Cult Of One Posted October 21, 2022 Share Posted October 21, 2022 Hi brewers first time brewing beer/stout and my first post here. I grabbed the coopers full kit and followed the instructions to the letter. Have had the fermentation tank in a dark corner wrapped in a doona to keep light out and a more consistent heat (I check morning and night and its been between 20 and 22) been in for 6 days. I have a very slight foam of just under one centimeter on the top and all seems to be doing what it should I feel. I am toying with the idea of when bottling to add one carb drop instead of 2 and instead putting in a teaspoon of molasses. (yes/No good idea bad idea? don't mess with it for my first brew?) Today I will be measuring for the first time the gravity and will be super careful to sterilize everything. looking forward to a few days in a row of doing this and hopefully will have a nice finished product for the tasting in December. Hopefully happy brewing to all. Cult Of One 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Brewing Co Posted October 21, 2022 Share Posted October 21, 2022 (edited) 43 minutes ago, Cult Of One said: Hi brewers first time brewing beer/stout and my first post here. I grabbed the coopers full kit and followed the instructions to the letter. Have had the fermentation tank in a dark corner wrapped in a doona to keep light out and a more consistent heat (I check morning and night and its been between 20 and 22) been in for 6 days. I have a very slight foam of just under one centimeter on the top and all seems to be doing what it should I feel. I am toying with the idea of when bottling to add one carb drop instead of 2 and instead putting in a teaspoon of molasses. (yes/No good idea bad idea? don't mess with it for my first brew?) Today I will be measuring for the first time the gravity and will be super careful to sterilize everything. looking forward to a few days in a row of doing this and hopefully will have a nice finished product for the tasting in December. Hopefully happy brewing to all. Cult Of One HI @Cult Of One Welcome to the forum, as this is your first brew, I would suggest adding 2 carbonation drops as per instructions, you can of course substitute with white sugar (1tsp = 4.1gms) It is recommended to take your first hydrometer reading at the very start of the brew before adding the yeast. I leave all of my brews in the fermenter for 14 days & you could take random readings at day 5-7 to check progress & again in 10-14 days & when you have 2 consecutive days of the same reading you are ready to bottle. I have just realised your Heading says Stout so more info attached for you. https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=coopers+diy+beer+brewing+instructions+for+stout&qpvt=coopers+diy+beer+brewing+instructions+for+Stout&FORM=IGRE https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=coopers+diy+beer+brewing+instructions+for+Stout&qpvt=coopers+diy+beer+brewing+instructions+for+Stout&FORM=VDRE Your temperature range is Ok for most Ales, but you haven't stated what you are brewing a Lager or an Ale. Largers require a cooler temperature 11-15c whereas an Ale is best around 18-20c. A lot depends on the yeast you are using but if you are using the supplied yeast I would stick to those temperatures. If you look at Coopers Website & watch the videos you will find everything you need to know about brewing. All the best with your first brew. Cheers Phil https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=coopers+diy+beer+brewing+instructions&qpvt=coopers+diy+beer+brewing+instructions&FORM=VDRE Edited October 21, 2022 by Classic Brewing Co 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cult Of One Posted October 22, 2022 Author Share Posted October 22, 2022 OK, Day6 measure it came up at 1015. Smells like stout, tastes like stout. Perhaps one day it will be stout. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Brewing Co Posted October 22, 2022 Share Posted October 22, 2022 1 hour ago, Cult Of One said: OK, Day6 measure it came up at 1015. Smells like stout, tastes like stout. Perhaps one day it will be stout. Let it keep going until you hit around 1.010 - 1.012 for 2 days straight. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cult Of One Posted October 22, 2022 Author Share Posted October 22, 2022 Day 7 1015 There is a light effervescence to it which makes the float go a little higher once in for 30 seconds. and I waited till the foam subsided from the insertion of the stout which I realized I didn't do yesterday possibly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Brewing Co Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 21 minutes ago, Cult Of One said: Day 7 1015 There is a light effervescence to it which makes the float go a little higher once in for 30 seconds. and I waited till the foam subsided from the insertion of the stout which I realized I didn't do yesterday possibly. Mate I wouldn't bother to take a reading everyday otherwise you will end up with no beer, in fact what you are supposed to do is pour some into the tube & chuck it out & then take a fresh sample, this way you avoid getting a false reading due to sediment & yeast from around the tap. I would leave until day 11-12 before you take another as it would almost certainly fermented out by then, a couple more days to clear up & by about day 14 or so if you have 2 consecutive readings you are ready to bottle. A few tips for you, Cheers. https://draftmag.com/how-to-read-a-hydrometer 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cult Of One Posted October 23, 2022 Author Share Posted October 23, 2022 Will do. