Pimp my APA

[cleagarr]

Hi Guys,

I have a Coopers APA kit and some light spraymalt (1kg). Anyone fancy offering any other additions to make this kit even better?

Also, does anyone know any online stores with cheap kits and delivery?

Thanks

Chris

[JTK]

Hops! and maybe some Hops!

I have been doing a lot of ordering with The Home Brew Shop and am very satisfied with their service. I usually do large orders, and it has always come correct. Note that they list the price including VAT.

[Geezah]

Cheap online kit retailers...
Thriftyshopper (free delivery on £40+ orders & a top service)

Adulterating your APA....where would you like to take it?
Got any favorite pale / golden ales?

I'm about to try a Waggledance clone

I'm also going to try an Elderwych clone which will be similar to the Waggledance, but i'll be adding some elderflower and changing Fuggles hops to Aurora.

[cleagarr]

Thanks guys. I do love Speckled Hen, Tanglefoot etc. (actually anything really!!).

Would adding, say, crystal malt (I guess you heat in water and add the water) add anything? Or do you the hops as well?

Thanks.

[Geezah]

crystal malt will add a bit more sugar to the brew, but it will also add a biscuity, malty flavour too. You would need to simmer it for 30 minutes to get full us out of it.
Adding hops at various stages add....:
Boiling = Bitterness
Steeping = Flavour/aroma
Dry Hopping = Aroma

Tanglefoot displays both crystal malt and east kent goldings for flavour and aroma.

[Uncle Joshua]

What is APA? I know what IPA is but don't have a clue what APA is, I asked about it at my HB shop and he also didn't know.

[Geezah]

Australian pale ale
Coopers APA is my kit of choice for making 'my own footprint' brews

[Biamoasta]

Just a suggestion. If you're making this kit up to 23 litres, I wouldn't use 1kg of spraymalt. This kit isn't heavily bittered, so the resulting beer may be too sweet. I would go with 500g malt, 250g dextrose maybe 100g crystal malt and a hop tea with your choice of hops to add some flavour/aroma.

[cleagarr]

Hi guys thanks for the ideas.

I'm going to go with 500g light spraymalt and 300g brewing sugar and then use some crystal malt and steep some goldings hops. Any thoughts on how much crystal malt to use - the bag is 500g?

Cheers

[Geezah]

100g should be enough to add the flavour

[Paddy Bubbles]

I'd stay away from using crystal with this kit, unless it's extra-light.

This kit is a great base for playing around with hops as other posters have suggested. Try adding copious quantities of any American hops to this kit - you really can't go wrong.

[cleagarr]

Hi Paddy Bubbles

Would you dry hop this kit or add hops to a boil or both?

I'm going to make this tonight and the ony hops I have are cascade (100g) and Goldings (100g). Do these work well together at all? If using just one which one do you suggest?

THANKS

[Paddy Bubbles]

I'd do both - dry-hop and boil some hops for 15 mins. For flavour and aroma.

I'd use the Cascade. Leave the Goldings for nice bitter or English Ale. They might go well together, but I've never heard of anyone doing a brew with both of those hops together. An all-Cascade APA is excellent.

[cleagarr]

Cheers matey.

I brewed this last night; APA kit+ 1kg BKE+ 500g light spraymalt (I added this late because it was lying around!). I boiled 40g of cascade for 15 minutes and added that. I also boiled 200g of crystal malt. I will add another dose of cascade for dry hopping in 5-6 days time.

Another question... I got an OG of 1044. Does this sound about right? I lost the booklet thing that I think says what the correct number should be.

And another... from this OG is it possible to tell what the final abv will be? Or do you have to have the FG reading too to do this?

THANKS

[dunc]

With those fermentables the OG sounds right - I get 1038ish usually with just the BKE. The yeast is pretty attenuative, with the extra malt this will probably finish around 1007-8, giving you a smidge over 5% abv once you've primed. Its a cracking brew done with the Cascade though.