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I wanted to make a dark beer as a future project and I happened to come across a tin of Tooheys Dark Ale on sale at Kmart for $8 so I bought it without really too much thinking.

I'm now pondering a couple of considerations...

1. Would honey be an appropriate adjuct for this tin? I like the idea of adding some honey overtones, but don't know if this would actually "work". Recommended proportions?

2. Since current winter temperatures in Melbourne don't really suit ale yeasts, I was wondering what the impact of using a saflager might be. The other options might be to simply wait until it gets a bit warmer... or use a liquid ale yeast from G&G that can tolerate colder temperatures. Any recommendations? I haven't used liquid yeasts yet, so I this is a less prefered option.

My tooheys dark (it came for free with my brewcraft "expansion" fermenter) is aging in the shed as we speak. I used the kit, the kit yeast, Brewiser Ultra Brew (500g Light DME, 250g dex 250g malto) and 500g Dark DME. Brewed it quite cold at 17-18*C, actually had to shift it in front of the heater near the end of its run to restore some warmth, which by the way indicated the first and only time i brew an ale and a lager in the same room at the same time.

Too young to taste test yet though.

I did my first dark ale about 2 months ago. It has turned out awesome. I used 500g of honey. Try the link below or use the search engine for Virgin Dark Ale.

http://www.homebrewandbeer.com/forum/vi ... n+dark+ale

I used Coopers Dark Ale, but in the end, you can fiddle with it. My wife even said to day I should see a brewery about it. I'm not that wrapped up in it, but even my homebrewing phobic dad reckons it's a treat. I've saved about a dozen to mature.

Good luck

Made a Tooheys Dark Ale with 500g Light dried malt, 1kg Morgans Dark Crystal Malt, 200g crystal grain (steeped 10min boiled water) 15g Fuggles (steeped 10 min boiled water) and Safale. Was a real black beauty. Cheap too considering I got the TDA AND coopers malt on special at Bi-Lo for $8 and that I just happened to have a sh** load of crystal grain sitting around. That's why I decided to splash out on the safale and morgans malt.
Cheers,
Jay.

While we're on the subject of cold weather and ale yeast.

The last couple of brews I've put down have used Lager yeast (temp averages 12C where I brew) instead of reccomended ale yeast and they have been fantastic.

I've heard that a lot of commmercial breweries use lager yeast in their ales anyway so why not give your brew a punt with a lager yeast (if you dare). Then, if it turns out good, in summer do it again with an ale yeast and compare.

All depends on whether you are keen to keep a beer to a specific style or whether you don't mind experimenting. Please someone speak up if I'm leading everyone to certain disaster.

Cheers,
Jay.

Squire's Porter uses a lager yeast. Think yourself (jay), or someone else here mentioned that previously but have since had this confirmed by Chuch Hahn himself.

TF, best use I have found for a tin of Tooheys Dark Ale is to add it to a can of Coopers Stout i.e. simply use it as extra fermentables (with its hops for more bitterness).

Tyberious Funk wrote: 2. Since current winter temperatures in Melbourne don't really suit ale yeasts, I was wondering what the impact of using a saflager might be. The other options might be to simply wait until it gets a bit warmer... or use a liquid ale yeast from G&G that can tolerate colder temperatures. Any recommendations? I haven't used liquid yeasts yet, so I this is a less prefered option.

TF,

Wrap the sides and top of your fermenter in a blanket or two. This helps to keep in some of heat that is created during the brewing process. Might be a cheap/easy way to use the Toohey's kit without extra expense.

I did this just a couple of weeks ago with just two towels. The brew sat at 18 degrees until I bottled.


Scooper

Made up several Tooheys Dark Ale kits. Had the best result as follows:

1 can Toohey Dark Ale
600g Dark Dry Malt
400g Maltodextrin
Willamette finishing hops (teabag)
Pitched yeast supplied with kit.

Allowed to mature in bottle for 90 days and was just as good as Tooheys Old outta the tap

I too am in Melbourne but havent had any problem with keeping brew temperature steady.
Keep your fermenter in the house, away from outside walls, close to the centre of the house. Mine is in the linnen cupboard( very tolerant wife ) where the temperature is very steady. Wrapped up in an old blanket, the brew temp has stayed @ 18degrees for a week now with no heat added to the cupboard.
No problems.

Cheers - Redsicks

Does your linen smell of brew?

Redsicks wrote: Keep your fermenter in the house, away from outside walls, close to the centre of the house. Mine is in the linnen cupboard( very tolerant wife ) where the temperature is very steady. Wrapped up in an old blanket, the brew temp has stayed @ 18degrees for a week now with no heat added to the cupboard.

I already keep my fermenter inside the house. It isn't so much the temperature that causes a problem, but the variability. Outside the house, the temperature ranges as much as +-15 degrees. Inside the house it is close to +-5 degrees... so I'm already on to that trick (I suppose I am also pretty lucky to have a very tolerant gf).

But even so, 18-21 degrees isn't really "ale" weather now, is it?

18-21C is perfect ale yeast fermenting temperature. You can ferment as high as 30C but most will tell you this ain't ideal.

Cheers,
Jay.

Hi Jay, no problems with any smells.

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Hi Tyberious Funk, you just have to figure out how to create that perfect brewing environment I guess, or wait for better weather.
I'm not in the know about using different kinds of yeast though.
I've brewed some delicious Ales @ 18degrees.

What is the ideal temp range for a dark ale anyone?

Cheers - Redsicks

Jay wrote:18-21C is perfect ale yeast fermenting temperature. You can ferment as high as 30C but most will tell you this ain't ideal.

Indeed. Do a search and you'll see that this is the ideal range. Any higher and you risk (I say risk) off or strange flavors. It's certainly the range I aim for, although am not always successful at attaining.

Cheers,

Oliver

I've had a chance to re-think about this and figure I can probably wait until temperatures in my house are more suitable to ales... it shouldn't be very long. I've already stopped using the heater most evenings.

As for a recipe... I'm off the honey idea. I've been getting fixated with honey because I have a 1kg tub sitting in the fridge. Now I'm thinking of using Morgans Roast Black to get a darker colour and roast flavour and perhaps some lactose.

Tyberious Funk wrote:I already keep my fermenter inside the house. It isn't so much the temperature that causes a problem, but the variability. ... Inside the house it is close to +-5 degrees ...

Wrap your fermenter in a blanket or quilt. This will help reduce the temperature fluctuations. It will also help trap heat generated during fermentation.

Tyberious Funk wrote:As for a recipe... I'm off the honey idea ... Now I'm thinking of using Morgans Roast Black to get a darker colour and roast flavour and perhaps some lactose.

I'd steer clear of the lactose in case you end up with a too-sweet beer. Considering the only fermentables in it is malt, it's going to be fairly sweet anyway.

If you want it sweeter next time you can always add a little lactose. But if you make it first up with lactose and it's too sweet, you're stuffed.

Cheers,

Oliver