Coopers dark-enjoying this one but need to adapt flavour

Anything and everything about beer and brewing it.
Post Reply
bobster
Posts: 19
Joined: Sat May 07, 2011 8:48 am

Coopers dark-enjoying this one but need to adapt flavour

Post by bobster »

Well enjoying the fruits of my labour,my wherry is still clearing (at this rate will see my pension first......) the Coopers has cleared,I and Mrs Bob are enjoying this one. We do like a bit more of a soft flavour.For future brews I was thinking of getting some caramel additive to bring the taste around to our personal taste (Hobgoblin/Marstons Owd Rodger etc).Any views ? Could I steep some malt to acheive the desired result,if so any recommendations. Cheers
User avatar
alikocho
Posts: 1540
Joined: Fri Feb 04, 2011 8:31 am

Re: Coopers dark-enjoying this one but need to adapt flavour

Post by alikocho »

The issue with kits is not knowing what the extract already has in it. Tweaking could therefore throw the balance off.

If you're thinking of steeping grains, you could add 1/2 pound of crystal malt and steep. This will give you some caramel flavours and increase body. Or, you could abandon the kits and go for using extract with steeped grains and boiling with hops. This will give you more control and better beer.
Ali

BJCP National Judge
BJCP Assistant Regional Director (North-East/Europe)
American Homebrewers' Association International Subcommittee
Organizer, National Homebrew Competition
CBA UK Competition and Training Coordinator

http://serenbrewing.com
bobster
Posts: 19
Joined: Sat May 07, 2011 8:48 am

Re: Coopers dark-enjoying this one but need to adapt flavour

Post by bobster »

Thanks for the reply.I'm bringing Mrs Bob round to home brewing but I can't see her letting me go for grain production at the moment.So at the moment it's kits for the time being,then move on into Mashing my own,course I might have to move the kids on to make room at that point .............
User avatar
I_used_to_brew
Posts: 2356
Joined: Sat Nov 20, 2010 1:06 pm

Re: Coopers dark-enjoying this one but need to adapt flavour

Post by I_used_to_brew »

I think, somewhere on the coopers website, they have some recipes for combining two kits or kits and different proportions of DME than is normally suggested on the kit.

The outcome clearly is diffeent from the kit.

For example stout kit mixed with a dark ale kit may give you what you want, take a look on their website.
User avatar
alikocho
Posts: 1540
Joined: Fri Feb 04, 2011 8:31 am

Re: Coopers dark-enjoying this one but need to adapt flavour

Post by alikocho »

bobster wrote:Thanks for the reply.I'm bringing Mrs Bob round to home brewing but I can't see her letting me go for grain production at the moment.So at the moment it's kits for the time being,then move on into Mashing my own,course I might have to move the kids on to make room at that point .............
I wasn't suggesting the step into all-grain, but using malt extract, steeping grains and using hops. This isn't all that much more complicated than using kits
Ali

BJCP National Judge
BJCP Assistant Regional Director (North-East/Europe)
American Homebrewers' Association International Subcommittee
Organizer, National Homebrew Competition
CBA UK Competition and Training Coordinator

http://serenbrewing.com
bobster
Posts: 19
Joined: Sat May 07, 2011 8:48 am

Re: Coopers dark-enjoying this one but need to adapt flavour

Post by bobster »

Thanks for the replies,wasn't having a pop over Mrs Bob just have to break her in gently to home brewing in kit form,before considering going over to the dark side.

enjoying the Coopers dark.Mrs Bob hasn't moaned about (change there then!!) it and drinks it on a par with supermarket/makro purchased beers,just need to get it to a point where she says I really enjoyed that.

Thanks for the heads upto the Coopers site,got it on favourites,lots to digest with all the bits on there,a well designed website look forward to having a good read through as I only skimmed a couple of pages
Post Reply