Coopers Stout with Liquorice

[lagerfeld]

Hi folks, new to the forum and have completed 1 brew so far (Coopers Cerveza - just started drinking, tasting great btw) and I have read a lot on here about the Coopers Stout.

I like a nice stout (Guinness) and would like to get one ready for xmas. I see people are adding treacle or chocolate which sounds great but i wondered if anyone had tried liquorice?

I was thinking of getting some of that proper hard stuff (not your pipes etc) from a chemist and popping that into the fermenter.

Any thoughts / advice?

thanks

 

[Slid]

There is some discussion from a very recent thread here:

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=49496

Generally regarded as a good idea:

 

[lagerfeld]

Thanks Slid, I did see that thread but it doesnt seem to have any conclusions.
Not to worry, I'm going to give it a go anyway, using the hard stick of liquorice if I can find it, might try a health shop. I am also waiting for Tesco or Wilko to start a sale again as I just missed out on this.

I will post how it goes.

Cheers

 

[judge6]

Hi, made a stout with liquorice bought from health food shop (hard stick).
Crushed it in pestle n mortar and added when starting brew.
Turned out really good

 

[lagerfeld]

Cheers Judge6. You helped me make my mind up and I see Tesco are putting homebrew on sale again right now so would be rude not to!

:thumb:

 

[lagerfeld]

judge6 I forgot to ask, did you use 1 or more sticks and how much could you taste it?

cheers

 

[Slid]

Cheers Judge6. You helped me make my mind up and I see Tesco are putting homebrew on sale again right now so would be rude not to!

:thumb:

Too right -on the Tesco sale you have Coopers Kits at:

Real Ale £10 - totally sound beer kit.
Canadian Blonde £9.50 - she should blush at that price.
Stout £10 - There are so many advocates of this kit on here it untrue.
English Bitter £10 - base for so many hopping experiments, with its rock solid bittering
Aus Lager - £10 - What an intoduction to homebrew - half the price and twice as good as your local supermarket.
Mex Cerveca, APA, also £10.

John Bull 1.8kg kits for £9.50

http://www.tesco.com/direct/diy-car/home-brewing/cat5780015.list?selected-sort-option=%0D%0ASpecial+Offers&selected-sort-option=%0D%0ASpecial+Offers&catId=4294814798&sortBy=3

 

[lagerfeld]

Cant beat those prices, just ordered the Stout to get delivered to my local Tesco Saturday. Bargain.

Might be a thread on this but I also notice many HB kits in boxes for £20 +. Why so expensive?:wha:

 

[Slid]

Cant beat those prices, just ordered the Stout to get delivered to my local Tesco Saturday. Bargain.

Might be a thread on this but I also notice many HB kits in boxes for £20 +. Why so expensive?:wha:

These will be 2 can kits - with around twice the amount of hopped extract as a 1 can kit. (At last that Maths degree comes in useful :-P).

Also, the fashionable kits give you hops to chuck in post primary fermentation.

You can actually buy the very same hops off, say, Rob the Malt Miller, for instance.

http://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/

These boxed kits are very well presented and are very well recieved and liked on this forum, but might actually be a triumph of marketed illusion over actual substance.

Well, you decide.

 

[judge6]

Just one stick, will use two next time

 

[lagerfeld]

Just found this for anyone interested:

https://www.coopers.com.au/coopers-forum/topic/12711/

 

[lagerfeld]

Well, I have cracked a couple of these already and I have to say I am very pleased with the results.
Although the liquorice taste has diminished, there is still a hint. I used sugar to prime each bottle for this brew and it seems to have worked well, there is a pfssst when I open the bottle, it is not too fizzy and there is good head retention.

The best bit is that it tastes really nice. As a lager drinker it is certainly more bitter but I do like Guinness and this is not too far off.

Definitely recommend.

Need to find a way to retain more liquorice flavour (add during fermentation?)