Following "Joy of Homebrewing", I made first kit (IPA) and boiled kit with brewing sugar for 45 mins (at Papazians recommendation)...end result is odd, alcoholic and carbonated with little to no head, but tastes odd, more like "malt water" or something, can't taste any hops, not like any beer I've tasted. I wonder if the boiling caramelized the malt? Anyways, not medicinal, or cidery, not sure how to describe it, but I don't think its contaminated. The OG was 1.040 at 20c, FG was 1.008 at 16c. I assume that means it did something fermentation-wise, but it tastes as I would expect the malt extract, when added to like 20ltrs of water, would taste. I did have a boil-over and caught it fast, but maybe that just completely wrecked the sugar profile of the malt?
So, I'm soldiering on to my next brew, a Coopers Dark Ale kit. I'm looking for some suggestions on how to prepare it...I have 1kg of Dark DME, 0.5kg of Light DME, and another kit (Coopers Summer Ale).
Should I:
1) Use the Dark DME with the Dark Ale, and save the Light DME to use 50/50 with brewing sugar for the Summer Ale?
2) Boil the kit? Or just add boiling water, sugar, top up with cold water and add yeast?
3) If I use the Dark DME, do I just add it like sugar, or do I need to boil it, hot/cold break, etc?
4) Re-hydrate and proof yeast with sugar water solution?
5) Just follow the crap instructions on the kit?
I guess I was hoping for best results with my first kit, so I tried to do everything Papazian said, maybe overthinking it a little...
Second kit, need suggestions
-
mat69
Re: Second kit, need suggestions
never boil a kit,(i done it once,truley horrible) just make up as instructions,or just buy malt extract and do an extract brew..
-
jimp2003
Re: Second kit, need suggestions
Hi judasegg!
You were a lot more adventurous than I was with your first kit - I did a Wherry and religiously stuck to the instructions and it came out great.
For my second kit I did a bit of adapting though. It was the Coopers APA. I made it up with 1kg Beer kit enhancer plus 500g Medium Spraymalt and added some hops.
No boiling of ingredients was involved I just mixed the contents of the can, the BKE and the spraymalt with 3 litres of boiling water in the FV. Meanwhile I had made a hop tea from 30g of Goldings by steeping them in some boiled water. Added the tea and topped up with tap water to 20l. Checked temp and pitched yeast.
I forgot to check the OG as the wife distracted me but it finished at 1.008 after 2 weeks in FV and was as clear as a bell. Tastes great!!
You were a lot more adventurous than I was with your first kit - I did a Wherry and religiously stuck to the instructions and it came out great.
For my second kit I did a bit of adapting though. It was the Coopers APA. I made it up with 1kg Beer kit enhancer plus 500g Medium Spraymalt and added some hops.
No boiling of ingredients was involved I just mixed the contents of the can, the BKE and the spraymalt with 3 litres of boiling water in the FV. Meanwhile I had made a hop tea from 30g of Goldings by steeping them in some boiled water. Added the tea and topped up with tap water to 20l. Checked temp and pitched yeast.
I forgot to check the OG as the wife distracted me but it finished at 1.008 after 2 weeks in FV and was as clear as a bell. Tastes great!!