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldbloke Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 (edited) Welcom to the forum COO between 20c and 22 is great. yes, an additional 2 or 3 of days in the fv is always good. Personally, I bottled on day 8 for many years but usually 9 or 10 these days. stick to adding sugar or the drops to the bottles. stout often takes a day or two longer than many. if you want to add molasses better to add to the fv at the start. Tried it, can't recommend it. we don't know what you have added to the fv, sugar be 1 be2 be3? Edited October 23, 2022 by Oldbloke 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cult Of One Posted October 23, 2022 Author Share Posted October 23, 2022 @Oldbloke Thanks for the tip and the welcome. I will keep it simple and use the drops for sure on that basis I just used BE2 as it came with the kit I brought (FV, Bottles etc). I wanted to go by the rules 100% did the whole thing step by step Next plan is a lager I may just use sugar in that instead of the BE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldbloke Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 26 minutes ago, Cult Of One said: @Oldbloke Thanks for the tip and the welcome. I will keep it simple and use the drops for sure on that basis I just used BE2 as it came with the kit I brought (FV, Bottles etc). I wanted to go by the rules 100% did the whole thing step by step Next plan is a lager I may just use sugar in that instead of the BE Although i used sugar for years I always recommend BE3 (or Light Dried Malt Extract) for newbies in all their brews. It's a big improvement. (some LHPS) do a cheaper equivalent) Dont know what style of beer you prefer but also suggest you do the following. Lager Draught Real ale and perhaps Pale ale. All great typical beers. Your bound to like one of them. Don't drink too little. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Brewing Co Posted October 23, 2022 Share Posted October 23, 2022 29 minutes ago, Cult Of One said: @Oldbloke Thanks for the tip and the welcome. I will keep it simple and use the drops for sure on that basis I just used BE2 as it came with the kit I brought (FV, Bottles etc). I wanted to go by the rules 100% did the whole thing step by step Next plan is a lager I may just use sugar in that instead of the BE @Cult Of One I would not recommend replacing the BE2 with sugar, you need the balance of Malt/Dextrose/Malted Barley & Malodextrin. Sugar will produce a cidery/sweet sickly beer with no body. In fact, Coopers Stout usually calls for BE3, it is written on the back of the tin. Look at the chart below & you will see the breakdown of the 3 different Brew Enhancers. When I make a Coopers Stout, I use BE3 & also add a minimum of 500gm extra Light Dried Malt (LDM) it gives the beer more body & aids in the head retention. If you make the Lager have a look at these videos, Cheers Phil. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=coopers+lager+recipe&qpvt=coopers+lager+recipe&FORM=VDRE 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cult Of One Posted October 30, 2022 Author Share Posted October 30, 2022 All bottled, labeled and tucked away in the dark Now we play the waiting game. 2023 here I come Onto a normal coopers lager so I can have something this side of Xmas. Thanks to all for the input 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Brewing Co Posted October 30, 2022 Share Posted October 30, 2022 2 hours ago, Cult Of One said: All bottled, labeled and tucked away in the dark Now we play the waiting game. 2023 here I come Onto a normal coopers lager so I can have something this side of Xmas. Thanks to all for the input Good to hear mate, all the best with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cult Of One Posted October 30, 2022 Author Share Posted October 30, 2022 Anyone eve made a sour? my dear wife is a big fan of the "fruit sour" beers we have had in the USA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Brewing Co Posted October 30, 2022 Share Posted October 30, 2022 2 minutes ago, Cult Of One said: Anyone eve made a sour? my dear wife is a big fan of the "fruit sour" beers we have had in the USA I am about to brew this; I have never made on but tried a few & some are not bad. Others on here have made them, I am sure they will respond. Cheers. KB05281 35L BZ Berliner Weisse Recipe Kit.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cult Of One Posted October 30, 2022 Author Share Posted October 30, 2022 4 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said: I am about to brew this; I have never made on but tried a few & some are not bad. Others on here have made them, I am sure they will respond. Cheers. KB05281 35L BZ Berliner Weisse Recipe Kit.pdf 2.16 MB · 2 downloads Thanks for that, I might put this on away for future use once I have played with a few basics. I do love the artwork that comes with the PDF. would make a great label for sure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Brewing Co Posted October 30, 2022 Share Posted October 30, 2022 Just now, Cult Of One said: Thanks for that, I might put this on away for future use once I have played with a few basics. I do love the artwork that comes with the PDF. would make a great label for sure Many of the Keg Land Recipes have a removable label for these Tap Handles. https://www.kegland.com.au/bishop-tap-handle-for-recipe-kits.