kit recipes. adding extra grains?

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Clint

Clint

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Hello all
I've been looking at some of the recipes on the Coopers Web site and some ask for extra malt grains to be steeped. The amounts vary per recipe, say;300g carapils 3, buying them comes in ,say, 500g minimum. What would be the consequences of using the full 500g?
I'm asking this to avoid having part bags of stuff leftover or unused.

Cheers

Clint
 
You've got to be careful with too much 'Cara ......' malts as they add sweetness so more than about 10% of total malts is too much.

What else are you adding to the kit ? Beer Enhancer ? Malt extract ?

usually 250g or 300g would be about right for a Cara...... addition I think. Just use 250g out of your 500g bag and then store the bag for another brew somewhere dry, costs nowt anyway !
 
Clint said:
Hello all
I've been looking at some of the recipes on the Coopers Web site and some ask for extra malt grains to be steeped. The amounts vary per recipe, say;300g carapils 3, buying them comes in ,say, 500g minimum. What would be the consequences of using the full 500g?
I'm asking this to avoid having part bags of stuff leftover or unused.

Cheers

Clint
Click to expand...
If you have a local home brew shop they will probably do smaller quantities. If not then you can store the crushed grain for some time in airtight containers . I have kept some of mine just in plastic bags with the air expelled and tied up,so far not had any problem with it, not noticeable anyhow. Stick to the recommended amounts in the recipies though.
 
Thanks! Yeah good point just splitting the bag and storing the rest. ..recipe,ottomh, kit can,1.5kg spraymalt and the 300g steeped caravan, plus hop additions while boiling some of the spraymalt with the steeping liquor. Price wise it's probably up there with the two can premium kits but as I like messing about. ..why not!

Cheers

Clint

Don't you just love predictive text! I've left the typo in...steeped caravan! Should say cara! A beer made with steeped caravan...call it road hog!
 
terrym said:
It's OK to boil the wort from the steeped grains but not the grains themselves.
Click to expand...

Why is this?

I know its the norm to steep grains then boil the wort, but my LHBS produces their own extract kits with 2 x tins of LME and 2 x muslin bag additions, one goes in at the start of the boil and one goes in 10mins from the end. The LHBS has tried to simplify the process for those moving up from kits. I thought the bags just contained hops, but opening one up I found grains in there too. It doesn't seem to adversely affect the flavour of the beer, in fact these are the best kits I've made (and I've made a lot) - he reckons the "don't boil grains" advice is not correct, and based on the quality of his beers I reckon he's right.
 
darrellm said:
Why is this?

I know its the norm to steep grains then boil the wort, but my LHBS produces their own extract kits with 2 x tins of LME and 2 x muslin bag additions, one goes in at the start of the boil and one goes in 10mins from the end. The LHBS has tried to simplify the process for those moving up from kits. I thought the bags just contained hops, but opening one up I found grains in there too. It doesn't seem to adversely affect the flavour of the beer, in fact these are the best kits I've made (and I've made a lot) - he reckons the "don't boil grains" advice is not correct, and based on the quality of his beers I reckon he's right.
Click to expand...

Tannins are extracted by boiling the grains and may affect the taste of the end product. That why it is generally not done, certainly commercial brewers don't do it. Of course its all down to what your personal experience is like, and whether or not you are prepared to run the risk of perhaps spoiling a brew for the sake of boiling the grains, or not. So like a lot of things in life you have a choice of whether you do or don't. So you pays yer money and you takes yer choice.
 
Thanks for the explanation, I wasn't questioning your judgement as it's standard practice to steep rather than boil grains, just a little surprised that my LHBS recommends it and it seems to work - perhaps I've just been lucky with their kits. :thumb:
 
Your LHBS has an interest in selling their kits and if a simplification to process helps that aim they will go for it, even if it comes at a small risk. So good luck to them.
Personally I am a little envious that you have a LHBS to give your custom to, mine shut down some time ago :-(
 
terrym said:
Some of the Coopers kit grain addition recipes suggest boiling the grains. Don't do it. It's OK to boil the wort from the steeped grains but not the grains themselves.
Click to expand...
Good advice:thumb:
Steep the grains for 30 minutes at 66c, remove them and boil the liquid if adding hops if that is what you want to do!.
 
Hiya darrellm
Yes been looking at that particular recipe..I have a wilko hoppy copper and a couple of 1.5 kg liquid malt from malt miller. The can is 1.5 kg and malt calc falls short so would need to add approx 500g malt. Just wondering whether the wilko kit is up to it as a based. ...

Cheers

Clint
 
Clint said:
Hiya darrellm
Yes been looking at that particular recipe..I have a wilko hoppy copper and a couple of 1.5 kg liquid malt from malt miller. The can is 1.5 kg and malt calc falls short so would need to add approx 500g malt. Just wondering whether the wilko kit is up to it as a based. ...

Cheers

Clint
Click to expand...
The hoppy copper is quite good for mucking around with, i found it ok'ish even adding more hops to it, but not bad at all. I added half spraymalt, half beer enhancer plus some golden syrup along with some steeped grains. Possibly came out a bit too bitter for some, i like my beers bitter so was happy with it at the time.
 
Clint said:
Hiya darrellm
Yes been looking at that particular recipe..I have a wilko hoppy copper and a couple of 1.5 kg liquid malt from malt miller. The can is 1.5 kg and malt calc falls short so would need to add approx 500g malt. Just wondering whether the wilko kit is up to it as a based. ...

Cheers

Clint
Click to expand...
One Hoppy Copper kit, plus a jar of H&B LME, plus 100g steeped crystal malt brewed short to 15 litres gave me OG 1.042. I did a 15 min boil with 15g First Gold and dry hopped with 20g First Gold and it turned out OK, quite bitter as I like them, but was better for keeping.
 

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