Daily diary of a virgin (first ever) home brew!

[Goldcoast Crow]

Looks gd pilot 

[JoeB7]

Nice deep colour for an amber @pilotsh. Yeah I'd call it a porter too.

Bottled 25th April.? I know it's difficult for your first brew but give it at least another month mate

[Otto Von Blotto]

Might look like a porter but the flavour and aroma descriptors are nothing like one. I also suspect it wouldn't look as dark in daylight. 

[JoeB7]

Stick a light behind it @pilotsh

[pilotsh]

2 hours ago, JoeB7 said:

Stick a light behind it @pilotsh

I will when I crack open bottle 4.

[pilotsh]

Saturday 16th May: 158 hours (6.58 days) since pitch.

 Brew Temp: 20.3C.

SG: 1011 (dropped one point from yesterday)

Appearance: Golden yellow, straw, a little orange. Very fizzy.

Nose: Peach, bark. Woodiness. Hints of Vegemite.

Palate: Stone fruit. Citrus zest. Tastes like a young, green Coopers Pale Ale.

Comments: Delicious. Can't wait to bottle this one when it is ready. So far my favourite brew taste out of the three as it reaches end of ferment.

 Photo(s):  
 

[pilotsh]

Ok, so the Euro Lager can says brew 13-15C, which isn't going to happen. What yeast that works at 20/21C would anyone with some experience/knowledge about this recommend to buy and brew the can with?

[Goldcoast Crow]

So let me get this right, if you were to add maple or malt extract or some other syrup to the brew as a flavour enhancer, you would add that when the can of extract goes in right..... and technically it would change the og hence the abc would probably rise right? As I am only a can brewer at the moment I am thinking of different way to change things for fun.... now that I have gone thru the basic brew cans I will try other things maybe.....

[pilotsh]

Others will confirm, but my understanding is yes, any additions other than water or any sugars will raise the OG and FG. Any additions with sugar in it will raise the OG, but ferment out into alcohol, so creating a lower FG, hence higher ABV (as ABV is based on the difference between the OG and FG).

Edited May 17, 2020 by pilotsh

[Journeyman]

2 hours ago, pilotsh said:

Ok, so the Euro Lager can says brew 13-15C, which isn't going to happen. What yeast that works at 20/21C would anyone with some experience/knowledge about this recommend to buy and brew the can with?

I'd put it aside until you get temp control - brew it at normal temps will produce an ale, not a lager.  Nottingham should work at the temps you have and it's a clean yeast, high att and good floc so will let the extract show itself, even if not as a lager.

[pilotsh]

34 minutes ago, Journeyman said:

Nottingham should work at the temps you have and it's a clean yeast, high att and good floc so will let the extract show itself, even if not as a lager.

So lets say I don't want to age the can, a funky Nottinghan Euro Ale it will be! haha

[pilotsh]

Sunday 17th May: 179 hours (7.45 days) since pitch.

Brew Temp: 20.3C steady.

SG: 1010 (dropped another one point from yesterday)

Appearance: Golden yellow, straw, a little orange. Very fizzy. Cloudy, but starting to clear today.

Nose: Peach, bark. Woodiness. Hints of Vegemite.

Palate: Stone fruit. Citrus zest. Bark. A little pineapple. Everyday the flavours are improving and maturing together.

Comments: SG still slowly dropping, and cloudiness just starting to clear today so based on my previous two brews, it is looking like a Wednesday bottling, depending on SG and cloudiness tomorrow.

Photo(s):  

[pilotsh]

Discussion of Brews 4 and 5:

So, Brews 4 and 5 will be a Coopers Dark Ale can, with the only difference being seeing the affect of the addition of Maple Syrup in Brew 5.

The can instructions only recommending 500g of Coopers Light Dry Malt, specifying an OG 1030. This sounds a little light on to me. Thinking of adding half a Brew Enhancer 3 to each brew to add some more Dry Malt and a little Maltodextrin to assist in mouth feel. (Half a BE3 is 250g Light Dry Malt, 150g of Dextrose, 100g of Maltodextrin)

Thinking:

Brew 4: 1.7kg Can Coopers Dark Ale, 500g Light Dry Malt, 500g Brew Enhancer 3

Brew 5: 1.7kg Can Coopers Dark Ale, 500g Light Dry Malt, 500g Brew Enhancer 3, 350ml Maple Syrup

I have 210g of BE1 left over and I could keep it for a later brew, or throw 105g in each of Brew 4 and 5.

