Looking to dry hop a Coopers Real Ale kit with Brewers Gold and Galaxy hops as they are used in a local craft brewers signature ale which I quite liked. Trouble is, I haven't the first idea in what quantities! Has anyone combined these two (which I've never brewed with before) and thus able to offer me some thoughts as to a workable ratio which will be nice and balanced?
Brewers Gold and Galaxy
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There's a limit to what you can do, dry hopping a kit. Especially with limited info about a beer you are trying to emulate. I suspect the craft brewer puts BG in the boil, and Galaxy late and dry hop. Why not find out more, and then try an extract brew? It's easy, satisfying, and will give much better results. A partial mash would be even better. Anyone can do it. The more grain you use, the cheaper it is, and the better the beer. Making the break from kits was the best thing I ever did. Everyone should try it.
No worries, I was being a bit evangelical, whilst drinking some lovely AG beer! If you do dry hop the kit, I would probably just use Galaxy, it's a great hop for that and will give you a lot of the flavour you liked in that beer. Maybe lob a bit of BG in, it's a good all round hop.
What sort of colour was that beer? If it had a bit of colour you could steep a bit of crystal or amber perhaps to add some fresh grain flavour. Fresh grains and hops will always improve a kit beer. But you have to be careful not top throw the beer out of balance, I think.
What sort of colour was that beer? If it had a bit of colour you could steep a bit of crystal or amber perhaps to add some fresh grain flavour. Fresh grains and hops will always improve a kit beer. But you have to be careful not top throw the beer out of balance, I think.
It was an amber colour. TBH, steeping some grains is, I think, the natural progression for me. The Hop Gobbler recipe on the Coopers website calls for some Crystal and Chocolate malts (iirc) so Ithink iI may give that a go.
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Having recently sampled an ale by Arkells that showcases Cascade (albeit I think a UK variety), I've got 100g of US Cascade dry leaf hops and either a Coopers Real ale or APA to use it in.
What's the best way to 'showcase' a single hop in a kit?
What's the best way to 'showcase' a single hop in a kit?
Well the strict answer is that you can't, cos a kit is already hopped so any hops you add are merging with that hop.
But if you dry hop in the FV you will get a good sense of what that hop is like. I would be inclined to also make a hop tea with some of the hops, as that will add more flavour than dry hopping. I wouldn't use all the 100g - but some people would, I would steep maybe 25g, and dry hop 25g. You can always increase it next time if you want more hop.
I think it would be even better to buy tins of malt extract instead of kits and boil it with water and hops. Kits are just malt extract with hop flavour. Light malt extract will make a very pale beer, amber malt extract contains some crystal malt and will give a traditional amber beer, dark malt extract will make a dark beer.
You can then do a boil and add the hops you want at various times. You can steep some grains too, which will improve the malt flavour and is an absolute doddle. It's mad not to, tbh, no-one regrets leaving kits behind, as good as some of them are nowadays. You gain control, and better beer.
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is basically pale malt with a bit of crystal, which can be steeped, and cascade hops. And it's incredibly popular. And you can make it fresh in your kitchen very easily. A similar beer anyway, and fresher.
But if you dry hop in the FV you will get a good sense of what that hop is like. I would be inclined to also make a hop tea with some of the hops, as that will add more flavour than dry hopping. I wouldn't use all the 100g - but some people would, I would steep maybe 25g, and dry hop 25g. You can always increase it next time if you want more hop.
I think it would be even better to buy tins of malt extract instead of kits and boil it with water and hops. Kits are just malt extract with hop flavour. Light malt extract will make a very pale beer, amber malt extract contains some crystal malt and will give a traditional amber beer, dark malt extract will make a dark beer.
You can then do a boil and add the hops you want at various times. You can steep some grains too, which will improve the malt flavour and is an absolute doddle. It's mad not to, tbh, no-one regrets leaving kits behind, as good as some of them are nowadays. You gain control, and better beer.
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is basically pale malt with a bit of crystal, which can be steeped, and cascade hops. And it's incredibly popular. And you can make it fresh in your kitchen very easily. A similar beer anyway, and fresher.
Thanks for the comprehensive response clibit: very informative and much appreciated. I've watched a few YouTube vids and the whole steeping malts and boiling hops process does indeed look phenomenally simple. Extract brewing does indeed look like the next step in the process.
No worries, I started using grain/hops last spring and I'm still all excited and can't shut up about it!.
The stage after that could be a partial mash, where you use some base malt like maris otter in place of some of the extract and steep it with the crystal etc in a muslin bag. It's an easy stove top method that produces quality beer. I still do it for higher strength beers, basically adding dried extract to boost the strength.
All the best, have fun.
The stage after that could be a partial mash, where you use some base malt like maris otter in place of some of the extract and steep it with the crystal etc in a muslin bag. It's an easy stove top method that produces quality beer. I still do it for higher strength beers, basically adding dried extract to boost the strength.
All the best, have fun.
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