Please say it is ok?!

[alanywiseman.]

Started a coopers irsh stout on sunday night. I decided to try and make a strong chocolate variety so went with 2 cans of the extract, 1kg brewing sugar, 1kg dark spraymalt and 700g cocoa powder. The cocoa powder and spraymalt were boiled for 15 minutes before adding to the FV with the other ingredients. Then I waited.......

I could not wait to see the monster that the coopers Irish stout becomes trying to burst out my FV. I checked it daily because if it got loose my OH would not be happy :evil: . But sadly nothing really happened. Worried that the fight I was so looking forward to was not going to happen I decided to have a closer inspection and saw....

This was not what I expected. There is definetly fermentation happening but is the lack of delightful foam that crowns my brews a sign of infection?

Any and all advice would be much appreciated.

 

[jonnymorris]

How long has it been going and at what temp?

 

[alanywiseman.]

It was started on Sunday night so just over 48 hours. The temperature has been about 17C. I would have expected the formation of the krausen by now was all. :pray:

I just feel a bit diappointed. I imagine it would be a similar feeling to how Rocky Balboa would have felt had he gone throught all that gruling training and then never got to fight Irvan Drago (Dolph Lundgren)!

ok maybe it is not the same but its similar

 

[calumscott]

I wouldn't worry just yet.

You have a *very* potent wort there and the addition of cocoa is interesting...

17 degrees isn't really very warm either.

A straight brew for me will usually get to the foam-monster stage after about 60 hours and my brews usually sit around the 20-21 mark.

I say sit tight, something is definitely starting! It could just be the combination of OG + interesting extras from the cocoa + temp that's causing a bit of a lag.

If it does go balistic though I wouldn't expect to contain it with that amount of fermentibles!

Keep us posted - this could get funny... :lol:

 

[alanywiseman.]

Thanks for the reasurance/fear! I will keep you posted with how it goes. I have attached a tube out of the lid to a bottle of water in an empty FV so hopefully that will redirect the monster when it decides to rise :pray:

If not I am going to be in big trouble from my OH :evil: , I could always try and blame it on the dog though :whistle:

 

[alanywiseman.]

My brew is now on day 5 and is not looking much better!

It is smelling great but does the lack of a krausen formation mean that the wort was not aerated enough? Is it possible sign of infection? And should I expect a longer fermentation time or a possible stuck fermentation at some point?

Sorry for the paranoia, was really looking forward to this brew.

 

[evanvine]

Stop looking for problems, your brew is perfectly ok, just leave it alone and covered!

 

[alanywiseman.]

Thanks for the gentle words of encouragement.

I will leave it be for another week or so before testing the gravity.

 

[evanvine]

Thanks for the gentle words of encouragement.

Sorry about that, I do tend to beat about the bush!

 

[Fender Precision]

Wowsers, what a brew. The OG must have been pretty hefty. I would think that the yeast is just having a hard time getting stuck into all those fermentables. Hopefully a little time will sort it out. I think you went a bit OTT with the 2 cans and the sugar and the spraymalt. It may take a lot longer than usual to ferment out fully but hopefully youll be able to sell it to NASA - as ROCKET FUEL !! :rofl:

 

[BrewDan]

You didn't happen to take any gravity readings did you? I think I would agree with what someone else mentioned...may have gone a bit OTT with the fermentables, anyway,forget about it for a while and see what happens, I should think this one will need a fair bit of time.

 

[Walker]

won't it be massively bitter with 2 kit cans of stout? i mean the kit can plus a can of extract yes, but 2 cans of hopped extract in i assume 23 litres or less, i always thought that was a no-go due to the double bitterness..?

anyway i'm glad it's fermenting, i'm sure it will make real beer and i'm sure you'll drink it! my less good attempts all got drunk, even the massive evil call a priest fart brew that is my h&b malt extract test beer

 

[pittsy]

i would of thought 1 can , no sugar 1kg spray malt and your coco powder ,would of been about right (is the extract can a 1.8kg ?) and your 2nd can + 1kg of sugar is enough for a 2nd batch and only some brews have mega foam , most don't . rule number 1 leave alone and don't take lid off , the amount of crap in the air than might get in cuz lifting lid off is the real danger , on a sunny day and you get the suns rays in a room you see all the bits floating in the air ! those floating bits are always there and each time you take the lid off to peek .... and btw it looks totally normal/fine

 

[pittsy]

my less good attempts all got drunk, even the massive evil call a priest fart brew that is my h&b malt extract test beer

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

 

[Walker]

actually, assuming cocoa is non fermentable, and assuming a total of 23 litres, you have probably an OG 1.085 and an FG of potentially 1.019, meaning an ABV of ~9.5 %

it will have a lot of body, and will be seriously bitter if you did indeed use 2 stout kit cans as opposed to one kit and one extract, it will require a lot of time to condition

if it seems undrinkable after fermentation how about sweetening it with something unfermentable before racking off?

i guess this will take some time to ferment, the only thing i'd worry about is flavour to be honest, i'd correct flavour as stated then let condition until xmas when epic brews are more the norm! good luck and hats off to you for being so brave :thumb:

 

[Walker]

going out on a limb here but, if it were me and i were worried about undrinkable bitterness (after all i could be all wrong about using 2 kit cans of stout in 23l being too bitter), i would no splash siphon it off into 2 new vessels, then siphon into each tepid bottled or preboiled water up to 23l, then you would get the 2 brews from the 2 kits, both of ~5% and not too bitter to swamp the cocoa flavour

better brewers than me might have other ideas about this brew of yours though, but thats all my thinking on it, thanks for sharing by the way! fascinating really

 

[aneray]

I made a two can stout a while age with the help of Muddydisco. At the time I wish I had made more.

See the topic below.

viewtopic.php?f=36&t=6446

I wouldn't worry about how many fermentables you are using, you should get a decent pint at around 9.5%. Did you really use 700g of cocao powder, that really does seem a hell of a lot.

Mature it for at least two months before trying. Its very, very heavy so one should be enough !!!

Cheers Neil

 

[Walker]

some interesting and encouraging stuff there! not just for the OP

i love the coopers stout too, i dont think i would like that much bitterness but i'd love to try one of someone else's 2can stout so i could be sure, i've been told before it's way too bitter, i'm intrigued now though, only one thing for it i 'spose

 

[aneray]

Seriously mate, its not bitter at all. It does need a lot of conditioning but what a pint it is.

If you ever make it, try eating the krausen like MD suggested. With the addition of the coffee it tastes so much like a cappuccino. It has to be one of the best beers that I have ever made.

Now that the topic has come up again, its got me wondering whether to make another :hmm:

 

[alanywiseman.]

The lid is firmly in place and not moving for a month. I based this brew on MDs two can coffee stout he did. I just wanted to make mine chocolatey and I don't like to do things by half measures

The plan is to let in mature for a minimum of 2 months but aiming for 4. After it has matured I could send a bottle or two to you walker?