Also, would adding 350mls of Maple syrup be enough? Happy to add more, just wondering what people have found who have used it.

Also, won't be using Liquid Malt Extracts until I use up my dry ingredients.

Open for thoughts!....

Edited May 17, 2020 by pilotsh
light dry malt.

[pilotsh]

Monday 18th May: 213 hours (8.875 days) since pitch.

Brew Temp: 20.9C.

SG: Not tested. Will test tomorrow.

Comments: Just let today be a day for the ferment to finish.

 Photo(s):  Nil

[Pezzza]

On 5/17/2020 at 12:06 PM, pilotsh said:

Others will confirm, but my understanding is yes, any additions other than water or any sugars will raise the OG and FG. Any additions with sugar in it will raise the OG, but ferment out into alcohol, so creating a lower FG, hence higher ABV (as ABV is based on the difference between the OG and FG).

If you add fermentables to your wort - the OG will go up.  But if they are all fermented out, the FG will stay the same as it is an indicator of what remains after fermentation.

As @pilotsh Pilot says - it ferments into Alc - higher ABV - but does not raise the FG.

So if you add - Cane Sugar - Dex - they will likely ferment out completely - and not add much to your beer other than cidery taste and higher ABV.

If you add dry MALT - some of that is fermentable by the yeast - some not.  So with malt - you add body as well - so your OG will go up and hopefully your FG.

If you add Liquid Malt - some of that has the protein in it for better mouthfeel, head and head retention... and some of the liquid malt is fermentable, and some non-fermentable.  The body of the beer should improve with more malt... which will see the FG rise as well... as not ALL of the OG grain carbs are fermented out.

So if you add 2kg of cane sugar/dextrose - likely to increase alcohol content successfully.  So the OG will go up - but the FG will stay likely same.

If you add 2kg of malt - the OG will go up - but also the FG - and you will get something more like beer rather than fizzy alc-y water.

Adding things like Maple Syrup and Molasses etc will have an influence... but if you really want to make a difference to your beer - add Liquid Malt.

There is good info in http://www.howtobrew.com/

Edited May 18, 2020 by Bearded Burbler

[Pezzza]

On 5/17/2020 at 2:03 PM, pilotsh said:

Also, won't be using Liquid Malt Extracts until I use up my dry ingredients.

Just get yourself one tin of liquid malt - and then use it - with a Coopers Kit - and add some dry malt in as well...  the dry products keep well... and can be added in as you go along.

You will get a quantum leap with the LME and miles ahead of other festive things like maple syrup... but it is a journey and only you can steer the ship

[pilotsh]

Tuesday 19th May: 228 hours (9.5 days) since pitch.

Brew Temp: 21C.

SG: 1010 steady

Appearance: Golden yellow, straw, a little orange. Fizz present but small decrease. Clearing up, less cloudy!

Nose: Peach, bark. Woodiness. Hints of Vegemite.

Palate: Stone fruit. Citrus zest. Bark. A little pineapple. Nice!

Comments: Appears that the ferment is just about done. May wait to bottle first thing Thursday so the cloudiness can clear up, as it has started to.

Photo(s):  
 

[pilotsh]

16 hours ago, Bearded Burbler said:

As @pilotsh Pilot says - it ferments into Alc - higher ABV - but does not raise the FG.

It was hard to put what was in my head into words, so here is my thoughts in picture form: is this correct?

(OG of 1030 is an example. X is a given weight of additive that is the same weight in each different case. 1030 increasing to 1040 due to adding a weight of X is an example amount of an increase.)

 

 

Edited May 19, 2020 by pilotsh

[pilotsh]

16 hours ago, Bearded Burbler said:

You will get a quantum leap with the LME and miles ahead of other festive things like maple syrup... but it is a journey and only you can steer the ship

And steer it I will, away from Maple Syrup for now!

After more research I think trying LME is more important than Maple Syrup, as I read Maple Syrup is better done after the primary ferment to keep the flavours (learning!)

