2nd Brew.. 1st hack... looking for suggestions

[mac2k]

Hi all,

I am very new to home brewing but I am looking forward to trying a few brews in the coming months.  At the moment I have a Razorback IPA in the FV and I am looking for my next project.  This will be my 2nd brew, but I would like to do a kit hack to try get the most out of the kit beers until I build up some more experience and knowledge.  I am looking for a session larger, something with some nice flavors that give you that bit more that commercial beers.  I am hoping to find a nice kit hack that I can keep coming back to when friends & family visit.  So far from looking around this site I like the sound of LordEoins suggestions in this post.

http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.ie/forum/index.php/topic,15481.0.html

Has anyone else got any suggestions for a nice session larger?  I would be interested in hearing about any beers with a hack or 2 that you come back to time and time again.

Cheers,
Kev

[LordEoin]

Do you have sufficient temperature control for a lager yeast?

[mac2k]

Do you have sufficient temperature control for a lager yeast?

mmm...  probably not.  I am keeping the razorback IPA at 20c wrapped in jacket in the kitchen without any major fluctuations.  would probably have to move the brew to some where colder and perhaps use a brew belt or somthing similar.  I might not be able to this one right now an it looked like a good option

Crap

Any other suggestions.  Any nice session beer would be great....  I also like your suggestions on the stout + kilo thread...  it had me thinking!!

[LordEoin]

Try hacking an Australian Pale Ale or English Bitter from Coopers with a nice American Dry Hop (cascade, amarillo, citra, etc) and some crystal/carapils.
For lagers you need to be able to hold the temperature constant at around 12C, or get a lager with an ale yeast but they tend to taste like ass.

[Qs]

You could use Kolsch yeast to achieve a better lager like  character at ale fermentation temps.

[Bubbles]

Dry hopping is the best kit hack you can do imo. Kit beers tend to have little hop character, so dry hopping freshens them right up.

Just pay careful attention to your sanitisation - boil the feck out of the muslin bag you put the hops in. Then soak it in StarSan. Use fresh hops, preferably a freshly opened bag. You could use 25g-100g depending on how hoppy you like your beers.

The two kits that Eoin mentions above are really good for dry-hopping, I've done them both myself. In fact, I think a dry-hopped English Bitter kit was my second home brew too, back in 2010. 

Do some googling/youtubing on "dry hopping".

[mac2k]

Thanks for the suggestions guys...  I like the idea of the Australian Pale Ale....  Coopers seem to the go to kit in this area.  I think i'll give that a go.  Off to Google and youtube this evening.  I am keen to get this brew together for xmas, so will brew it tomorrow evening.

[Damofto]

Also Kits in my experience are better brewed with DME than Dextrose and brewed to 20 litres rather than the suggested 23.

[mac2k]

Try hacking an Australian Pale Ale or English Bitter from Coopers with a nice American Dry Hop (cascade, amarillo, citra, etc) and some crystal/carapils.
For lagers you need to be able to hold the temperature constant at around 12C, or get a lager with an ale yeast but they tend to taste like ass.

I think I will try this tomorrow evening.
Does 200g of both crystal and carapils sound good or stick to just one?  I am thinking of just sticking with the carapils, but am wondering what the effect of the crystal would be to this brew.  For dry hops, should I stick with pellets for 4 days at the end of fermentation?

[LordEoin]

yeah, 200-250g crushed carapils or crystal (or a mix of both).
Steep for about 30 mins in ~3liters of warm water, strain, bring to a boil and use that liquid as part of your kit 'water'.

For hops, pellets for 4 days towards the end should be fine

[mac2k]

Also Kits in my experience are better brewed with DME than Dextrose and brewed to 20 litres rather than the suggested 23.

I'm just curious what the effect of swapping out the kit Dextrose for DME might be...
When you do this to 20 or 23ltr, would you go like for like or always remove dextrose (typically 300g) and replace with 1kg of DME?

[Damofto]

I think the 300g you're referring to is for carbing your bottles. 
Most single can kits call for an additional 1KG of dextrose, subbing for 1KG DME gives a better bodied beer and nicer mouthfeel.  Reducing the volume to 20 litres helps with that as well.   

[mac2k]

Ok,

Got this one done this evening  I had to make some adjustments as the store was out of Light DME, and I was a little impatient.... didn't want to start the brew towards the end of the next week so I went for 0.5kg dry wheat spray malt and 200g of sugar.  I didn't want to go for 500g of sugar....  was worried about the end flavour... not sure why...  I know nothing  I steeped 300g of Carapils and Crystal 60 (50/50 mix) mix for 45 minutes at about 65C-70C. dissolved my malt and sugar and addeed the Coopers can.  mixed the wort and water to 20 litres.

SG was 1042.  Who knows what this one will end up like, but it's all part of the learning... and fun 

[mac2k]

Again, i just had to taste one before the went into the shed to cold condition for a while.
OG=1.040 not 1.042
FG=1.004
Very active for 4 days and was quite after 6 days.  SG was 1.004 on day 6 so the hops were added.  40g of Cascade pellets in a hop bag for 5 days. I Used 80g brewing sugar dissolved in 100ml of water and racked the brew on top of this, and then straight into bottles.
Conditioned indoors for 2 weeks.

Had one this evening.

Wow... this turned out really nice.  I really like the colour and smell of this brew. Pleasant taste. Light with slight malt plus slight hop taste. I'm only learning, but it's not too bitter, with a very slight sweet taste after the hops subside. Good head retention and nice carbonation from the bottle...

Delighted



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[LordEoin]

That looks great. I'm glad it turned out well.
Now a little patience and you'll be sorted for Christmas beer