Mister Sinister Recipe

Mar 04, 2021

Mister Sinister (20 Litres)

A winter brew is often dark and brooding, but you can take it to a whole new level and give a sinister edge by following our Recipe of the Month - Mister Sinister. A mix of dark, darker and the darkest of ingredients are used to make this sinister brew, which is a delicious blend of roasted coffee and dark chocolate with velvety sweet malt flavours balanced by a bitter finish. Sitting at around 7.2% ABV, this stoutish brew really "packs a punch"!

Ingredients

1.7kg Coopers Dark Ale
1.5kg Dark Malt Extract
Dextrose Corn Sugar
300g Roasted Barley
2 x 11.5g Lager yeast S-23

Features:

Colour: Black
Body: Heavy
Bitterness: Medium
Approx. Alcohol Level: 7.2%
Naturally Carbonated: Natural

Background

A mix of dark, darker and the darkest of ingredients are used to make this sinister brew, which is a delicious blend of roasted coffee and dark chocolate with velvety sweet malt flavours balanced by a bitter finish. Sitting at around 7.2% ABV, this stoutish brew really “packs a punch”!

The instructions detail a cold steeping method for the Roasted Barley. This technique can reduce the handling of hot ingredients whilst potentially drawing less tannin from the grain husks. Most brewing specialist stores offer cracked grain or you can crack it yourself by placing in a plastic zip-lock sandwich bag and using a rolling pin.

Instructions:

STEP 1: The day before

Line a pot (at least 4 litres) with a mesh cleaning cloth (pulled straight from the pack), then add the cracked grain and 2 litres of cold water. Fit the lid and sit in the fridge for 24hrs.

Remove from the fridge then gather up the corners of the mesh cloth and lift, allowing the liquid to drain from the grains back into the pot.

Place the strained liquid onto the stovetop, bring to the boil then remove from the heat. Cool the liquid by placing pot in a bath of cold water for about 15mins.

Add all the fermentable ingredients and the cooled liquid to the Fermenting Vessel then stir to dissolve.

Top up with cold tap water to the 15 litre mark, stir thoroughly.

Check the temperature and top up to the 20 litre mark with warm or cool water (refrigerated if necessary) to start the brew at 18C.

Sprinkle the dry yeast or stir in liquid yeast and fit the lid.

STEP 2: Brew

After 24hrs, allow the brew temperature to gradually draw down to as close to 13C as possible.Fermentation has finished once the specific gravity is stable over 2 days. It should finish around the 1008 – 1012 mark.

Bottle the brew with a priming rate of 8g per litre (2 carbonation drops per 750ml bottle)..

STEP 3: Bottle

Store the bottles at or above 18C for at least two weeks to allow the secondary fermentation to take place. Having been fermented with lager yeast, it may take a week or two longer to achieve sufficient carbonation.

STEP 4: Enjoy!

Expect the alcohol content to be around 7.2% ABV.