Fiddling with a Tom Caxton best Bitter

[likesbeer]

I was passing a Wilkos and the nice people had one of the above left on the shelf it seemed lonely so I bought it. Wasnt quite going to do the next just yet but as they gave me 10% off for a small dent I couldnt resist

I'm thinking of having a little play with it and wondered how other people have brewed this other than following the instructions?

I bought some Black Treacle (400 g) with the shopping today and have about 400 g of dark malt, this will still be a little short of the 1 kg sugar required. Not wishing to make a mess of it topping up with another sugar does anyone think that might be bad? I have some unrefined molasas I could shove in or equally pop to the LHBS (or cupboard more like)?

I have some hops as well and was thinking to dry hop but a little concerned this maybe over doing it as it comes with a packet of dry stuff?

As always your expiences most appreciated.

[macleanb]

I dont think which sugar you use will make a lot of difference, you putting in a lot of quite highly flavoured fermentables, a couple of hundred g's of regular sugar isnt going to affect the flavour (I assum that the kit recomends sugar/dextrose/kit enhancer or DME).

My only "concern" would be you are adding a lot of flavours/darkness to a bitter, so this will shift the character quite a lot (not saying this is a bad thing). I am used to seeing dark treacle etc in porters and stouts which have a lot more umph than a regular bitter.

As I dont know this beer (and I'm not an expert) I couldnt advise wether some extra hops would be good/bad, but if you dont over-do it, then I cant see that you will get any nasty suprises.

I am about to try my own fiddling with an almondbury ale (its a twin can kit) I am intending to make up an infusion of 200g crystal, 30g chocolate malt, and 30g EKG which I will steep 3 times with boiling water from the kettle (this is what I had to do with my Brupaks "teabag").

[maxashton]

I'd say treacle would overpower it. This may not be a problem for you depending on how much you like treacle.

[likesbeer]

mmm maybe a re-think.
The kit only asks for simple sugar (preferably brewers) and either make 36 pints or 40, I guess that is to make it stronger if required.
I would prefer not to be drinking pints of treacle as not that much of a fan, plus I wouldnt want to create a cocktail of overpowering flavours. So perhaps I'll just get some additional dark malt and use just the one fermentible. Shifting it to a darker beer is fine as we prefer the darker ones. For the hops I might wait till part way into the ferment sneak a taste and dry hop like last time as it made a nice change to a thin flavoured beer.

macleanb, as your kit already comes with all the recomended fermentables wont an extra 260 g make a big difference to the strength? or is steeping not very good for getting the sugars out and will just change the taste? Or am I on the completely wrong track with those grains?