MASTER OF THE BREWNIVERSE!

[Tricky Micky]

10 hours ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

Hey Mick,

You would get a good result from the same recipe you mention above, but swap out the OS Coopers Lager for the European Lager.

 

Thanks Shamus O'Sean,

much appreciated mate.

[Tricky Micky]

5 hours ago, MUZZY said:

Hey Mick, don't let the home brew snobs get to you. CUB make some good beers. VB is one of them. (I'll just wait for the avalanche of ridicule now. Haha.) But a cold VB on a hot day is alright by me.
Go to the recipes page and check out Green Neck Lager. Very simple recipe and if you have temperature control for the ferment you'll make a bloody good home brew. The kit yeast is a lager yeast so you won't need to buy added yeast. By the way, it doesn't taste like VB.


Late edit: Here's the Green Neck link. It says 21 litres but I pad it out to 23 for two reasons:
1. It reduces the ABV to around 4.5%
2. I'm a tight@rse and I want my 30 bottles from my KnKs.  
https://www.diybeer.com/au/recipe/green-neck-lager.html

Cheers Muzzy,

And yes I've been a VB drinker most of my adult life, which has been a while now . Trying out this home brew thing whilst locked up in side the house in Victoria. Kids gave me a home brew kit from Mad Millies and I thought the 9 litres was not enough so I've decided to get into the Coopers fermenter size and products. I appreciate all the feedback I'm getting. So thanks for posting the Green Neck link mate. 

[Tricky Micky]

As a newbie just wondering as the weather warms up in Victoria can I substitute Saflager 34/70 with something like Saf US-05 for a lager brew?

[Hairy]

40 minutes ago, Mickep said:

As a newbie just wondering as the weather warms up in Victoria can I substitute Saflager 34/70 with something like Saf US-05 for a lager brew?

You can make a psuedo-lager which uses an ale yeast fermented cooler. You will still need to control the temp though because if it gets too warm you will get the ale esters.

Nottingham is good for this and fermented around 15-16 degrees.

[Tricky Micky]

Quick one, and apologies in advance if this is a silly question but would it be okay to use Kveik yeast in with the Coopers European Lager. I'm curious only because the weather is warming up in Victoria and the Kveik yeast seems to boast at least online anyways that it might be able to handle higher temps even when brewing lagers. 

[Shamus O'Sean]

Hey @Mickep, I have read that Kveik yeast done around or just above ale yeast fermentation temperatures produces a lager like beer.  I have never used the stuff, so do not know from experience.

[King Ruddager]

MOTB on the left, OG on the right. Quite a difference! OG is too young to do a fair comparison at the moment

[King Ruddager]

Had a look back at the “winner announcement” video and my OG version appears darker. Maybe it was the honey I used? Despite the differences they still taste like versions of the same thing. 

[Tricky Micky]

Newbie stupid question,

Hydrometer OG reading,  is this 1050?

[Shamus O'Sean]

4 hours ago, Mickep said:

Newbie stupid question,

Hydrometer OG reading,  is this 1050?

Picture did not attach.

[Tricky Micky]

Newbie stupid question,

Hydrometer OG reading,  is this 1050?

 

 

[pilotsh]

 

3 hours ago, Mickep said:

Hydrometer OG reading,  is this 1050?

It appears to be so, but it depends on it's baseline. Have you checked that it reads 1 (10, 1000, zero etc) in distilled water at 21c?

[Tricky Micky]

6 hours ago, pilotsh said:

 

It appears to be so, but it depends on it's baseline. Have you checked that it reads 1 (10, 1000, zero etc) in distilled water at 21c?

I checked it in water at 20 degrees and yes it read 1. At least that's what the instructions said to do. (It's not the Coopers brew kit Hydrometer) Thanks for clarifying the reading for me.

[Pickles Jones]

Don't forget to take the Meniscus into account when taking reading.

[Tricky Micky]

1 hour ago, Pickles Jones said:

Don't forget to take the Meniscus into account when taking reading.

Isn't that something in your knee? 

[Tricky Micky]

Is it okay to use everyday dishwashing liquid to clean your brew kit etc. As long as I rinse thoroughly. TIA

[Shamus O'Sean]

3 hours ago, Mickep said:

Is it okay to use everyday dishwashing liquid to clean your brew kit etc. As long as I rinse thoroughly. TIA

You are better off using Oxy-san unscented laundry soaker. Either way you have to rinse really well.

