Ideas for a different Dark Ale

[Brownie]

Hey all,

I am looking at doing another Dark Ale, but with a difference, not something way out there, but not your standard Dark Ale, and not a Stout either.

Currently have the following ingredients:

1 x Can Coopers Dark Ale
Safale S-04 Yeast
1Kg Coopers Brew Enhancer 2
Dark Brown Sugar
300g LDME
Tea Bag Fuggles Hops
Tea Bag Goldings Hops.

Not limited to these ingredients, but due to time constraints and such like was going to explore using any grains this time around.

Whilst the above ingredients would make an OK Dark Ale, and I have made a few before and the last was a good one IMHO (http://www.homebrewandbeer.com/forum/vi ... t=dark+ale)

So any thoughts about other ingredients to add or styles to clone with at least the above ingredients, something Belgiumy or German or whatever.

Look forward to any ideas.

Cheers

Brownie

[Trough Lolly]

G'day Brownie,
Are you willing to add some grains to the recipe? I'd recommend steeping some grains or even doing a mini mash to bring some fresh grain flavour to the final product. Anyone can brew a dark ale and call it a brown ale or porter or stout, but a really good dark ale with have a pleasant grainy flavour profile that's balanced by hop bitterness and flavour. And I'm not all that sure that the tea bags of hops will deliver the goods...
My recommendation is to steep a grain bag holding 250g of light (not pale) crystal along with 250g of Caramunich II in 4L of cold water and slowly bring the pot to 70C, stirring regularily to avoid scorching the grain bag - make sure the bag isn't left still in the pot or you may not fully extract the sugars from the grains. Lift the grain bag out of pot and drizzle another litre or two of hot (not boiling) water to rinse the sugars out. Then boil the 6L of sweet liqour with 20g of fresh Goldings / Fuggles / Hallertauer pellets, cool and add that to the fermenter to give the brew a real kick along with the kit and BE2. Don't boil the kit - it was already done by the maltster and all you'd be doing is knocking out some flavour and hop aromas.

Cheers,
TL

[KEG]

you mentioned belgium, and here's the first thing i thought of

http://www.homebrewandbeer.com/forum/vi ... php?t=7076

it's a STRONG dark ale though, mine has finished around 9.75%. the only thing i'd change if i was to make it again, would be to closely control the temperature with that yeast, keeping it at the low end. it's got wonderful character, but it's a little high on the fusel alcohols. it fermented a fair few degrees warmer than i hoped for though.

[petesbrew]

Made this one a year ago
Lord Vaders Darth Ale
Coopers Dark Ale
Brew Enhancer 2 (+ 80g of leftover dextrose)
250g Choc Grain (30min steep in coffee plunger)
20g Goldings (steeped for 10min)
Kit yeast

Didn't bother boiling this one.
Turned out unreal. Very chocolatey.
I racked it for a week with some gelatin finings due to the odd bits of grain.

[Peter Bradshaw]

Brownie,

I recently did a One Can Coopers Bitter with Half Cup steeped Crystal and made it to 11 litres. That' all, nothing else. I had read on here that it was well bittered, so no extra hops.

I know it isn't Belgiumy or the like, but even though young, this is already quite impressive.

So maybe a TwoCan. I know I will.

Cheers, Pete

[Old Gil]

Hey petesbrew, what volume did you make your recipie to, it sounds nice i might give it a go

[petesbrew]

Swainy, it was filled to 23L.

[drsmurto]

My last dark ale and the one the mates rave about

1 tin Lager (i used a blackrock tin cos it was laying around - sub with any)
1 kg LDME
200 g choc malt
50 g black patent
250 g light crystal
250 g dark crystal
15 g POR @ 30 mins
20 g Fuggles @ 15 mins
20 g Fuggles @ flameout
Safale S-04

I would make this to 20L, its not a strong dark ale, prob around the 4-4.5% mark. Damn tasty tho. It will be the basis of my next dark ale only AG equiv.