pilotsh Posted May 6, 2020 Author Share Posted May 6, 2020 Good thoughts and info- thank you. Well I was originally planning on bottling on Friday morning after the cool of the overnight. In an apartment, without a wine fridge (YET!), that is my version of 'cold crash'... So I have read that Lagers like nice an cold.... which is why I am totally surprised that the Coopers DIY kit comes with a Lager and recommends 21-29 degrees.... the same temperature of their whole range!!!? Anyway, for this year at least I will be brewing Ale Malt Cans, not lagers. I still have the following Coopers cans: Pale Ale, British Ale, two Dark Ales and Stout. I also bought a European Lager but just checked the instructions and that says brew at 13-15c: impossible for me now. Maybe in August I can wear my Scandinavian gear and save a power bill for 2 weeks! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilotsh Posted May 6, 2020 Author Share Posted May 6, 2020 Thanks for the spreadsheet: I've downloaded a similar looking one from Otto. But it is way advanced for me just yet: I have to learn rocket science before I can read rocket science! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzza Posted May 6, 2020 Share Posted May 6, 2020 Ah maaaaaaaate - you've already gone down the right track. Ales and Stout - easy to brew at 18-20 and can get great results with additional LIQUID MALT... The Coopers Lager is a 'hybrid'.... it's a good reasonable starting point for everyone. But am pretty sure it is an Ale Yeast... so it can be improved upon. But the Euro Lager is very nice. And will be great if you can add a tin of Coopers Liquid Malt plus a kilo of dry malt. Check the ABV w Spready for your final ABV choice. But yes... best at 15 deg C as it is a TRUE lager yeast. And yep - turn the power off in August... and brew it out at 15 - Gold! So go the Ales... Pale with Light Liquid Malt... kilo of dry maybe; British Ale... same or maybe use Amber Liquid Malt; Dark Ale... do one Amber and one dark Liquid malt for comparison... and Stout...deffo Dark Malt... and some dry or even dex... anyway... just try things out... and remember it is a journey of learning. And by the looks you keep good records already so you are well placed ha ha for continuous improvement ha ha! And before you know it the day will come and you will be pouring All Grain Stout out of a Keg with a Stout Tap powered by Nitro:CO2 Gas Mix just like the dirty old Guinness ha ha: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilotsh Posted May 7, 2020 Author Share Posted May 7, 2020 Thursday 7th May: 211 hours (8.79 days) since pitch. Brew Temp: 20.8C SG: 1011 Steady. Appearance: Cloudy. Bright yellow, hint of orange. More Fizz than yesterday. Nose: Raw Dough. Light orange, mango, stone fruit. Palate: Medium body. Pronounced bitterness. Grapefruit, orange. Hints of clove, peach and tart pineapple. Comments: Will bottle after dinner. Photo(s): 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzza Posted May 7, 2020 Share Posted May 7, 2020 20 minutes ago, pilotsh said: Thursday 7th May: 211 hours (8.79 days) since pitch. Brew Temp: 20.8C SG: 1011 Steady. Appearance: Cloudy. Bright yellow, hint of orange. More Fizz than yesterday. Nose: Raw Dough. Light orange, mango, stone fruit. Palate: Medium body. Pronounced bitterness. Grapefruit, orange. Hints of clove, peach and tart pineapple. Comments: Will bottle after dinner. Photo(s): Great note taking Pilot.... go you good thing ha ha! Just make sure you give it a few weeks to do secondary ferment - and keep your bottles as warm as your FV was during Primary Ferment if possible ; ) And usually nicer a bit later (not bang on 2 weeks) but see how you go ; ) And after second ferment in bottle I always recommend leaving in Fridge couple of days if not a week to help settle all sediment out... (and 3 months in glass for Lagers at 2 deg C ha ha but that is a lagering/conditioning thing rather than plain clarifying but boy does it help clarify as well). Good luck with it mate and well done!!! Cheers BB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilotsh Posted May 8, 2020 Author Share Posted May 8, 2020 Friday 8th May: 231 hours (9.6 days) from pitching to bottling. Brew Temp: 21.2C SG: 1011 Steady. Appearance: Cloudy. Bright yellow, hint of orange. Fizzy. Nose: Raw Dough. Light orange. Palate: Medium body. Pronounced bitterness. Grapefruit, orange. Hints of clove, peach and tart pineapple. Comments: Nothing special. Managed to get an extra bottle out of the FV since I didn't taste test so much. Photo(s): 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldcoast Crow Posted May 8, 2020 Share Posted May 8, 2020 43 minutes ago, pilotsh said: Friday 8th May: 231 hours (9.6 days) from pitching to bottling. Brew Temp: 21.2C SG: 1011 Steady. Appearance: Cloudy. Bright