help with spraymalt brew

[Krispy Krouton]

Hi. I've plenty in the bottles now to keep me going a few months and thought about doing a very basic small batch of beer to experiment a bit. I have 500g of medium spraymalt, 1 kilo brewing sugar and some fuggles (free from the pub down the road)

I know just 500g of malt isn't gonna make me a lot of beer but I have a few 5 litre demi johns to use.

With the stuff I have, and anything else around the house, what's the best thing to do with this? I was thinking of just using the malt, some sugar, and some fuggles and brew a really short beer maybe in one or two demi johns, but realised being a kit brewer I don't know how much fuggles to add or how long and when to boil and also how much I can make without it tasting thin? I don't like my beer too sharp and hoppy but a bit is fine for balance I suppose.

Any help?

Cheers

[TonyT40]

Hi Krispy. I am by no means an expert in extract brewing but I posted this last week:-

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=66487

I brewed it on Saturday and its now bubbling nicely. I think you may be a bit low on malt for 2 gallon. I used fuggles.

[Krispy Krouton]

Hi tony. I had a read through that but still a bit fuzzy on it all. I've basically scaled it down by using the 500g spraymalt as the denominator; it's a third of a 1.5kg tin of extract (kit), so I'm planning on making this up with a third of the sugar and a third of the hops I used in 23litres last time and make it up to the third of the volume (actually a bit shorter, using 20 litres not 23) which is 7 and a half litres.

Heat the malt and sugar, boil with the hops for 15 mins and that's about it! Equal out into 2 demi johns, top up to 3.75 litres each. What do you think?

[Krispy Krouton]

Too late. Already started it. Haha. I'll have to see how this turns out, as an experiment. I'll drink the buggar anyway unless it gets infected or something. Cheers!

[TonyT40]

Hi K

That was my thoughts too. Lets see how they turn out. Mines come through the airlock today so something's happening.

[Krispy Krouton]

Well nearly two weeks in the bottle now. It's crystal clear so I cracked one open. Not bad, brewed out ok. I carbonated with half a teaspoon and the head is ok although short lived. Taste is a bit thin but unintrusive which is fine for me. The hops are subtle but would I be right in saying that these fuggles have an earthy taste? Because that's how it tastes. Next time I might go for 1 kilo of light spraymalt instead of medium and I have 12g of some finishing hops to use along side the fuggles. But all in all it really isn't bad and infection free. Also doesn't have that twang I get with kits weirdly enough.

Cheers

[TonyT40]

Hi KK

Just cracked one of mine. Mines come out mid to dark brown in colour, lightly carbonated, quite malty but not much hop taste at all. Just the way I like it. Quite impressed for a first go.

Tony