Second failed brew with Coopers Light Dry Malt

[HeathS4]

Hey guys,

 

I have been looking on these forums for some time however have just recently signed up as member.

 

I am new to home brewing and have brewed 5 batches to date.

 

I have had 2 attempts at an American Pale Ale style recipe which have both failed.

 

The recipe is basic but goes like this:

 

1 Can of CPA

1KG LDM

250G Dextrose

Casacade hops for both bittering and aroma.

 

So the first batch tasted sour and quite bitter with a very low SG at 7 days. (Less than 1.002) Burnt my nose like ammonia so I chucked it. The brew had little white clumps in it. So i am thinking it was infected.

 

My second attempt is turning out the same. Doesn't smell quite as offensive but has the same tastes and little white clumps after 4 days. Also burning my nose when I sniffed while adding the 2nd hop bag.

 

I am meticulous with sanitisation so I am not sure what I am doing wrong here.

 

I ask the pro's:

 

Is it the recipe?

Am I using the LDM in the correct manor?

 

I would be most grateful for any tips and pointers.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Heath

 

 

 

[brianc6]

when you say white clumps do you mean on top of the wort or sediment on the bottom of the fermenter what temp did ya pitch yeast, [joyful]

[PB2]

There may be nothing wrong with it.

 

The burning sensation is likely to be CO2 bite, a normal symptom while the brew is fermenting. Draw off a sample and have a smell and a taste.

 

Can you give us step by step details of the recipe method?

 

Also, your cleaning and sanitation method?

[brianc6]

hey paul whats the go mate now k-mart and safeway don't sell dextrose anymore mate wtf has happened , I agree with who ever said it they say shop local but the way it's goin the only place to get the coopers stuff is gonna be through online or hb stores that sux

[PB2]

Brian, I'm not sure how your post is related to the topic??

 

Independent grocery stores can get Dextrose on their shelves as Metcash, the warehouse for independents, has it. K mart should stock it but they are having some trouble sorting direct to store ordering. Big W stocks our whole range.

 

 

[HeathS4]

Hi all,

 

Thanks for the replies.

 

To answer Brians questions:

 

The white clumps are suspended throughout the brew. IE in the tube it is all through the beer.

Pitched yeast at around 27c.

 

PB:

 

Cleaning/Sanitation - After last brew i scrubbed to get the remnants of the previous brew off the walls of the vat. Filled with hot tap water to the top. Added about 3 heaped tablespoons of Coopers bottle cleaner stuff and let sit for 3 days with all the gear in the vat and the lid on. Then rinsed very well with hot water about 5 times.

 

I disolved the LDM in hot water then added dextrose.

 

Added the can of CPA.

 

Filled to nearly 23l

 

Steeped bag of cascade hops in boiled water for 10min.

 

Left for 3 days and dry hopped with another bag of cascade hops.

 

Brew sits between 21c and 25c

 

I have just now checked the SG and its at 1.006. It is now day 6. Having a taste its no where near as bad as the first attempt and is actually pretty good. Aroma is still a bit off though and not as fragrant as the Coopers Lager I made on the same day (The kit that comes in the Coopers brew kit box).

 

Its the minuscule white clumps that put me off. Is this normal?

 

 

[brianc6]

Brian, I'm not sure how your post is related to the topic??

 

Independent grocery stores can get Dextrose on their shelves as Metcash, the warehouse for independents, has it. K mart should stock it but they are having some trouble sorting direct to store ordering. Big W stocks our whole range.

 

 

sorry to post off topic mate but thought it stupid to just ask one question by starting a whole new topic [annoyed]

 

[PB2]

Trust your sense of smell and taste, if the beer seems okay it probably is!

 

The white clumps, you describe, sound a bit odd - can you post an image of them?

[RobH]

I use Coopers LDM in all my brews & have never had a problem. I can't really see anything obviously wrong with your method.

 

One thing I did to get a better (nicer) result from my hops rather than making a hop tea was to boil them in a malt solution of 100grams of LDM per litre of water ... so I do about 700grams of LDM in 7 litres. If you are using hop tebags, bring it to the boil and then pop the bag in for 10 - 15 mins rolling boil (i.e.: not vigorous boil) & then take it of the heat and cool it down.

 

There are people cleverer than me who can explain the ins & outs of what happens when you do it that way, but it has something to do with the SG being approximately 1.040 at those concentrations & how the hops & oils in the hops behave in that.

[HeathS4]

Hey all.

 

Thanks for the pointers.

 

Oddly the day after my previous post I took an SG reading and the tiny, suspended white clumps I was talking about were gone.

 

So FG @ day 8 and 9 was 1.004 so I bottled. My first attempt the SG was heaps lower than that @ nearly 1.000 after 6 days.

 

Finger crossed for this one!

 

Also, The lager I had in my other vat smelt great!

 

Thanks again.

 

 

[PB2]

[rightful] If you have used a 1.7kg beer kit + 1kg LDM + 250g Dextrose to 23litres, you are not likely to get a FG of 1000 unless you have used some sort of enzyme or another organism (other than the pitched yeast) has metabolised the more complex sugars.[ninja]