Want to experiment with Cooper's Dark Ale for Xmas

[captain_dan]

Hi there,

I have a Cooper's Dark Ale kit I have been meaning to experiment with for a while now.

This is my first foray into adding things to such a kit, to change the flavour, etc., and I have spent the afternoon searching for how best to add more to the beer. I don't have access to a LHBS, and wanted to do this perhaps tomorrow while i'm off from work.

The information I have found on how to add things has been contradictory, and I would like to know if the following (perhaps not all together) sound like the correct way to go about adding additional things:

1: Adding honey: 1 jar of honey, heated to 80'C for 30 mins (to kill any other yeasts), allowed to cool, and added to primary after first week so simple sugars aren't eaten before malt sugars.

2: Adding treacle or golden syrup: 150g treacle/tin of golden syrup, added to primary when adding the kit to boiling water. Not too much treacle if using that.

3: Adding cinnamon stick(s) or orange peel: wash, then boil in a little water to kill bacteria, add to primary at beginning with the malt kit.

Do i have the wrong idea about #3? I am not sure if adding orange peel or cinnamon will do anything to the flavour? (at this stage)

Any ideas on things I could buy from the supermarket tomorrow to add to this kit would be much appreciated. I already have brewers sugar, but am also thinking about brown sugar? I am brewing 5 gallons of Wherry in addition to this, incase it isn't liked at xmas

Thanks in advance! :

 

[RobWalker]

whatever syrups you use, just chuck boiling water over, they're just like sugar.

orange peel is usually boiled for about 20 mins, cinnamon can be too, but you may find you have more control if you steep it in after fermentation :thumb:

 

[captain_dan]

Okay, cool. So I shouldn't bother with anything while setting up the primary this afternoon, and instead wait for about a week or so for the main bulk of fermentation to have taken place? Gives the yeasties something to look forward to!

As for combinations of flavours with a dark ale, how does:

1 - Cinnamon and honey
- or -
2 - Treacle and cinnamon
- or -
3 - Orange and honey

Sound to anyone?

If this is successful, I think it might encourage me to start experimenting with creating my own beer blends from scratch