Crystal Malt in a Coopers Kit

[semperparatus72]

So i have been brewing on and off for several years. Beers/Lagers have always been drinkable but just too much on the bitter side for me.
Have heard using Crystal malt will give more sweetness to the brew and balance it out.
Question is at what stage should i add it to the Coopers Kit. Will probably be using a basic Lager kit.
I was thinking of steeping 200g in the water i will be using for the brew for 1 hr before adding that water to the wort.

 

[MrRook]

A 20 minute steep is all you need.

 

[semperparatus72]

A 20 minute steep is all you need.

Any specific Temperature. Thinking about 60 deg .

 

[MrRook]

Any specific Temperature. Thinking about 60 deg .

I go a bit higher: 65-66.

 

[semperparatus72]

I go a bit higher: 65-66.

Have you found a significant difference in the taste.

 

[MrRook]

Have you found a significant difference in the taste.

I've never steeped at 60 so I can't say.

 

[marshbrewer]

After steeping, you will need to bring it up to the boild for a while to kill off any nasties (after removing the grains of course).

Given that, you may not want to steep it in all of your water, just some of it, otherwise you will be waiting for ages for it to get cool enough to add the yeast.

 

[semperparatus72]

After steeping, you will need to bring it up to the boild for a while to kill off any nasties (after removing the grains of course).

Given that, you may not want to steep it in all of your water, just some of it, otherwise you will be waiting for ages for it to get cool enough to add the yeast.

OK so i should steep in 2L of water then remove grains , boil liquid to kill germs then add to my wort .
Sounds like a plan.
Going to dry hop as well. Will report back with my results.

 

[Bernie]

There are some recipes on the Coopers web site that add crystal malts to Cooper's kits.

 

[semperparatus72]

After steeping, you will need to bring it up to the boild for a while to kill off any nasties (after removing the grains of course).

Given that, you may not want to steep it in all of your water, just some of it, otherwise you will be waiting for ages for it to get cool enough to add the yeast.

Ok so i made this brew on Monday.
I steeped the crystal malt grains in 65 degrees for 20 mins then drained of the liquid using a sieve. Then i brought to the boil to kill any germs then added this (about3L)liquid to the brew barrel(22L).
Fermentation went well 1044- 1010 in 4 days.
Now the only issue is why is it so Cloudy compared to my previous brews, Normaly just do a coopers kit with brewing sugar a nd yeast.

 

[Slid]

Ok so i made this brew on Monday.
I steeped the crystal malt grains in 65 degrees for 20 mins then drained of the liquid using a sieve. Then i brought to the boil to kill any germs then added this (about3L)liquid to the brew barrel(22L).
Fermentation went well 1044- 1010 in 4 days.
Now the only issue is why is it so Cloudy compared to my previous brews, Normaly just do a coopers kit with brewing sugar a nd yeast.

I would expect the stuff to drop out before bottling.

 

[semperparatus72]

I would expect the stuff to drop out before bottling.

OK, another 4 or 5 days in the barrel. I wonder how long its safe to leave in the barrel. Would 12 days be ok. I normally bottle after 7 or 8

 

[marshbrewer]

For me, 2 weeks in the FV is the minimum; about 3 fairly usual, and occasionally longer.

 

[semperparatus72]

For me, 2 weeks in the FV is the minimum; about 3 fairly usual, and occasionally longer.

Update.
I had to isolate for near a week due to my son getting co-vid and my PCR test going missing. This meant i couldnt go to my Dads house where my homebrew stuff is.
On the plus side the extra week has seen the beer clear pretty well, on a par with previous brews brews.
Now the bad bit. My hops (cascade, pellets) ended up in the brew for 9 days instead of 3 . After bottling the beer i tried a small sample and the taste was over hoppy, almost undrinkable. Infact so hoppy that it had an almost slight Vinegary taste.
Will the flavour of hops reduce over the weeks or months it is in the bottle secondry fermenting ?

 

[Bernie]

Update.
I had to isolate for near a week due to my son getting co-vid and my PCR test going missing. This meant i couldnt go to my Dads house where my homebrew stuff is.
On the plus side the extra week has seen the beer clear pretty well, on a par with previous brews brews.
Now the bad bit. My hops (cascade, pellets) ended up in the brew for 9 days instead of 3 . After bottling the beer i tried a small sample and the taste was over hoppy, almost undrinkable. Infact so hoppy that it had an almost slight Vinegary taste.
Will the flavour of hops reduce over the weeks or months it is in the bottle secondry fermenting ?

Sounds like something from a modern microbrewery.

 

[semperparatus72]

Sounds like something from a modern microbrewery.

Dont know if thats a good or bad thing

 

[Sandimas]

Will the flavour of hops reduce over the weeks or months it is in the bottle secondry fermenting ?

Yes, it'll fade the longer you leave it. Most of us have the opposite problem drinking hoppy beers before they start to fade, but in this case time is your friend, leave it a month or two and try one again.

 

[ScotchMist]

Dont know if thats a good or bad thing

Get some wacky design on the packaging, call it 'hyper-hoppy-covid-crystal-lager'. £4 a bottle.

...I'll buy 3.

 

[semperparatus72]

Ok so we are 5 or so weeks on and i tried another beer the other day.
It is still bad, not so much a hoppy flavour but the beer taste incredibly Woody.
Think ill have to ditch it.
Is this something else that has went wrong other than leaving hops in too long.