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cult Of One Posted October 30, 2022 Author Share Posted October 30, 2022 love it I am at the bottling only stage at this point in time but in the past I have made a lot of homegrown things (50-100 kg of olives each tear, jams, preserves pickles, chili sauce and loads of Kraut etc) and always have made my own Labels for fun 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Brewing Co Posted October 31, 2022 Share Posted October 31, 2022 4 hours ago, Cult Of One said: love it I am at the bottling only stage at this point in time but in the past I have made a lot of homegrown things (50-100 kg of olives each tear, jams, preserves pickles, chili sauce and loads of Kraut etc) and always have made my own Labels for fun Yeah, all good fun I have a Dehydrator mainly for Beef Jerky (one of my recipes attached) but I grow & dry Chillis, Tomatoes, sometimes nectarines etc, all good stuff. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Brewing Co Posted October 31, 2022 Share Posted October 31, 2022 25 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said: Yeah, all good fun I have a Dehydrator mainly for Beef Jerky (one of my recipes attached) but I grow & dry Chillis, Tomatoes, sometimes nectarines etc, all good stuff. BEEF JERKY RECIPE.pdf 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cult Of One Posted November 8, 2022 Author Share Posted November 8, 2022 The Coopers Stout bottles are about to have had 2 weeks in my black plastic stacker tubs in the dark but in my warm spare bedroom with westerly facing windows. Bottles are nice and tight so the secondary fermentation/carbonation (with coopers drops) seems to have gone as planned. 2 weeks in the warm spare room seems right? Yeah? I am planning to put them in a wardrobe to condition in a lower temp very stable environment for a while (4 weeksish) before refrigerating then cracking one open to see if they needs longer The lager I did has been bottled and is crystal clear (small sediment in bottom as expected) and is also in the tubs doing its thing. I must say I have really been enjoying the whole process. My 12 year old loves doing the gravity checks with me and plugging the numbers into my excel "brew sheet". Science nerds at my place and loving it. Its been so much fun that even if the product is awful I would want to keep doing it. If the product is good its a bonus. Reading all the forums I must say thanks to all those who post their wins and the honesty of the flops (learning experiences). It really is a great community and so supportive. I am part of another online community for people who have the same medical condition as I do and its the same good mentality of help and solid advice from those whom have been there before. Thanks to all. Cult Of One 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Brewing Co Posted November 8, 2022 Share Posted November 8, 2022 1 hour ago, Cult Of One said: The Coopers Stout bottles are about to have had 2 weeks in my black plastic stacker tubs in the dark but in my warm spare bedroom with westerly facing windows. Bottles are nice and tight so the secondary fermentation/carbonation (with coopers drops) seems to have gone as planned. 2 weeks in the warm spare room seems right? Yeah? I am planning to put them in a wardrobe to condition in a lower temp very stable environment for a while (4 weeksish) before refrigerating then cracking one open to see if they needs longer The lager I did has been bottled and is crystal clear (small sediment in bottom as expected) and is also in the tubs doing its thing. I must say I have really been enjoying the whole process. My 12 year old loves doing the gravity checks with me and plugging the numbers into my excel "brew sheet". Science nerds at my place and loving it. Its been so much fun that even if the product is awful I would want to keep doing it. If the product is good its a bonus. Reading all the forums I must say thanks to all those who post their wins and the honesty of the flops (learning experiences). It really is a great community and so supportive. I am part of another online community for people who have the same medical condition as I do and its the same good mentality of help and solid advice from those whom have been there before. Thanks to all. Cult Of One It sounds like you are winning @Cult Of One you could try one after 14 days just for the experience, as you say if the bottles are nice & tight it should be drinkable. Of course, 4 weeks of conditioning would be beneficial & make a lot of difference. Don't go shaking the bottles though as you want the yeast/sediment to form a nice hard cake at the bottom of the bottle. All the best. Cheers Phil 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cult Of One Posted November 10, 2022 Author Share Posted November 10, 2022 Yeah, @Classic Brewing Co I had to try one and last night it was 26 degrees in the backyard, this was 3 degrees and I was very happy with it. Another month conditioning and it will be happy day I recon. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Brewing Co Posted November 10, 2022 Share Posted November 10, 2022 11 minutes ago, Cult Of One said: Yeah, @Classic Brewing Co I had to try one and last night it was 26 degrees in the backyard, this was 3 degrees and I was very happy with it. Another month conditioning and it will be happy day I recon. Well done, it looks really nice & as you say can only get better. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDT2 Posted November 10, 2022 Share Posted November 10, 2022 18 minutes ago, Cult Of One said: Yeah, @Classic Brewing Co I had to try one and last night it was 26 degrees in the backyard, this was 3 degrees and I was very happy with it. Another month conditioning and it will be happy day I recon. Well done mate looks nice 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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