Next Brew. Do as is?

I have the ingredients for an All Malt Amber, should I do it as is or should I add for better flavor?

1.5 lb Hopped Amber extract
2 lbs coopers light DME
1 oz cascade

OG 1.042
FG 1.10
bittering units 13.0

Thanks....

If you really want to up the flavor a little bit on both the malt and hop ends, I might recommend the following:

Add 1 lb. crystal malt (steep in 150-160 degree water for 30 mins)

Add 1 oz. of Cascade (add the first 1 oz. at the beginning of your hour long boil, and the last 1 oz. in the last 2 minutes of your boil.)

A couple simple improvements that could really enhance the body and flavor of your beer. If you're not sure of anything, please feel free to ask.

1/2 lb of Victory or Biscuit malt might be nice instead of the Crystal.

Thanks....It is a kit and I bought it before I knew better....After listening to all of you, I figured it would be a bit flat, but wanted to make it since I had it. I figured there must be a way to kick it up

Does it tell you what kind of hops are in the in extract? Those pre-hopped extracts seem wierd to me.

Its put out by Muntons, but unfortunately all it says is"Carefully blended with choicest English hops"

A case of I wish I knew more before I bought it

This may be a dumb question....Do you think there may be something I have laying around the house that might be good and make fora unique beer?

NYeric said:

This may be a dumb question....Do you think there may be something I have laying around the house that might be good and make fora unique beer?

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hard to say with out know what you have laying around the house...

The likely answer is yes.

brewt00l said:

hard to say with out know what you have laying around the house...

The likely answer is yes.

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You know I fully expected that very answer...Thanks for not letting me down

How 'bout anything that I might pick up at my local market

NYeric said:

You know I fully expected that very answer...Thanks for not letting me down

How 'bout anything that I might pick up at my local market

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Depends on what you are looking to do, you might want to be more specific. There are recipes for brews containing all sorts of spices, fruits, extracts, sweets, vegis, flora and fauna, flavorings and so on.

edit: check through some of these...there are more than a few with some interesting ingredients

http://www.stoutbillys.com/stout/RECIPENS.htm

Thats the problem...I am not sure what might go well with the ingredients that came with the kit, but I would like to add something for flavor and a lil' kick in the ABV....

Light brown Sugar? Would that make it too sweet? Frozen Fruit? Anything I am up for any ideas

NYeric said:

Thats the problem...I am not sure what might go well with the ingredients that came with the kit, but I would like to add something for flavor and a lil' kick in the ABV....

Light brown Sugar? Would that make it too sweet? Frozen Fruit? Anything I am up for any ideas

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In that case, experiment...that's part of the fun of concocting your own recipes for me. Look over some of the recipes for ideas and modify to fit what you have accordingly.

You could throw some pumpkin and spices in there, gonna make a big trub though and might lose some beer, maybe a half gallon or so.

brewt00l said:

In that case, experiment...that's part of the fun of concocting your own recipes for me. Look over some of the recipes for ideas and modify to fit what you have accordingly.

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Yea Thanks for that link....I book marked it and gave it a quick glance. I see some future brews in there for sure!

Get some more malt extract in there to up the abv. Or dextrose or honey are always good options.

I was thinking of putting in a pound of brown sugar....what would that do. Would it add a good flavor?

Would add some ABV I think, probably not tooo much flavor though.

seefresh said:

Would add some ABV I think, probably not tooo much flavor though.

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Add more? Or am I headed in a direction that might lead to some bad brew?

NYeric said:

Add more? Or am I headed in a direction that might lead to some bad brew?

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a fairly safe bet is to look at how other recipes use the ingredient in question...then adapt to your recipe and tastes.

OK I know all you experienced brewers are cringing at these questions....

....So I decided to make the recipe and add 1.5 lbs of brown sugar during the boil. I have no idea what it will do, I just hope it makes it better.

I would stick with a more basic brew before playing with exotic ingredients. Not that you shouldn't do it because of skill level or anything like that, but it'll be way easier for you to learn exactly what particular grains or hops or yeasts do. If you can eliminate some of the variables you can work on dialing in your skills, knowledge, and brewsystem. Make a good base beer, then mess around with wormwood and orange peel to your hearts delight.

NYeric said:

OK I know all you experienced brewers are cringing at these questions....

....So I decided to make the recipe and add 1.5 lbs of brown sugar during the boil. I have no idea what it will do, I just hope it makes it better.

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It should be fine. The sugar will just up the abv. Some people say sucrose imparts a cidery flavor, I don't know as I've never used it.

Yeah, I've used sugar once and it seemed to make the beer have a cidery taste. I will never do it again, unless it's only to help ferment a big beer. I'd use malt to boost the ABV.

keep the sugar at less than ten percent of the total grist and you will be fine. corn sugar will give no flavor, just abv, use candi sugar(belgian) or turbanido(cane) for some color and a splash of flavor and you'll be fine.

imho, the poo poo on using sugar in brews comes from the **** kits that have you dumping too much into the wort. a pound or so in a five gallon batch will not hurt you.

yeah, in the mix is probably fine, but don't use corn sugar for bottling. that stuff is FTL. Especially if it doesn't ferment out all the way, it adds a horrible taste. I've forbidden it's use in my kitchen altogether.

besides, there's too much corn sugar in everything you eat already.