First brew with Coopers 23l kit

[Popo the Reprobate]

Yeah, it's not my go to.  They don't handle hot samples that well either haha

[Otto Von Blotto]

Yeah, I'll stick to my glass ones. Easy to read the hydrometer through them, no worries about caps falling off or leaking, and being borosilicate they can handle hot wort (useful on brew days), or boiling water when I clean them. 

I'm not sure why it would really matter that much if a sample got contaminated anyway, it's not that difficult to just take a fresh one. I leave mine sitting on the bar with the hydrometer in it, when it stops dropping it gives me an idea of what the FG should be but because it's usually a fair bit warmer than the batch, it happens sooner. It probably gets contaminated after that but I clean it out and take proper FG readings anyway so it doesn't really matter.

[Titan]

21 minutes ago, Popo said:

Yeah, it's not my go to.  They don't handle hot samples that well either haha

Any container will do the job as long as its long enough to contain the length of the hydrometer. Problem is if diameter is much bigger than a standard sample tube your using more wort than required. Best practice, use whats designed for the job in hand.

Edited March 2, 2020 by Titan

[iBooz2]

Have to agree with Titan here, catastrophic if you get the landing wrong.  I much prefer to use a glass tube, at least you can see through the buggers with the minimum liquid to float it. Plus if you fill your plastic one right to the top so you can see, you have to also take into account the surface tension effect and the way the liquid will hug the top rim.  My trusty old wine hydro kit, the plastic has long since gone all hazy. 

The Coopers kit hydro is thinner than the Keg-land one and it seen to work OK in its own plastic tube and it stands up as that one has wide flat base.  Pity they are not accurate, mine is 003 out. The keg-land hydro when used in the Coopers kit tube will stick to the sides account the surface tension and because it is slightly fatter. A bit of mucking around to get it to float centre but you can and have to be quick.  

What I do is draw off original sample into the glass tube, take pic with phone because I don't always write down the numbers until later, plus I can zoom in, (to be sure to be sure) then pour enough of that say into coopers or other sample tube to put in fridge with FV.  During the course of ferment drop the hydro in from time to time, rid it of bubbles etc and take approx reading.  Don't leave the hydro in the tube as it will collect bubbles and muck anyway.  When brew gets at or very near the landing with the approx reading then sometimes I may draw a final sample in glass tube and keep that for say last two days to ensure true FG.  This way only two samples max taken from brew.  The last sample is also used for the sniff test and if OK a taste test

Probably not such a big deal if you are kegging.

Cheers - AL

[Lab Cat]

Too much overthink here for me. I've used the Coopers sample tube the original hydrometer came in. That's what it's for... I got a plastic sample tube for a few $$ as the coopers push on stand might break off at some point

Only downside is sticking to the sides, which is easily fixed with a few spins. I can't see why an experiment is needed here, regardless of what the reading is - if it's stable for 2 days, it's done even if the reading is a point or 2 out due to the resident evil of side stick. If your ABV calcs end up being slightly off, who givsa?

Edited March 2, 2020 by Lab Rat

[Otto Von Blotto]

I still check FG even though I keg everything. I'm not worried about explosions but it can affect the flavour e.g. if the SG is too high it might be too sweet. Most times I'm on target or within a point or two so it's also good confirmation I hit my target mash temperature when I originally brewed it. 

Yes the Coopers one doubles as a sample tube but most others don't. Mine is only just wide enough for the hydrometer to fit and also has a bit of foam in the bottom to cushion the bulb end, so there wouldn't be much use trying to take proper samples in it. 

 

[Instigator]

2 hours ago, iBooz2 said:

Pity they are not accurate, mine is 003 out.

If it's reading under, you can clip the red plastic tip to adjust it.

[Cassius]

21 hours ago, iBooz2 said:

@MartyG1525230263 +1 to that plan, its already in my brew calendar.  Not really fussed about brewing and drinking lagers, just going to give a few a go and see.  Maybe a couple each winter if they turn out alright otherwise it will be a stable diet of Ales.

Cheers - AL

Standard lagers are not my favourite beers. A big part of the reason I got into homebrewing is because lagers were the only beers I could consistently get a case of for under $50 (Heineken, Peroni, Moretti, Tsingtao etc) and I wanted to be drinking more styles. However, since I started learning more about beer styles I've come to realise that there are plenty of lager styles that I want to make: Helles, Marzen, Bocks and Kolsch (ale yeast but lagered). If/when I eventually get temp control I doubt I'll make a single standard export lager but can't wait to try some more exotic lager styles.

[classiceuropa]

On 2/26/2020 at 1:56 PM, iBooz2 said:

 

@K GOOD Sorry K Good forgot to answer your question re cold crash terminology but I see @Journeyman has since done that so all good. 

Here is a brew graphic of my batch so you can see what has gone on over the 15 days from pitch to bottling.  Hope that helps.

Cheers - AL

watched a youtube clip from little johns brewing yesterday , he mentioned not to coldcrash straight to a low temp but in increments over many days , what are peoples thoughts. 

