Muntons IPA bitter

[JohanTheMighty]

I have a can of Munton's Connoisseur's IPA Bitter and quite a bit of leftover DME from a time before I started partial mashing/ordering kits online, but which I'd like to use because... hey, I paid for it. I figured I'd lay out my plan for it and then voice my concerns before requesting your expertise.

I was thinking for the IPA, I'd do an hour long boil and over the course of the entire boil add about 5 ounces of Chinook hops. I'm not necessarily shooting for an Arrogant Bastard clone here, it's an extract kit after all, but I am going for a little of that AB character. I intend to brew it as a 4-gallon batch, and add 6 pounds of light/extra light DME... which should put me close, maybe a touch over the 7.2% mark that is AB.

My main concern is about boiling, as this is a "no boil" kit and I've heard it will make the flavor very bitter (I actually like bitter, but I wonder if they mean like, a "bad" bitter). Is that right? Also, as stupid as this may sound, can I do the hour long boil with just the hops and the DME and then add the Muntons at the end?

Should I go all DME as I planned, or should I substitute some corn sugar for some of it? My whole rationale for using all DME is just to use up what I have, but I wonder if that would make it too malty.

As for my yeast, I have some really good 11-gram yeast packs I bought a few months ago, not even close to expired, for use in American ales, and boasting an ABV tolerance of 11%. I have 4 but I figured two would be good.

Does this sound solid, or should I just make the product as instructed and figure something else out for all the leftover DME?

 

[clone63]

I wouldn't bother boiling the kit. Just the dme and hope otherwise the little hop aroma and flavour in that kit would be toast. As for "too malty", I wouldn't worry since youre adding extra hops to kit and cutting it back in volume.

Edit: I just read 6 lbs dme.. Maybe a little much.

 

[slym2none]

If you are brewing a 4-gallon batch, one pack of dry yeast will be enough. Those packs can ferment 6 gallons of beer.

 

[JohanTheMighty]

Slym, I was under the impression that for higher ABV beers I need to use more yeast. This will be only 4 gallons, but it will be at 7.2%, so that's why I figured two. Am I wrong in my assumption?

 

[McGarnigle]

You'll be OK with just one yeast packet. You can check here:

http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html

 

[slym2none]

Slym, I was under the impression that for higher ABV beers I need to use more yeast. This will be only 4 gallons, but it will be at 7.2%, so that's why I figured two. Am I wrong in my assumption?

Yeah, one pack of yeast will still be fine. The standard 11.5g pack of yeast will ferment 6 gallons of 1.050 wort with no problem. Your wort isn't that much stronger, and with it being only 2/3 the volume, the one pack should be fine.

 

[Calder]

If you want to use the kit, add the hopped extract at flame out (after removing pot from heat).

1 pack of yeast will be fine.

I like IPAs a little drier, so would use a pound of table sugar in place of one of the pounds of DME.

 

[JohanTheMighty]

I was reading online that if I boil the hops in water without any malt that I'll end up with a nasty "hop tea" and that it would be better to use some of the malt during the boil. If I intend to do a late malt addition. So, I can boil the hops with the DME, being as that's a dry malt extract, and then just add the Munton's after the boil, is that correct?

 

[McGarnigle]

I was reading online that if I boil the hops in water without any malt that I'll end up with a nasty "hop tea" and that it would be better to use some of the malt during the boil. If I intend to do a late malt addition. So, I can boil the hops with the DME, being as that's a dry malt extract, and then just add the Munton's after the boil, is that correct?

Yes! You need something in there (the unhopped DME) with the hops, but you should hold off on the pre-hopped Munton's until the end.

 

[JohanTheMighty]

Thanks a bunch, y'all. I appreciate all the input. It's obviously going to be a few weeks before I have any word on the finished product, but I wanted to say that I do appreciate everything. I'm going to boil the hops and the DME for the hour, and remove from the heat before adding the malt from the kit.

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