I got some stuff lying around - any suggestions?

[Danzar]

Howdy peoples,

I trawled through the cupboard and unbeknown to me, found two tins - A Brewcraft Belgian Ale and Brewcraft Bavarian Wheat.

I was thinking of doing a two can brew. So, I'll list everything I have in the cupboard that could potentially make up a beer. What would you suggest I do?

1.8KG tin Brewcraft Belgian Ale.
1.5KG tin Brewcraft Bavarian Wheat.
Liquid yeast - White Labs Hefeweizen
Liquid Yeast - White Labs Belgian Abbey Ale.
Hops - Fuggles finishing hops only
Grains - 500g Choc grain
Grains - 1KG Crystal Malt 145
Coriander seeds - heaps
Dark Brown Sugar - heaps
Brown Sugar - heaps
Coffee Sugar Crystals - 250g
Honey - heaps
Wheat spray malt - 250g
Light dry malt - 100g

So, what do you think?

[petesbrew]

toucan belgian? BRING IT ON!

[Danzar]

Yeah, my girlfriend had stuck them in a big box that contains tins of her vitamin powder.

She assumed I knew it was there.

I didn't.

So, can you make a recipe out of my stocks above?

[Kevnlis]

Might be a bit bitter but for me I don't mind a toucan.

Are the coffee crystals raw sugar?

If they are I would use that to make 250g candi sugar, add the spray malt and LDME, 50g choc and 100g crystal, dry hop or flame out the fuggles.

[sonictruth]

i say stick it all in.......see what happens......

[petesbrew]

Not having any idea myself...
I'd leave out the honey and coriander.
Make the extra fermentables = 500g (or no more than 1kg)
and use the belgian yeast.
my 2cents.

[Kevnlis]

Yeah sorry, I would use the Abbey Ale yeast as well.

[Danzar]

Might be a bit bitter but for me I don't mind a toucan.

Are the coffee crystals raw sugar?

If they are I would use that to make 250g candi sugar, add the spray malt and LDME, 50g choc and 100g crystal, dry hop or flame out the fuggles.

Geez I like all the suggestions - including throwing the lot in.

How about this:

Both cans
Dry hop fuggles.
Candi plus malt in line with Kevnlis' suggestions
Grains in line with Kevnlis suggestions
Belgian yeast in line with Pete's suggestion
However, I'm thinking of going the coriander, just to add a bit of fruit/spice for balance.

Your views on the coriander would be great!

[Kevnlis]

30g here, just bottled a wheatie this week with a corriander seed addition and it was tops fromt he fermentor warm and flat

Perhaps a few cloves or a cinnamon stick as well?

[Danzar]

Done.

Two cans.
Fuggles - dry hop.
50g choc grain
100g crystal grain
250g wheat spray malt
100g light dry malt
250g candi sugar (I may have to just throw in the coffee sugar crystals with a bit of brown sugar if I don't have time)
30g coriander
Three cloves (I learned the hard way with these guys when I used 15 once!!! Yuk!)
Belgian Abbey Ale

[petesbrew]

As far as candi sugar goes, I've seen some "lump" or "rock sugar" at the asian supermarkets. Maybe you could use that?

[Chris]

You still need to invert the sugar.

[chris.]

You still need to invert the sugar.

Why?

[Chris]

Um... to prevent the yeast from producing excessive amounts of invertase, hence adding strange flavours to the beer...

Oh, that's right, you use lots of sucrose in your beers and never get any strange flavours.

[chris.]

Oh, that's right, you use lots of sucrose in your beers and never get any strange flavours.

I wouldn't say lots

5-10% easy without ill effects.

Firstly most Belgian brewers use cheap rock beet sugar (ie not inverted - inverted sugar will not solidify). & secondly, AKAIK, there is no easy way for us to invert sugar at home. GS's stove top method does not invert the majority of sugar... I'd go so far as to say none actually.

[Boonie]

there is no easy way for us to invert sugar at home. GS's stove top method does not invert the majority of sugar... I'd go so far as to say none actually.

I put lots of Citric acid in to try and help it along with no ill effects. Still tastes like toffee

Cheers

Boonie

[rwh]

I'd go so far as to say none actually.

Care to explain your reasoning?

[chris.]

I'd go so far as to say none actually.

Care to explain your reasoning?

Sorry I should have stated that is my opinion only & probably an over exaggeration. The % is minimal from what I've read.

As I understand it the industrial process to make invert sugar requires a lot more acid + enzymes + heat. Even then I believe there is still a sizable portion that remains uninverted (if that makes sense ).

The common stovetop method will change the flavour profile of the finished beer. But IMO moreso from creating unfermentable sugars by caramelising.

[Chris]

That is true, you tend to get more caramel flavours than actual full inversion of the sugars. That can work, depending on the brew.

The best inversion recipe I've come across uses a pressure-cooker as a makeshift boiler, hence driving the reaction toward the inversion side.

[chris.]

you tend to get more caramel flavours than actual full inversion of the sugars.

Then why the fuss about needing to invert it?