[Journeyman]

12 minutes ago, classiceuropa said:

watched a youtube clip from little johns brewing yesterday , he mentioned not to coldcrash straight to a low temp but in increments over many days , what are peoples thoughts. 

Not sure why it would matter, unless it damages the yeast somehow and you're planning on re-using the trub? My next brew I'm planning to drop to 14° and dry hop there for 2 days then remove the hops and CC.

[Titan]

3 minutes ago, classiceuropa said:

watched a youtube clip from little johns brewing yesterday , he mentioned not to coldcrash straight to a low temp but in increments over many days , what are peoples thoughts. 

If your a airlock user, cold crashing produces a vacuum and can suck back the liquid in the airlock. When i cold crash I follow this regime. 

1. Remove airlock and cover the hole on the lid. I usually just place a sanitised crown cap on it.

2. Remove temparature probe from side of fv and just let it dangle in the fridge (mine is a freezer). This will essentially step down the temperature.

3. Once you hit temperature then attach probe back on the side of the fv.

[Viking brewing]

New member still working all this out about to do second brew never tasted Coopers  before with second brew I can compare brews one question I have brew enhancer 1 I want to replace it with natural sugar can I do that if so how much sugar equivalent to 1 kg of brew enhancer

[Lab Cat]

24 minutes ago, Viking brewing said:

New member still working all this out about to do second brew never tasted Coopers  before with second brew I can compare brews one question I have brew enhancer 1 I want to replace it with natural sugar can I do that if so how much sugar equivalent to 1 kg of brew enhancer

Don't use plain sugar, the beer will taste awful. Use BE3

[Viking brewing]

What is the difference between BE 1 2 and3

[Viking brewing]

3 minutes ago, Lab Rat said:

Don't use plain sugar, the beer will taste awful. Use BE3

What is the difference between BE 1,2 and 3

[Journeyman]

21 minutes ago, Viking brewing said:

What is the difference between BE 1,2 and 3

https://www.diybeer.com/au/faqs/#FAQ_4_02

Dextrose is sugar, it ferments 100% into alcohol. Maltodextrine is a non-fermentable so adds body and head to the final brew. LDME is malt extract, fermentable but adds flavour & body to the beer.

Edited March 8, 2020 by Journeyman

[iBooz2]

@Viking brewing What I did was use up the BE1 (just to get rid of it) and also threw in 1 x 500 g pack of light dry malt.  Beer turned out quite ok and am actually sipping on it right this very minute.

The differences with the BE pack as per below pic.

Cheers - AL

 

[iBooz2]

@classiceuropa Even if you set the temp to 2 C at start of CC it would take a little while to get down there.  I normally set my controller to about half way down the first day of CC (say 18 down to 9 C) then 2 C the day after so really it takes two days before it gets to where I want it.  Just makes me feel better knowing the fridge compressor is not working its butt off and can have a rest somewhere on the way down.  Even the day after I start CC, when its at about 9 C I can see the stratification of the cleared beer on top and the rest below it so I know its working without any finings even!

Cheers - AL

[classiceuropa]

13 hours ago, iBooz2 said:

@classiceuropa Even if you set the temp to 2 C at start of CC it would take a little while to get down there.  I normally set my controller to about half way down the first day of CC (say 18 down to 9 C) then 2 C the day after so really it takes two days before it gets to where I want it.  Just makes me feel better knowing the fridge compressor is not working its butt off and can have a rest somewhere on the way down.  Even the day after I start CC, when its at about 9 C I can see the stratification of the cleared beer on top and the rest below it so I know its working without any finings even!

Cheers - AL

After CC if you were bottling do you bottle at lower temps of back to ambient temp. 

[Journeyman]

11 minutes ago, classiceuropa said:

After CC if you were bottling do you bottle at lower temps of back to ambient temp. 

Bottle at the cold temps then let the bottles rise to ambient.  That way you don't have to worry about the yeast firing up while you're still bottling.

[classiceuropa]

3 hours ago, Journeyman said:

Bottle at the cold temps then let the bottles rise to ambient.  That way you don't have to worry about the yeast firing up while you're still bottling.

makes sense thanks. 

[Malter White]

@Viking brewing Just to clarify what Journeyman has written: Dextrose is corn sugar, not cane sugar.
You can use cane sugar but the consensus among most home brewers is that it gives the beer a cidery taste and is best avoided.
You'll most likely find you'll get better results using fermentables with a higher malt content eg. BE3.

[iBooz2]

Have been opening a bottle of my Coopers lager every week since the 5th Feb when it was bottled.  Now been 6 weeks and had three bottle last night as I reckon its peaked.

For such a simple recipe, lager can, 1 x BE1 and 1 x 500 g DME its now quite drinkable and would make this again.  That being said, next time will try the lager can with BE3 and the 500 g DME but W-34/70 yeast only (not kit yeast) and a hop addition as I think it needs just a tad more hops to move in a better direction,  Unsure of a suitable hop but have some Tettnanger so may do a 15" steep and try that out.

Bought another 23L FV yesterday so that will give me access to 4 Fv's once weather temps slide down towards ambient brewing temps.

Cheer - AL