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.