Brew No.5 - Cooper's Sparkling Ale with added hops

[ceejam]

After my Wife quite liking the Sparkling Ale I did, but really liking Harviestoun's Schiehallion, I decided to try and do something a bit closer.

I'm not sure that the Sparkling Ale is the best base to mess around with, but it was in stock at my LHBS, and I'd done it before.

I used the can, plus 1kG of Munton's BKE, 250g of Sugar and 60g of Hallertauer Dried hops.

I boiled half the hops (with a little of the extract from the can) for 20 mins, then added the other half at flame out and steeped for around 15-20.

Mixed the BKE & Cane Sugar in the FV with some tepid water (cold doesn't seem to dissolve it, hot makes it clump, so tepid seems to work for me)

Added the extract, then the water from the hops (used a sterilised Muslin bag to strain the hops into a jug), then topped up with cold water.

I decided to use Nottingham yeast for this one, as had good results on my Nut Brown Ale with it, and seen some suggestions it's a good "neutral" yeast for this type of Pale Ale.

Although I forgot I was supposed to rehydrate, and just pitched onto the wort dry - hope it works!

OG was 1040, and it tasted quite good, bittersweet, so hopefully a good one!

Does Hop Aroma develop as it ferments? Got the bitterness but no aroma from the Hallertauer - still got loads left, so might dry hop it after a few days if no real aroma?

 

[Kyral210]

Hmm, sounds like it will be a hoppy one! 50g for added hopps seems like a lot, but who knows. Never judge a beer before its bottled and conditioned. One less I have learnt over time.

 

[Grumpy Jack]

Be very interesting to see how this one comes out!

 

[ceejam]

Well, I've just bottled / kegged this today.

I got a load if hops from Worcester Hop Shop, so I added 50g of Hersbrucker (the hops used in Schiehallion) in a Muslin bag after a week of fermentation.

This Hop sock has been in for a week, and after various wee samples over the last week, it tastes somewhat like the Schiehallion I'm trying to emulate - Wife is pleased!
The two weeks in Primary fermenter - at a very constant 20 degrees seems to have done realy well for this beer - it is clearer now than my first attempt @ Sparkling was after conditioning!

The Fg came in at 1008, so the Notty yeast did it's thing very well!

Just need to wait for it to condition!

 

[spudbasher]

On the sparkling ale label it suggests AS WELL AS THE 1.7 KIT-a coopers light malt extract 1.5g +500g light dry malt +300 dextrose, for a true beer in the intended style.

I have the sparkling kit (which is 1.7g), and dextrose but cannot get hold of the 1.5g light malt extract. Would spray malt do,I can only get Muntons hopped light at the moment.

Is there a big difference between the two?

Cheers, Spud.

 

[ceejam]

Well, this is a cracking beer, lots of hop flavour, but not as much aroma as I had hoped.

Here's a couple of piccies. I've named it Becx Bier, as it was brewed for my wife and that's her (shortened) name :whistle:

I think I'll have anotehr crack at a Schiehallion clone, maybe using a Canadian blonde or Aussie Draught kit.