[Tricky Micky]

13 hours ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

You are better off using Oxy-san unscented laundry soaker. Either way you have to rinse really well.

Cheers Shamus, sorry to keep asking these really simple questions. I find the info I'm getting here at the forum really valuable for someone like me just starting out. The Internet Google searches just doesn't cut it sometimes - so thanks a million.

[Tricky Micky]

13 hours ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

You are better off using Oxy-san unscented laundry soaker. Either way you have to rinse really well.

What's the preference among the group here for what to use for sanitizing the kit? TIA

[Pickles Jones]

I can't see a problem with using dishwashing liquid try to get a pure detergent one, not scented. I used to use detergent but now I just wash everything using plain water to clean then hose the FV out.

I use Star San as the final 'rinse' just before starting a brew  and on the bottles the day before bottling. This is the last thing I do to the bottles before bottling. Keep some Star San in a spray bottle so you can use it when necessary.

Clean Boost  (Sodium Percarbonate 320g/KG) is very good for soaking bottles and bits and pieces. It's unscented and affordable at $3.50 for a KG and available at Woolworths.

These are the things I use.

As Shamus said you must rinse well.

Edited September 6, 2020 by Pickles Jones

[Tricky Micky]

14 minutes ago, Pickles Jones said:

I can't see a problem with using dishwashing liquid try to get a pure detergent one, not scented. I used to use detergent but now I just wash everything using plain water to clean then hose the FV out.

I use Star San as the final 'rinse' just before starting a brew  and on the bottles the day before bottling. This is the last thing I do to the bottles before bottling. Keep some Star San in a spray bottle so you can use it when necessary.

Clean Boost  (Sodium Percarbonate 320g/KG) is very good for soaking bottles and bits and pieces. It's unscented and affordable at $3.50 for a KG and available at Woolworths.

These are the things I use.

As Shamus said you must rinse well.

Thanks heaps Pickles. Just so I've got this absolutely clear,  you're using Clean Boost as a cleaning/washing agent and the Star San separately as your sanitizer. 

[Pickles Jones]

Yes. Clean Boost for Washing (soaking). Star San is a Sanitiser only It is not a "cleaner" as such. It is non rinse so don't rinse in water after using. It should be the last thing you do to the" kit" before brewing and and should be done just before using the FV, bottles etc.

Star San is expensive in Australia but you use very little of it. There is another product with a very similar name which I understand is cheaper I can't recall its name but I am sure someone will post its details and where to get it.

Keeping everything clean and sanitised is of utmost importance and should always be in your mind keep the spray bottle handy!

Edited September 6, 2020 by Pickles Jones

[Tricky Micky]

10 minutes ago, Pickles Jones said:

Yes. Clean Boost for Washing (soaking). Star San is a Sanitiser only It is not a "cleaner" as such. It is non rinse so don't rinse in water after using. It should be the last thing you do to the" kit" before brewing and and should be done just before using the FV, bottles etc.

Star San is expensive in Australia but you use very little of it. There is another product with a very similar name which I understand is cheaper I can't recall its name but I am sure someone will post its details and where to get it.

Keeping everything clean and sanitised is of utmost importance and should always be in your mind keep the spray bottle handy!

Cheers Pickles, I'm using the Big W Brigalow products for now but working out way too expensive with the 275 gram bottles the products comes in. Sodium metabisulphite for sanitizing and washing with the alkaline salts as the detergent.  Interestingly the Brigalow advice is to rinse with cold water after sanitizing with the Sodium metabisulphite.

[Tricky Micky]

46 minutes ago, Pickles Jones said:

Yes. Clean Boost for Washing (soaking). Star San is a Sanitiser only It is not a "cleaner" as such. It is non rinse so don't rinse in water after using. It should be the last thing you do to the" kit" before brewing and and should be done just before using the FV, bottles etc.

Star San is expensive in Australia but you use very little of it. There is another product with a very similar name which I understand is cheaper I can't recall its name but I am sure someone will post its details and where to get it.

Keeping everything clean and sanitised is of utmost importance and should always be in your mind keep the spray bottle handy!

This is the only other product I can find on the net in Oz which states it's a sanitizer which can be used for Home brew kits.

iodophor sanitizer.

[Tricky Micky]

The Forums FAQ's section suggests I can use household unscented Bleach mixed with water to sanitize the fermenter and the accessories - is that correct?