Father's Day Presents - How to Use?

My kids got me several home brewing related gifts for Father's Day. I have questions about a couple of them.

1. Root Beer extract. The directions are pretty clear. I also have read enough here to know to keep it away from my fermenter and any other equipment I want to use for beer.

2. Briess Chocolate Malt. It is not crushed so it will keep pretty well. I have some ideas for this - perhaps as part of a nut brown ale.

3. Apricot Flavoring - this appears to be made specifically for beer and wine by LD Carlson. My daughter wondered if I could make a wheat beer with this as flavoring. That actually sounds pretty good. If I wanted a non-overpowering apricot flavor, how much should I use? And when in the process - bottling?

4. Muntons Irish Stout Kit. The kit has hopped malt extract and yeast. It calls for added sugar - 2kg. My first thought would be to replace the sugar with DME. Should I use the same amount of DME as sugar? Does it need to be boiled? The can says it has a bitterness of 50-60 EBUs. How does that translate to IBUs? If I use the DME should I also add some hops to that boil?

Thanks

What, no tie?

As to question # 4... a pound for pound swap of the dme for sugar is fine.

1. Root Beer extract. The directions are pretty clear. I also have read enough here to know to keep it away from my fermenter and any other equipment I want to use for beer.

I had one of these, didn't turn out so well. I did however get the keg it was in clean and free of any "rootbeer" flavor. Not sure why people get so freaky over rootbeer as almost anything can be cleaned. I do know the seals were harder to clean up the odor, so I just replaced them. *shrug*

2. Briess Chocolate Malt. It is not crushed so it will keep pretty well. I have some ideas for this - perhaps as part of a nut brown ale.

Do you have a mill by chance? I don't understand what your asking though. Yes it will keep for awhile in an airtight container stored in a cool place if thats what it was.

3. Apricot Flavoring - this appears to be made specifically for beer and wine by LD Carlson. My daughter wondered if I could make a wheat beer with this as flavoring. That actually sounds pretty good. If I wanted a non-overpowering apricot flavor, how much should I use? And when in the process - bottling?

It doesn't say on the bottle eh? Not sure on that, the one I got from Austin Homebrew you just toss into the keg when racking to it. Not sure how much is in it, but its not very big. And yes those are great for Hefe's even if I got some negative feedback on them from some guys on here. I dripped some in a commercial one to see how it tasted, it was pretty nice.

4. Muntons Irish Stout Kit. The kit has hopped malt extract and yeast. It calls for added sugar - 2kg. My first thought would be to replace the sugar with DME. Should I use the same amount of DME as sugar? Does it need to be boiled? The can says it has a bitterness of 50-60 EBUs. How does that translate to IBUs? If I use the DME should I also add some hops to that boil?

3/4 cup corn sugar = 1 1/4 cup DME -

DME is suppose to give a smoother character then sugar, but keep in mind it takes an extra week of carbonation to get to the same levels.

(quoted from "BREWDOG" from the "realbeer" forums) - not sure if he is a member here, but I give credit when its due!

Taipans said:

4. Muntons Irish Stout Kit. The kit has hopped malt extract and yeast. It calls for added sugar - 2kg. My first thought would be to replace the sugar with DME. Should I use the same amount of DME as sugar? Does it need to be boiled? The can says it has a bitterness of 50-60 EBUs. How does that translate to IBUs? If I use the DME should I also add some hops to that boil?

3/4 cup corn sugar = 1 1/4 cup DME -

DME is suppose to give a smoother character then sugar, but keep in mind it takes an extra week of carbonation to get to the same levels.

Click to expand...

First, you're right if the OP was asking about carbonation. I understand him to be asking about replacing of main fermentables. OP: For simplicity's sake, a 1:1 substitution is fine.

Second, EBU=IBU. The IBU range is on spec for a stout, methinks. Stouts can be highly bittered. If you add DME to the tinned LME, the IBU will naturally go down.

Third, if you don't want to futz around with adding or subtracting stuff, just do a half-batch with the tinned kit. You'll have a decent beer with exceedingly minimal effort. Do swap the yeast, though; I'd add the kit yeast to the brewkettle; it'll end up as a yeast nutrient for the good dried yeast you pick up from LHBS.

Cheers,

Bob

a buddy of mine just finished an apricot flavored lager. Did it the same way w/an apricot flavored addition at bottling time.

IMHO, it tasted better w/o the apricot, but I'm enjoying the few he gave me regardless.

IMHO #2: the chicks dig it.

1. yep just keep the stuff away from plastic/rubber seals and you'll be fine. the odor will come out of glass and metal with a good soaking.

3. do it at bottling, and just add some, then stir gently, taste, repeat. one bottle will do 5 gallons, to taste. I'd prolly start with a half bottle and work your way up from there.

BobNQ3X said:

First, you're right if the OP was asking about carbonation. I understand him to be asking about replacing of main fermentables. OP: For simplicity's sake, a 1:1 substitution is fine.

Second, EBU=IBU. The IBU range is on spec for a stout, methinks. Stouts can be highly bittered. If you add DME to the tinned LME, the IBU will naturally go down.

Third, if you don't want to futz around with adding or subtracting stuff, just do a half-batch with the tinned kit. You'll have a decent beer with exceedingly minimal effort. Do swap the yeast, though; I'd add the kit yeast to the brewkettle; it'll end up as a yeast nutrient for the good dried yeast you pick up from LHBS.

Cheers,

Bob

Click to expand...

Whoops, sorry about that! I looked around for the answer and didn't take that into consideration!

cyarnell said:

1. Root Beer extract. The directions are pretty clear. I also have read enough here to know to keep it away from my fermenter and any other equipment I want to use for beer.

Click to expand...

I have made root beer in the past and it was a big hit with everyone who tried it. Cream ale, also.

I will likely use a dedicated bucket for soda projects since I have an extra.

In the past I bottled them all in glass and none of them BTFU, but maybe I am just lucky. I think I will have the wife start saving her Dr Pepper plastic bottles and bottle the soda in those.