DZello
Active Member
I was ready for my third batch and I'm tired of Cooper's can. I already made a Real Ale and a Draught. It was time to move on and leave my Australian friend I also wanted a fresher kit because the Draught I've made tasted sugar, the hop acid and aroma were gone.
I don't have the equipment and the space to go all grain so I choose a Belgian extract kit from my favorite LHBS, La Cachette du Bootlegger (at Baie d'Urfée, near Montréal).
The kit is stored in a fridge at the store and comes with a Coopers yeast + a bag of coriander/orange peel. It's probably fresher than a cheap metal can so I bought it with a case of EZ Cap bottle (I love them!).
After opening the small pail, I saw some hop on the top of the extract. Don't know what sort it is but I will ask the clerk next time I go there. I don't know his name but he was very helpful and friendly (it's important when you're a newbie like me!).
The smell was incredible when I opened the cover:
The little bag of adjuvent that comes with it:
Smells good! Boiling the wort:
Instructions are simple: Boil the wort for 5 minutes, add content of the bag at the last 3 minutes and strain it when moving it to the primary. Pitch the yeast when temp is below 29 degree celcius (84 fahrenheit), 20-22 degrees is recommended.
This part of the instruction was not easy... The temperature of wort combined with 10 liters of water was over 86 degrees ! I tried to cool it down by putting my pail in the bath. I also tried to reduce the temp by putting the raking tube in another pail full of cool water.
I decided to pitch the yeast, turn AC on and put a fan next my carboy. The temp is now near 75 degree and I think everything is gonna be alright (I've read Papazian's books) ! Probably taste is gonna be a little more fruity than with a lower temperature but for this type of beer, I don't think it'll cause any problem. The temp will lower and the yeasties are going to have some fun! :rockin:
I'll keep you informed. I've never saw a review of a kit made by this store and I think it can be useful to post something about it here. There's not many posts from people near Montreal.
And sorry for my English, it's not my main language.
I don't have the equipment and the space to go all grain so I choose a Belgian extract kit from my favorite LHBS, La Cachette du Bootlegger (at Baie d'Urfée, near Montréal).
The kit is stored in a fridge at the store and comes with a Coopers yeast + a bag of coriander/orange peel. It's probably fresher than a cheap metal can so I bought it with a case of EZ Cap bottle (I love them!).
After opening the small pail, I saw some hop on the top of the extract. Don't know what sort it is but I will ask the clerk next time I go there. I don't know his name but he was very helpful and friendly (it's important when you're a newbie like me!).
The smell was incredible when I opened the cover:
The little bag of adjuvent that comes with it:
Smells good! Boiling the wort:
Instructions are simple: Boil the wort for 5 minutes, add content of the bag at the last 3 minutes and strain it when moving it to the primary. Pitch the yeast when temp is below 29 degree celcius (84 fahrenheit), 20-22 degrees is recommended.
This part of the instruction was not easy... The temperature of wort combined with 10 liters of water was over 86 degrees ! I tried to cool it down by putting my pail in the bath. I also tried to reduce the temp by putting the raking tube in another pail full of cool water.
I decided to pitch the yeast, turn AC on and put a fan next my carboy. The temp is now near 75 degree and I think everything is gonna be alright (I've read Papazian's books) ! Probably taste is gonna be a little more fruity than with a lower temperature but for this type of beer, I don't think it'll cause any problem. The temp will lower and the yeasties are going to have some fun! :rockin:
I'll keep you informed. I've never saw a review of a kit made by this store and I think it can be useful to post something about it here. There's not many posts from people near Montreal.
And sorry for my English, it's not my main language.