8.5lt Craft fermenter options

[JohnR13]

Hi,

Just returning to brewing after 5years off. Not looking to do the volume I used to.

What is the experience using full 1.7l kits in the small fermenter?

Cheers

JR

[Classic Brewing Co]

1 hour ago, JohnR13 said:

Hi,

Just returning to brewing after 5years off. Not looking to do the volume I used to.

What is the experience using full 1.7l kits in the small fermenter?

Cheers

JR

I assume you mean the 8.5l Craft Fermenter, It will be fairly strong & have a much higher ABV. but you can push it up to with 10l or so of water.

I did it once with an out of date can & only added 250gm LDM & it was OK.

[Shamus O'Sean]

8 hours ago, JohnR13 said:

Hi,

Just returning to brewing after 5years off. Not looking to do the volume I used to.

What is the experience using full 1.7l kits in the small fermenter?

Cheers

JR

Hey JR, I have not done it myself, but you would think it would be similar to a two-can in the big fermenter.

ABV in 10 litres would be around 5.5%.

More than double the IBU's of doing a 1.7kg can in 23 litres.

• Australian Pale Ale 58 IBU
• European Lager  58 IBU
• Mexican Cerveza  55 IBU

Given the ABV and the IBU's you are around IPA territory, so might be okay.  Definitely worth a try.

PS you can get 4 Mr Beer cans delivered for free.  From the Coopers website:

If you purchase any combination of 4x Mr Beer Craft Series cans in a single order you'll receive free shipping. If any other items are added to this order from outside the Craft Series category, standard delivery fees will apply. Offer valid until further notice. Delivery within Australia only. No Further discounts apply.

[No-Idea]

On 7/17/2023 at 9:46 PM, Shamus O'Sean said:

Hey JR, I have not done it myself, but you would think it would be similar to a two-can in the big fermenter.

ABV in 10 litres would be around 5.5%.

More than double the IBU's of doing a 1.7kg can in 23 litres.

• Australian Pale Ale 58 IBU
• European Lager  58 IBU
• Mexican Cerveza  55 IBU

Given the ABV and the IBU's you are around IPA territory, so might be okay.  Definitely worth a try.

PS you can get 4 Mr Beer cans delivered for free.  From the Coopers website:

If you purchase any combination of 4x Mr Beer Craft Series cans in a single order you'll receive free shipping. If any other items are added to this order from outside the Craft Series category, standard delivery fees will apply. Offer valid until further notice. Delivery within Australia only. No Further discounts apply.

Hi guys, 

If you were to use the 1.7kg extract in craft FV and push it to 10L, would it need any other fermentables or is it the same as Mr Beer extracts in that it is a can only required? I have both Coopers FV's but would like to experiment in smaller batches as I don't want to have cartons of horrible tasting beer while I learn the ropes. 

I will likely try each of the Mr Beers, however have a LHBS close to me that has a wide range of other brands and extract options that I would like to test out over time.

Cheers

[Classic Brewing Co]

10 minutes ago, No-Idea said:

Hi guys, 

If you were to use the 1.7kg extract in craft FV and push it to 10L, would it need any other fermentables or is it the same as Mr Beer extracts in that it is a can only required? I have both Coopers FV's but would like to experiment in smaller batches as I don't want to have cartons of horrible tasting beer while I learn the ropes. 

I will likely try each of the Mr Beers, however have a LHBS close to me that has a wide range of other brands and extract options that I would like to test out over time.

Cheers

You can definitely ferment it just using the can, but I would suggest using 250-500gms of either liquid or powdered Light Malt for an extra boost improving overall body, mouthfeel & head retention.

[No-Idea]

5 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

You can definitely ferment it just using the can, but I would suggest using 250-500gms of either liquid or powdered Light Malt for an extra boost improving overall body, mouthfeel & head retention.

Thanks mate. This may be a stupid question, but will the malt affect the ABV at all?

[Classic Brewing Co]

It will depending on the type used & the quantity. but not too much, this may help.

https://www.howtohomebrewbeers.com/2016/06/increase-alcohol-abv-percentage-beer-homebrew.html

[Kegory]

1 hour ago, No-Idea said:

Hi guys, 

If you were to use the 1.7kg extract in craft FV and push it to 10L, would it need any other fermentables or is it the same as Mr Beer extracts in that it is a can only required? I have both Coopers FV's but would like to experiment in smaller batches as I don't want to have cartons of horrible tasting beer while I learn the ropes. 

I will likely try each of the Mr Beers, however have a LHBS close to me that has a wide range of other brands and extract options that I would like to test out over time.

Cheers

Liquid Malt Extract will give you 300 gravity points per kilo per litre. So 1.7kg x 300 / 10 will give you an original gravity of 1.051. Depending on how much your yeast attenuates the wort and whether or not you keg or bottle you'll probably end up somewhere in the range of 4.5-5.5% ABV and, as Shamus said, a relatively high bitterness.

[NBillett09]

8 hours ago, No-Idea said:

would like to experiment in smaller batches as I don't want to have cartons of horrible tasting beer while I learn the ropes.

I had similar feelings when starting out but tbh if you read the all the recipe options in the recipe section (you can filter them to show exactly what sort of beers you like) all the recipes are very deliberately created to have good results. If you like how the description sounds, then just follow the recipe exactly first time round. Pick easier recipes to start and as you gather skills and knowledge then have a crack at the harder ones. As a rule of thumb, following the recipes exactly will pretty much always result in good beers.

 

now if you choose to brew a stout and you hate dark beers then I can’t help you much!

[Aussiekraut]

10 hours ago, No-Idea said:

Thanks mate. This may be a stupid question, but will the malt affect the ABV at all?

Yes, it will boost the ABV. If you want to keep the ABV where it is and require more body, try using maltodextrin. It is a type of sugar that doesn't ferment, so it adds to the body and mouthfeel.

However, I'm not sure you need to add anything though. I'd just try the kit can with 10l of water and then see how it pans out . If there is something you don't like, correct it in the next batch. It's a good way to learn how to tailor a beer to your palate. In the end, it is you you're brewing for.