yellow, hint of orange. Fizzy. Nose: Raw Dough. Light orange. Palate: Medium body. Pronounced bitterness. Grapefruit, orange. Hints of clove, peach and tart pineapple. Comments: Nothing special. Managed to get an extra bottle out of the FV since I didn't taste test so much. Photo(s): Wow you are going hard on the labeling 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeB7 Posted May 8, 2020 Share Posted May 8, 2020 Yeah that's some labelling work mate. Save you some time to just get some coloured sticky dots to number & diarise your info, but I do get it . I'm a glass bottler myself & just code the caps with the brew name & add a CR(for CRUNCHY) on the last couple of stubbies I squeeze out of the trub Brew app I use btw 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman Posted May 9, 2020 Share Posted May 9, 2020 (edited) I got some 'blackboard' labels and liquid chalk pens on ebay - total cost < $10 - waterproof so can be washed and chalk just rubs off for the next batch. Then I went kegging so much less need for labels - one above each tap. Although I do still have 60 glass bottles so WIGATI I will stick a label on them all for future use. Edited May 9, 2020 by Journeyman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilotsh Posted May 9, 2020 Author Share Posted May 9, 2020 I thought masking tape would come off the easiest when I wash/sanitise to reuse! I guess I will see! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilotsh Posted May 9, 2020 Author Share Posted May 9, 2020 (edited) Saturday 9th May: Brew three pitched! Malt: Canned- Coopers Pale Ale. BB date on can: 5/7/21 Extra Ingredients: 1.018kg Coopers Brew Enhancer 2, and 210g of Cooper Brew Enhancer 1. Water: Unfiltered, rested tap water. Preparation: Malt Can added to off-the-boil water, dissolved, stirred in Brew Enhancers, disolved and added to FV. Yeast: Sachet included with Can. Pitching Method: Sprinkled Dry Yeast onto the top of wort. Initial Wort Temperature: 22.7C. Temperature Control: No cooling. 35W heat belt. Inkbird Temp controller, target 19.9C, Heat belt at 19.2C. Initial Sample SG (OG): 1041.5 Can instructions indicated 1038, but I have added: BE1 and BE2. Photo(s): Edited May 9, 2020 by pilotsh 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzza Posted May 10, 2020 Share Posted May 10, 2020 18 hours ago, pilotsh said: Saturday 9th May: Brew three pitched! Malt: Canned- Coopers Pale Ale. BB date on can: 5/7/21 Luvyerwork.... but a conscientious Brewer of note like yourself mate should definitely have a crack at bringing in the Liquid Malts when next you have a chance... it is a quantum leap type jump forward in brewing progress over the poor old dry dust ; ) Do you have a temp controller for your heat belt? e.g. Inkbird Anyway... one step at a time... looks like you are doing a nice job and I wish you well with your results Pilot. Cheers BB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilotsh Posted May 10, 2020 Author Share Posted May 10, 2020 Sunday 10th May: 17 hours (0.71 day) since pitch. Brew Temp: 22.2C SG: Not Tested. Comments: Light Krausen forming. Standard. Photo(s): Nil BB: Yes, and Inkbird controller. I thought the Coopers cans were also liquid malts? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titan Posted May 10, 2020 Share Posted May 10, 2020 (edited) 10 minutes ago, pilotsh said: BB: Yes, and Inkbird controller. I thought the Coopers cans were also liquid malts? Yes but they are hopped extract. You can get unhopped also which as BB said are far superior. Edited May 10, 2020 by Titan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzza Posted May 10, 2020 Share Posted May 10, 2020 (edited) What we are saying Pilot - is that instead of using the DRY malt BE1-3 etc... you use instead the Coopers Liquid Malt tins as the addition to your Kit... So you use a specific Coopers Kit - here the Pale Ale Concentrate (includes hops yes) - but then instead of using the additional DRY powder LDME (light dry malt extract) in BE1-2-3 etc.... you use the tin of liquid malt... So you are getting closer to the malted grain mash that way... here it is the mashed grain then dehydrated into the syrup - but not spray-dried into powder - where you denatures some of the proteins responsible for body-head-head retention. It is just an opportunity to improve your brew. And you are doing a great job.... so this small extra step of using LIQUID instead of DRY malt.... will give you a quantum leap forward in brewing outcomes. There are light - amber - dark - liquid conc tins available for your different brews choices. Just a possible continuous improvement opportunity... Edited May 10, 2020 by Bearded Burbler 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilotsh Posted May 11, 2020 Author Share Posted May 11, 2020 Monday 11th May: 44 hours (1.83 days) since pitch. Brew Temp: 22.21C SG: Not Tested. Comments: Light Krausen established. CO2/bread smell from around the FV. Yay! Photo(s): Nil 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilotsh Posted May 11, 2020 Author Share Posted May 11, 2020 Ah I see, because BE2 and BE3 had some malt in it..... now I get it. (Only BE1 is sugars and no malt!