Adapting a kit with hops for the first time

[Geezah]

I tend to use a light or extra light DME to keep the ale a nice golden colour as a pale ale should be.

You can use hop pellets just the same as whole hops gram for gram.
The hop pellet 'dust' will eventually sink and lie in the sediment once fermentation has finished.

[SquireKnott]

Coopers APA is a good kit to adapt

Citra or Apollo will give nice citrusy flavours.


If its your first time I would suggest:

1 tin coopers apa
1 tin LME or 1kg of DME

empty the tin(s) in to the fv, fill tin(s) with boiling water and add 25g of citra / apollo and leave for 20 mins.
Use this time to add (DME) water and thrash the wort.

Add the 'hop tea' from the tin through a strainer in to the wort and pitch the yeast.

After day 5-7 of fermentation, add another 25-50g of hops direct to the fv for your dry hop.

After 14-21 days siphon your beer in to keg / bottle and prime / force carb.

OK, the brewshop didn't have Citra so I got Amarillo (actual hops, not pellets) instead, however, £8 was more than I was expecting to pay so I only picked up 500g of light spray malt.

If I (should I?) add 500g of brewing sugar to this what strength should I be looking at - anywhere between 4% and 5% will do me fine?

Apologies for not being able to follow your simple instructions Geezah!

I've noticed in my short time brewing how it seems nigh on impossible to go into a brewshop and come out with what you actually intended to buy

[Manngold]

Squire, I put a one can kit on last Friday. I added 1kg of brewing sugar, and the OG was 1.040. Which I guess should come out at about 4%. £8 seems like a lot, I got 100g of citra for £7 inc delivery. I guess it depends on how much you got.

[SquireKnott]

Right, it's on!

Coopers APA
500g Youngs light spray malt
250g dextrose
Amarillo hop tea

Smashed my hydrometer earlier so no idea of the OG.

I was going to brew it short to 21l rather than 23 but then thought - "what if it's REALLY good? That's four fewer bottles"

I met myself halfway at 22l.

[SquireKnott]

Taking hops out of the equation, if I were to do, eg, another Wilko Hoppy Copper could I simply substitute the brewing sugar I'd use at the beginning with Spray Malt to produce a better outcome?

(Not there's owt much wrong with the one I've done as per the instructions for £7.50!)

[Monkeybrew]

Taking hops out of the equation, if I were to do, eg, another Wilko Hoppy Copper could I simply substitute the brewing sugar I'd use at the beginning with Spray Malt to produce a better outcome?

(Not there's owt much wrong with the one I've done as per the instructions for £7.50!)

That's the idea SK.

You should end up with a slightly maltier body to your brew

Cheers

MB

[Monkeybrew]

Also, have a look on here for hops

http://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/

Great products and service.

£8 for 100g of Amarillo is daylight robbery.

Amarillo is still a good choice though, so all is not lost!

MB

[frogbrew]

Taking hops out of the equation, if I were to do, eg, another Wilko Hoppy Copper could I simply substitute the brewing sugar I'd use at the beginning with Spray Malt to produce a better outcome?

(Not there's owt much wrong with the one I've done as per the instructions for £7.50!)

I've used 250g mdme and 750g tate&lyle with this kit brewed short to 20ltr with good results. The current one I'm drinking I also added a 6 teabag orange and ginger brew to it. very nice.....

[Geezah]

You should keep a few tins of this in the cupboard.
http://www.brewsmarter.co.uk/bh-light-l ... 1762-p.asp

Works out cheaper, and easier to mix in than DME

[SquireKnott]

You should keep a few tins of this in the cupboard.
http://www.brewsmarter.co.uk/bh-light-l ... 1762-p.asp

Works out cheaper, and easier to mix in than DME

That looks good.

What strength would I be looking at if I chucked one of those in with, eg, a can of coopers APA?

And what would two cans of that on its own brewed to 23l turn out like?

[Geezah]

You should keep a few tins of this in the cupboard.
http://www.brewsmarter.co.uk/bh-light-l ... 1762-p.asp

Works out cheaper, and easier to mix in than DME

That looks good.

What strength would I be looking at if I chucked one of those in with, eg, a can of coopers APA?

And what would two cans of that on its own brewed to 23l turn out like?

! can of Coopers APA and 1 can LME would give you a starting gravity of approximately 1040.
If you ferment it down to say 1010 you would end up with an ABV of 4%

If you brewed 2 cans of LME you would have an alcoholic malt brew that wouldn't be very nice as there are no hops in the brew.

Your in to extract brewing territory now so you would want to boil for 60 minutes at least 1 can in 6-10 litres of water and add hops at various times of the boil.

[WalesAles]

You should keep a few tins of this in the cupboard.
http://www.brewsmarter.co.uk/bh-light-l ... 1762-p.asp

Works out cheaper, and easier to mix in than DME

HaHa,
Looks Good Geezah but.......,
If you got a Bloody Great Big Drill and a Mixing Paddle, You can mix anything!
WA

[SquireKnott]

48 hours in the yeast is working but there's a much thinner, less bubbly "head" and less of a Krausen ring than I've had with my first 4 brews.

[tazzymutt]

48 hours in the yeast is working but there's a much thinner, less bubbly "head" and less of a Krausen ring than I've had with my first 4 brews.

Maybe you got some bashful yeast this time... Stop looking at it; just leave those little yeasties to do their thing and all will probably be well. Krausen can vary significantly from brew to brew however if the yeast is working, just give it time.

Happy brewing,


Ian.

[razzrockbolt]

The following thread details my APA experience.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=63042

Hop pellets drop out quite nicely and I would recommend batch priming.