Krakatoa Common Beer

[daddy day care]

A while back I asked about improving a Geordie Yorkshire bitter kit having read some pretty poor reviews on it.

Plumpton very kindly posted the recipe below:

KRAKATOA COMMON BEER

1/2 Pound Crystal malt (220g)
1/2 Pund Munich Malt (220g)
Geordie Yorkshire Bitter kit
2 Pounds Light Malt Extract (0.9kg)
1 Ounce Perle hop Pellets fr bittering (28g)
1 Ounce Cascade Pellets for Aroma (28g)
3/4 Cup Corn Sugar for Priming (180ml)

Add the grains to 6Lt Cold Water, Bring to slow boil over 30 mins, Strain out the grains and rinse with 2Lt Boiled Water.
Add the Extracts and Perle bittering hops, boil for 60 mins. Add Cascade hops for final 3 mins for the boil
Strain Hot Wort into Fermenter containing 6Lt of chilled water. Rinse hops with boiled water. Top up to 19Lt.
Pitch yeast when cool to ambient (20 degrees)
Ferment at temperatures 18 to 21 deg
Botle when fermentation stops (4 to 6 weeks) and age at cellar temperature 4 weeks

I have managed to get a huge cooking pot from work so have finally got round to doing this.

I couldn't get any Perle hops so used Northern Brewer instead. These were the equivalent recommended by the LHBS.

Weighing the ingredients before I start

Untitled by Andy Miszkiel, on Flickr

The main ingredient

Untitled by Andy Miszkiel, on Flickr

Anything that will contact the cooling wort ready for sterilising

Untitled by Andy Miszkiel, on Flickr

Into the garage to get the brewing done. The pot fits across both burners

Untitled by Andy Miszkiel, on Flickr

Obligatory brew dog

Untitled by Andy Miszkiel, on Flickr

All made with Tesco bottled water

Untitled by Andy Miszkiel, on Flickr

Starting to get warm. I couldn't actually get the wort to boiling so I'm not sure how this will go. It did get to just over 90 degrees centigrade though so not far away.

Untitled by Andy Miszkiel, on Flickr

Straining the grains prior to going back for a boil with the other ingredients

Untitled by Andy Miszkiel, on Flickr

Possible issues or things I may have done wrong -

My gas burner is not man enough to boil the wort but it did get to 90 degrees. As this is adding to a kit that should already have most of the work done I figured that it will be OK. Only time can answer that.

The recipe said add all the extracts and boil for 60 minutes. I have been reading far too much and was worried about the malt extract clumping up so I added it to cold water first. Then I put this into the pot meaning a lot more than the original 6 litres.

Different hops used than the recipe but home brew shop said that they were the equivalent.

Because I heated far too much wort I couldn't add enough cold water to cool it. It is all sitting in the FV cooling down. It does have the lid and airlock on so shouldn't come into contact with any nasties. I also had a spray bottle of starsan to hand and sprayed anything that was coming into contact with the liquid.


When it is down to temp I will pitch the yeast and put in the fermenting fridge to do it's work.

Andy

 

[Incendiary]

I'll be really interested to see how this goes - let us know what it tastes like! :

 

[daddy day care]

Will do.

Yeast is now pitched and the FV is in the fermenting fridge.

OG was 1.043

Andy

 

[pittsy]

nice work there :thumb: do you know you have just done extract brewing , i think you will have good results with this but you could of just bought some liquid extract or just used dme and no can because that's all the can is and if its old then that's the real down side to using liquid extract unlike dried . Also not using kits mean you buy good yeast unlike most kit yeasts which are chosen for long shelf life etc and not for best beer etc ,
Hope its a good 1 .

 

[daddy day care]

I bought the can first They were half price in Tesco.

It was only after that I read the reviews of it. That's why I posted on here about improving it and was given the recipe above.

I appreciate what you say about the yeast. I did use the kit one but rehydrated it first.

Next brew will be AG, probably BIAB. I am in the process of building a boiler from a FV. Just need to put the hop filter in and test it. Then I can work out any losses from boiling, etc before I start.

Thanks for the comments.

Andy

 

[daddy day care]

Just finished bottling this.


Untitled by Andy Miszkiel, on Flickr

52 330ml bottles.

Gravity ended up at 1011.

Andy

 

[DamageCase]

I'm surprised the gravity only came to 1043 with all those extra fermentables, the standard geordie kits must have not much malt in them at all.

 

[Stagefever]

how did it turn out? as I`m making slight variation of karakota common beer, just wondering what your results were? in my fermenter starting gravity was 1.051 and currently ending at 1.008.
Was it drinkable, as the sample I took from the fermenter was very promising.


Regards,

S.

 

[Notlaw]

how did it turn out? as I`m making slight variation of karakota common beer, just wondering what your results were? in my fermenter starting gravity was 1.051 and currently ending at 1.008.
Was it drinkable, as the sample I took from the fermenter was very promising.


Regards,

S.

The user hasn't posted in over 3 years... we might get an answer, but I hope you aren't counting on it. :mrgreen:

 

[chub1]

I also jumped in on the Tesco sale with three kits(have been doing some extract brews since, one of which is now drinkeable and so far is way better than any of my kit brews) one a Geordie bitter. Interested how this turns out, let us know please.

 

[klaus]

I have never found a Tesco which has an HB section.....
Anyway, I use these small cans to maintain a base stock of "everyday drinking" beers. I brew to 10-12 litres only giving a reasonable body, Safale S04. Did the Geordie YB the other week. Still maturing. SG about 1.040 - FG 1.008 about 4%. I think the Geordie cans are £12 at Wilko.

 

[chub1]

I have never found a Tesco which has an HB section.....
Anyway, I use these small cans to maintain a base stock of "everyday drinking" beers. I brew to 10-12 litres only giving a reasonable body, Safale S04. Did the Geordie YB the other week. Still maturing. SG about 1.040 - FG 1.008 about 4%. I think the Geordie cans are �£12 at Wilko.

Tesco is Online/click and collect
Just punch in home brew to their website

 

[Stagefever]

theres currently some stuff on discount in Wilkos, I think it was Coopers lager and some other stuff.

By the way today bottled the Karakota variation, Ill report after a while how it turned out.

Sorry for the crappy quality of pictures, were taken in hurry.

 

[Stagefever]

tasted first bottle 18 days after bottling.
I must say I`m pretty impressed with result so far, It definitely tastes much better than regular cheap 1 can ale kit.
I used Willamette hops and they are giving very fresh fruity notes, I will wait a couple weeks more before popping the next one open.
Will I make the recipe again - yes if I get Geordie bitter on sale!