So does anyone see any problems with my plan for Brew 4 and 5 now, which will compare the difference of LME vs DME! (you can cheer now BB )

 

Brew 004:                                                                 Brew 005:

1.7kg Can Coopers Dark Ale                                     1.7kg Can Coopers Dark Ale

1kg Coopers Light Dry Malt                                     1.5kg Can Thomas Cooper Light LME (the Yellow can)

1kg Coopers Brew Enhancer 3:                                500g Coopers Brew Enhancer 1:

            -500g Light Dry Malt                                                -300g Dextrose

            -300g Dextrose                                                         -200g Maltodextrin

            -200g Maltodextrin                                                   (so Dextrose & Maltodextrin match Brew 4)

(so a total of 1.5kg Light Dry Malt)               

(so as you can see the only difference between Brew 4 and 5 would be 1.5kg of Liquid Malt Extract instead of Dry Malt Extract)

 

Edited May 19, 2020 by pilotsh

[pilotsh]

Anybody know the difference between these? The descriptions don't really say. Is one just old packaging?

[Goldcoast Crow]

20 minutes ago, pilotsh said:

Anybody know the difference between these? The descriptions don't really say. Is one just old packaging?

If I was to add one of these to a 10ltr toucan brew, would it just add flavour or would it bump up the abv aswell and would I need more yeast?

[Journeyman]

7 minutes ago, Goldcoast Crow said:

If I was to add one of these to a 10ltr toucan brew, would it just add flavour or would it bump up the abv aswell and would I need more yeast?

When you say 10 ltr toucan, youi're talking 2 x Coopers cans (1.7 kg) in 10L? Add this in and you'd need to look for a high alcohol yeast.

Maybe even a wine yeast - the SS says that combo in 10 L will be over 15% ABV

Edited May 19, 2020 by Journeyman

[Goldcoast Crow]

10 minutes ago, Journeyman said:

When you say 10 ltr toucan, youi're talking 2 x Coopers cans (1.7 kg) in 10L? Add this in and you'd need to look for a high alcohol yeast.

Maybe even a wine yeast - the SS says that combo in 10 L will be over 15% ABV

no using the term toucan as in 1x1.7ltr in 10ltr craft fv, toucan from what I gather is referred to for the 23ltr, hence me refer to it for the craft fv.... I haven’t been adding anything extra up until now....

[Journeyman]

Just now, Goldcoast Crow said:

no using the term toucan as in 1x1.7ltr in 10ltr craft fv, toucan from what I gather is referred to for the 23ltr, hence me refer to it for the craft fv.... I haven’t been adding anything extra up until now....

LOL - OK then. Given a recent comment about my 7% - 8& brews.

Even so, the can plus the malt kicks it to 10%. Make sure the yeast you use will handle it. Most yeast manufacturers have PDF's of the characteristics of their yeast.  Probably find your here... https://www.beercraftr.com/beer-yeast-list/

[pilotsh]

2 hours ago, pilotsh said:

And steer it I will, away from Maple Syrup for now!

After more research I think trying LME is more important than Maple Syrup, as I read Maple Syrup is better done after the primary ferment to keep the flavours (learning!)

So does anyone see any problems with my plan for Brew 4 and 5 now, which will compare the difference of LME vs DME! (you can cheer now BB )

 

Brew 004:                                                                 Brew 005:

1.7kg Can Coopers Dark Ale                                     1.7kg Can Coopers Dark Ale

1kg Coopers Light Dry Malt                                     1.5kg Can Thomas Cooper Light LME (the Yellow can)

1kg Coopers Brew Enhancer 3:                                500g Coopers Brew Enhancer 1:

            -500g Light Dry Malt                                                -300g Dextrose

            -300g Dextrose                                                         -200g Maltodextrin

            -200g Maltodextrin                                                   (so Dextrose & Maltodextrin match Brew 4)

(so a total of 1.5kg Light Dry Malt)               

(so as you can see the only difference between Brew 4 and 5 would be 1.5kg of Liquid Malt Extract instead of Dry Malt Extract) 

 

Would the yeast in the top of the Dark Ale can be enough for this, or should I buy and add another yeast as well? I noticed that the ROTM says to use the yeast with the can AND a 11.5g Safale S-33 yeast.

Edited May 19, 2020 by pilotsh