Tooheys Lager Toucan - American Ale Hack Recipe

[Garry]

Steeped in 3 litres @65C for 4 hours (finished @ 50C);

300g Caracrystal 120 EBC
500g MCI Ale Malt

Steeped in 3 litres @ 80C for 4 hours (finished @whatever degrees C!);

70g Cascade
25g Challenger

2 no 1.7kg cans Toohey's special lager (they were going cheap on HBW)
500g light spray malt

US05 yeast

Brewed to 25 litres

Dry hop for 1 week with:
30g columbus
30g cascade

Dry hop for another  week with:
40g citra
50g kohatu

OG = 1.058
FG = 1.016
ABV ~ 6.0%

This is my best beer to date. Great body, fantastic hop aroma and great head retention. Lovely bitterness from using 2 cans and you still get the freshness from the steeped grains/mini mash.

[LordEoin]

Wow, that's a lot of hops! I'm glad it worked out
Any particular reason for doing a steep + DME instead of a partial mash?

[Garry]

Any particular reason for doing a steep + DME instead of a partial mash?

I was too lazy to dig out the stock pot so was limited to a 5L pot! I had the DME to use up anyway.

I plan on doing a partial mash sometime soon. Maybe use 2 to 3 kg of base malt instead of DME.

I think I gave you a bottle of this in Midleton?

[LordEoin]

oh yeah.. so you did 
It's ready to drink now so?
It's looking lovely and clear

[Garry]

Ready and waiting

[LordEoin]

You were the one that told me to hold off on it 

[Garry]

I didn't think you'd listen to me!

[johnrm]

I found one of these too!
Its in the fridge now.
Thanks Garry!

[LordEoin]

Damn... good thinking John! 

[LordEoin]

I tip my hat to you sir.
Before drinking it I was concerned about over hopping from all the well.. hops... or over bittering for 2 kits.
But they're balanced lovely.

You can smell the flavour before it ever reaches the mouth, and then you get the lovely bittering to compliment it.
It's pretty clear, and the head poured thick and lasted at a decent level the whole way down, lacing the glass as it went.

It's a testament to what shitloads of late hopping can do to a kit! 

[Garry]

Glad you liked it eoin. You mentioned to me before I brewed this, that a toucan would be very bitter. That's why I brewed it to 25L. I think it works well.

The hop aroma is fantastic if I say so my self!  When the glass is half drank, I spend more time sniffing the beer than drinking it This will probably fade with time? I better drink up fast

[LordEoin]

Yup, 3 months should be perfect and it will start to fade from there.

[Garry]

OK, it's 7 weeks since brewday. I've got time on my side so

[johnrm]

Cracking beer Garry. Loved it.

[Garry]

Cheers John. I've given you a few beers over the year (for your group buy distribution services), and most of them would have been shíte  So I'm glad you enjoyed this one 

Actually, the columbus hops in this one came from you, so thanks