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzza Posted May 11, 2020 Share Posted May 11, 2020 1 hour ago, pilotsh said: Ah I see, because BE2 and BE3 had some malt in it. Sorry for the BE1 confusion. Am just suggesting to substitute in a TIN of Liquid Malt Extract instead of the powder products... So for good beer in "Kit and Kilo" the nickname for extract brewing... We all agree we start with a Tin of Coopers Pale Ale or Real Ale or whatever Ale. That is our Kit. Then brewers add a Kilo or two or whatever... but they Add something to the Kit. So up above you had your Pale Ale Kit and then added a Kilo of BE2 and 210g of BE1. So instead of that - substitute out the Kilo of dry product BE2... and instead... add the 1.5kg Tin of Coopers Light Malt Extract - Liquid Malt Extract. Or if it was me - I would add BOTH the Tin of Liquid Malt Extract AND AS WELL throw in the dry kilo of BE2... but that is all about personal choice cos I like beer with a bit more grunt. The key message here is about adding MORE liquid malt syrup... it makes all the difference... first some in the Coopers Kit can... and then some more via the Liquid Malt Extract can. Then as you go forward... the next step might be malted grain adjuncts - where you mash (cook at set temp for a while) malted grain - and add some of that to the brew again for better outcomes. The liquid malt addition instead of dry product, is just the next logical step forward, and provides a quantum leap in brew quality outcomes (IMHO). Hope that helps. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted May 11, 2020 Share Posted May 11, 2020 Yeah the OG is higher because there's basically 1.2kg extra. The 1.038 is based on adding 1kg extras. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeB7 Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Quick question re: Dry vs Liquid fermentables. Are they 1:1 or 2:3 / Dry:Liq ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Liquid malt is about 20% water. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UncleStavvy Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 Would have to say out of the 8 runs so far, the Darkest Ale has been the best. Combo of pale ale can, dark malt extract can, dash of sugar made a great brew 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilotsh Posted May 12, 2020 Author Share Posted May 12, 2020 11 minutes ago, UncleStavvy said: Would have to say out of the 8 runs so far, the Darkest Ale has been the best. Combo of pale ale can, dark malt extract can, dash of sugar made a great brew Once my Pale Ale is Done I will be brewing the Dark Ale Can as kit and then another Dark Ale Can with some Maple Syrup (only one change at a time!) so I can compare the two and see the effect! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UncleStavvy Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 (edited) 24 minutes ago, pilotsh said: Once my Pale Ale is Done I will be brewing the Dark Ale Can as kit and then another Dark Ale Can with some Maple Syrup (only one change at a time!) so I can compare the two and see the effect! The english bitter with molasses certainly has an effect...I like it. I reckon that recipe above with maple instead of white sugar would be superb. What have you decided for fermentables with the dark ale kits? Edited May 12, 2020 by UncleStavvy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilotsh Posted May 12, 2020 Author Share Posted May 12, 2020 (edited) I've attached what I have left at home at the moment. I was thinking of exchanging the Euro Larger because it says the brew temp is 13-15C: this will be impossible as I don't use a fridge for brewing. After seeing your mention of the English Bitter I will probably exchange the Euro Larger for another English Bitter. How much molasses do you use? I will probably have to buy more Maple Syrup if I add some to the English Bitter mk2 as well. I have 420g of Brew Enhancer 1 which I will probably divide between the four brews. Planning next four brews as: Dark Ale + 1kg BE3 (Can instructions) + 105g BE1 Dark Ale + 1kg BE3 (Can instructions) + 105g BE1 + Maple Syrup (not sure how much yet) English Bitter + 500g Light Dry Malt (Can Instructions) + 105g BE1 English Bitter + 500g Light Dry Malt (Can Instructions) + 105g BE1 + Maple Syrup (not sure how much yet) Edited May 12, 2020 by pilotsh add pic 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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