Clarimalt & Hop Extract ??

[Bluejam15]

I have only just started brewing from a couple of kits (i can already hear the hisses from the big wigs using this site)

So i'll just come out with it - with the hope that not too many of you will laugh out loud.

Ask the complete novice and blindly blinkered "guns blazing " lets try this approach, I have made a few elementary mistakes.
The biggest being, buying items that i now have no idea what to do with?

So here it is ... brought some BRUPAKS CLARIMALT 100 ml what is it, why is it and what do i do with it.

After quickly scanning a few sites (before joining this great group) i noticed everyone saying that the kits lacked malt - i am using spray malt now...but thought that this liquid woud do the same job - namely add to the batch with the sugar to improve the taste ... My question is does it ? is it any good, how much to add & when and is it completely useless for a cheap edme / youngs / geordie kit? If it can be used how much... got no instructions with the bottle.?

Now thats not the end to my stupidity.... also brought some Cordon Brew Isom. HOP EXTRACT 57 ml ... heres me thinking again totally unfounded that this adds a bitter taste to the end result (geordie etc) My questions are Does it ? when do i add it and how much.. or again is it a useless purchase?

Sorry for being so stupid... i look forward to recieving any comments even if its just a Ha! Ha!

Many thanks,

Ta
Bluejam15 :hmm:

ps sorry if im in the wrong forum....

 

[BrewStew]

I have only just started brewing from a couple of kits (i can already hear the hisses from the big wigs using this site)

we don't look down on kits brewers... 90% of us All Grain brewers started from kits, and some of us (myself included) still do them when time doesn't permit to squeeze in an AG brew

Sorry for being so stupid... i look forward to recieving any comments even if its just a Ha! Ha!

we were all noobs once mate so dont sweat it.

as for your questions about clarimalt and hop extract.... i've got absolutely no idea either!!! :rofl:

sorry i couldn't help, but dont worry about asking what you think maybe silly questions that's what forums are for :thumb:

 

[Wez]

Hi Bluejam

Don't worry about the questions, as BS has said most AG brewers started from kits, certainly none of us were born with the knowledge to brew.

Clarimalt - is it brown in colour? It could be a caramel flavouring? If it is i've never used it, sorry.

Hop Extract - hopefully there will be someone here who has used this, I'm assuming that it is "what it says on the tin" and will literally be liquified hop extract. Does it say what sort of hop? e.g Fuggle, Goldings etc etc.

I understand that Smod introduced you to the forum (he's a good lad) and local to me.

Please feel free to ask away - thats what the forum is for :thumb:

Cheers, Wez

 

[tubby_shaw]

What Brewtew and Wez said :thumb:
Plus,
From the Brupaks website:
Clarimalt Highly concentrated black malt malt extract for colour adjustment
I guess it does what it says on the tin, darkens your beer but hopefully without the vile taste of brewers caramel :sick:

Isomerised hop extract is IIRC hops that have previously been boiled, then concentrated and can be added directly to beer to increase the bitterness without the need to boil. Again IIRC it's fekking powerful stuff and you don't need much to strip the coating from your teeth :shock:

 

[steve_flack]

Clarimalt will make your beer darker. It's extremely dark - no, seriously. If it's anything like the Sinamar stuff Weyermann make it won't add hardly any flavour.

 

[Bluejam15]

Many thanks for the replies, and i probably will ask quite a few more stupid questions, but at least i wont be worried about it.

So the clarimalt doesnt taste as such, just give it a darker colour....m mmm probably use that on a lager, to darken up a tad (not that im a lager drinker, just got a geordie kit for family bbq's over summer (if we have one)

The Isomerised hop extract i'll probably use on a geordie bitter kit to give it a sharper bitter taste... anyone got any idea how much... and when do i put it in ... at the start when i add sugar / spraymalt, or after fementation just b4 bottling/ clearing?

Now at moment i dont want to annoy the regulars, as you have all been great, could you let me know the etiquette for my next question - so instead of posting it here as a continuation i will post another thread - in the beer brewing discussion section (cause dont want to offend the share your beer recipies forum - as its more about kits) called Any Kit recommendations - what can i do with these???

Cheers,

Bluejam15