A Winter Warmer

I obtained this recipie from Oliver and Geoff's Homebrew and Beer forum, courtesy of a fine fellow know only as Yardglass.

Coopers Ginger Beer Kit
Coopers Brew Enhancer #2
Grated Fresh Ginger 300gm
Lemon Zest & Juice
Ground Nutmeg 1 tbsp
Brown Sugar 2 tbsp
Golden Syrup 2 tbsp
Ginger Pwdr 3 tbsp
Honey 2 tbsp
Cloves 2
Cinnamon 2'' stick
Safale Yeast

Brewing Notes
Add CBE & Fresh Ginger to 2lt of water and bring to boil.
Boil for 20min.
While this is boiling, hydrate Nutmeg, Ginger Pwdr, Brown sugar in a cup of hot water.
@ 20min add the hydrated ingredients along with Honey, Gldn Syrup and Lemon Zest.
Boil for further 10min.
@ 30min add Kit, Cloves, Cinnamon and Lemon Juice.
Boil for further 10min.
@ 40min flame out and strain into sanitised primary, top up to 23lt, pitch yeast.

I briefly toyed with the idea of adding the kilo bag of sugar i found in my cupboard here at uni, but decided against it. But I do have a sneaking suspicion that i added the spare 500g of dextrose i had lying around. Should've added more.

After about a day i realised i hadn't added a yeast nutrient pack, so i dumped an old yeast pack in some very bloody hot water, and tipped it all in. Seems to have helped, its still going today (Thurs 31st May) and I put it on about a week and a half ago.

Tasting Notes:
I've really got to up my game. Bloody thing got infected. I suspect it may have been alright if i had bottled it straight away when it finished. Lot of money down the drain there.

Having said that though, i feel like quite the dill, twas but a tad of yeast that made me question said brew. It will be bottled shortly, in grolsh swing-tops no less. Quite the young cad I do say what.

1/11 Well this brew was finished months ago, but I feel I must say a few words on its account. A dem fine brew it was, though some bottles were a cut above and some a cut below. When I do it again I will try for less body and more spice. Should be nice.

Coopers Pale Ale

The first foray into hops and specialty grains.

Coopers Pale Ale Kit
Coopers Brew Enhancer #2
750gr LDME
150gr Crystal Malt
15gr Cascade for 30mins
10gr Cascade for 10 mins
Kit yeast and another i pinched from a Ginger
Beer kit, which is the next project.

Brewing Notes:
Boiled Water, added Crystal and bittering hops
for at 30mins, then stirred in malt and brew
enhancer over the next 10 mins, added flavouring
hops at 10 mins and the kit at flameout. I really
dunno if this is going to work, I got a bit worried
and stopped the boil halfway through, which I'm
not at all sure was a good idea. Meh, see what
happens. The fermenter was missing its airlock
so I used some gladwrap. Hope it works.

Bottling Notes:
Bottled with the able assistance of Felix Denartris, Esq.

Tasting Notes:
28th May 2007: been in the bottle about two weeks, and boy is this a tasty beer. hops definitely to the fore, with a slight malty sweetness. Chicks seem to like it too, which could be a bonus, but it could also mean its days are numbered. Next time I'll try for a tad more body and a tad more hop flavour and aroma. Perhaps 10g more cascade or 10g Amarillo at 10 minutes, and a tad at flameout. We shall see.

2 July 2007: I did try it many a time in the month and a bit between this date and the previous tasting, so much so that the only bottles left were the four stubbies I gave my girlfriend's dad, and a longneck which is still in my cupboard. However, I can only remember that it tasted dam good; all particulars tended to disappear into the haze that characterises any night spent on the dram at college. But, based on the four aforementioned stubbies, it is still a dam good drop, and one that I will definitely make again. However, it seems to have been at its best early on, and whilst it didn't get a great deal worse, it is certainly not a brew to leave in the cellar for 5 years. But with more hops and more malt it could be. Perhaps that is a thing to try in the future.