Brew Enhancer 2 v Dex

[Nick1525230277]

Hi all,

I just put 2 brews down, both the Coopers Cerveza Extract Kits. One i used 1kg of Dex and the other i used Coopers Brew Enhancer 2.

The brew with the Dex has been bubbling away nicely at about 20-22C for about 5 days and the one with Brew Enhancer 2 has done nothing under the same conditions.

Both extract kits were purchased at the same time from the same store.

Any suggestions why the BE2 brew is not doing anything?

Cheers

Nick

[Otto Von Blotto]

Maybe it's finished, sometimes they don't show much visual activity. Test the gravity on them and see where they're at. 1kg is an awful lot of dextrose though, that one will be like water.

[PB2]

Any chance you are using fermenting vessels fitted with an airlock?

[Nick1525230277]

Yes I am using 23 litre fermenters with airlocks.

The one on the left is on a heat pad but haven't needed to use it as room temp has been about 20-22C not doing anything.....the one on the right has been bubbling for days

btw what do you mean when you say it would be like water. i am relatively new to brewing do keen to learn.

[YeastyBoy]

Both look as though something is happening. Both with/had foam on top?

New FV that has not been used before? Is the non bubbling (airlocked)  beer barrel seal working, in other words leaking through the lid? Give the lid a bit of twist tighter?

Rule number 1 - Don't Panic.

[Nick1525230277]

Thanks mate.

Will check,

by using BE2 with only 500gms of fermentable sugar and the rest malto dex and ldm, would this reduce the %alcohol of the end product.?

[Greenyinthewestofsydney]

What kelsey meant was because dextrose ferments out completely it thins the beer right out using a lot of dextrose. Saying that a cerveza is pretty thin anyway. Personally i would have went something like 400gm of malt and 600gm dextrose but you will still get a beer you can drink.

[Otto Von Blotto]

Ldm ferments as well, just not as much as straight dextrose, which is why it leaves a bit of malt flavor and body in the beer, where dextrose ferments out completely leaving nothing but alcohol. It's only the maltodextrin that is unfermentable. 

Greeny covered what I was getting at regarding the excessive dextrose. I'd agree it is a style of beer where the usual negative impact of that much dextrose wouldn't be as bad. 

As for airlocks, you have just learnt a good lesson. They're unreliable for determining fermentation activity. I have two of those fermenters, the first of which the airlock never bubbled once, except on one batch for some reason. You're better off ignoring them and going by other visual guides such as foam on top and condensation on the underside of the lid. The best way though is taking hydrometer readings.

Also, don't put heat pads directly under the fermenter. It just heats the yeast and trub in the bottom. At this time of year you shouldn't even need heating anyway.

[Nick1525230277]

Thanks heaps for all the advice. I really appreciate it.

Cheers