amount!!

[alanj]

Ah right, it must have been 25g - cheers.

[alanj]

Well I've just done my first brew.

I made the Coopers IPA based on something I read on here with 500g Light Spray malt, 500g Medium Spray malt, 250g Brewing Suger and 25g East Kent Goldings Hops boiled for 20 minutes.

Fingers crossed...

Cheers, Alan.