Youngs Bitter, with a bit of a twist

[stevezx7r]

Set my Youngs bitter of today with the kids running amock (a muck?). It's the one tin (1.8kg I think) job from Wilco's and cost a spiffing fiver. I already had a kg of Geordie Beerkit Enhancer but had run out of dextrose to "top up" the lack of sugars in the GBh. Instead, I used around 250gms demerera sugar and 250gms castor sugar. I also popped in a bag of hop pellets from an eight year old Linthwaite light I did recently (minus hops) and just for kicks I ground some frozen coffee beans (ground twice to release the flavour) and popped them into the pot with everything else. Boiled the lot for a few mins then popped a funnel and sieve onto the fermenter lid and poured the wort through that to remove the coffee grains. SG is 1040 and final gravity (using a standard Youngs kit) should be 1006 (4.5%) but I would expect it (and hope) it only gets to 1010 (4%) as I don't want another strong brew. I tried it of course and I must say it's one of the most promising brews from me yet.

Edit - It's now sat next to me in "My Room" gurgling away through it's air lock. I think I'll fit a window to the lid as I miss seeing what's going on.

[stevezx7r]

Well, I've been listening to the gurgling noise for a three days now and today it's stopped. The gravity is at 1010 (4%) which is where I wanted it. The slight problem is I think i've used too much coffee. If it wasn't an important brew I would have left it in the hope it would mellow out over time a little but I can't risk that so i've dry hopped it with some Saaz to try and disguise the flavour. Never mind.
FYI, the smell is a slight burnt coffee smell and the taste is that of a day old strong coffee with a beer background. The complete opposite of what I was aiming for.

On a happier note, my coopers + Saaz is smashing as i'm "testing" it at the moment, you know, just to see what it's like.

Any thoughts on whether the coffee flavour will disipate a little??? (A LOT!!!)