Improving on Coopers Lager

[Snags]

Hi all.

 

I've completed my first couple of brews with some varying results.

 

Basically, I have been using the Coopers Lager can, 1kg Brew enhancer, and 500g light dry Malt. And fermenting at 25'c. I did one lot with BE2, and two lots with BE1, but think I give preference to the BE2.

 

Just wondering if anyone else has done the same mix, and if some of you better brewers have suggestions for change or a better variation for a nice drop? I like a nice full bodied malty beer, and my commercial preference is always a Zywiec when I can afford it. Although this brew tastes nothing like it, I have found it to be a pretty nice drop.

 

Thanks in advance, Mick

 

[Snags]

Also if it helps, I am brewing with a standard plastic fermenter in an old fridge with an immersion fish tank heater. I live near Barrington Tops and it gets quite cool here.

[Matty A]

Welcome to the forums Mick.

 

As for the ingredients, the last brew I have done only has 500 LDM in it and it tasted great after 2 weeks.

 

Also another pointer that might help a fair bit is to get the temperature down to 20C. Seeing that the temperature is 25C the yeast is probably creating a few off flavours. If you keep it at around 20C tho it will create a cleaner beer.

[Snags]

Thanks Matty.

 

So you didn't use brewing sugar at all? Does that reduce the body of the beer dramatically?

 

Also I will try lowering the temperature, I didn't think the standard yeast would ferment thoroughly at that temperature?

 

Thanks.

[Matty A]

LDM is a type of brewing sugar. The good thing about using malt is that it isnt fully fermentable, so it adds body and mouthfeel to the beer, gives it a little bit more alcohol and leaves over residual sweetness.

 

Obviously if you use too much malt it would make the beer to sweet.

[Snags]

So the 500g is enough? I would have thought if a brew asks for 1kg of sugar that 500g would be on the low side? Would 1kg LDM make a nice brew?

 

[Matty A]

500g of LDM is enough to make a lower alcohol beer. 1kg would make a malty beer but since the kit isnt very bitter it might make the beer to sweet for my tastes anyway.

 

You can always add bittering hops to the brew if you want to add the extra malt or if you want to bump up the alcohol percentage add 200g - 300g of dextrose as it is fully fermentable.

[Snags]

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

I might try one brew with only 500g of the BE2, and the 500g LDM and see how that turns out.

[Muddy Waters]

Mick - Like Matty says more malt and less simple sugars and lower temps are the go. I'd go for 1kg of LDM with about 250g of dex to bring the alcohol up a bit.

 

I'd also add some hops, my tastes lean towards american hops but I'm not sure what you like (I don't know Zywiec).

 

I don't think it is a good idea to use the immersion heater as it will stress the yeast which will lead to off flavours in your beer. If you need a heat source go for ambient heat (which is eay in a fridge) rather than having direct contact with the heat source.

[Matty A]

Instead of the immersion chiller. Hook up a Tempmate (or something similar to the old fridge (if it still works. And also hookup a heat source (Like a Light Bulb in a pot) in the fridge itself.

 

That way just set it to 20C and forget about it as the fridge will turn on if above and the heat source will turn on if below.

[Snags]

Oh, ok. I was of the impression the immersion heater was the best way to keep at a desired temperature? And no, the old fridge doesn't work, and I have a heat lamp set up in the fridge also, but found the temperature kept rising too high using that. I mainly use the heater lamp to keep the bottles above 18' once bottled for secondary fermentation.

 

Thanks for all the info guys.

 

[Guest]

Without the aid of a temp controller, I'd take the heater out and use the lamp on a timer as a heat source.

Drop temps to 18C-20C.

Use cordial bottles as ice blocks in the fridge to get temps down if need be.

 

To start you should turn off all your heating and see where the temps sit at. If they drop below 18C then turn the light on in the fridge until temps sit between 18-20C. If when the heater is off, they remain above this then put one or two ice blocks in there.

 

[Muddy Waters]

If you haven't got a temp controller I find it useful to have a small digital thermometer to keep and eye on temps - it saves opening and closing the fridge door. You can get them for less than $2 delivered from ebay.

 

I use mine to keep an eye on temps in my bottles storage area.

 

[Matty A]

I want one of them when I get my beer kegerator (out of an old chest freezer) going. I think its a nice touch when it shows the temperature at the front.

[Guest]

If you haven't got a temp controller I find it useful to have a small digital thermometer to keep and eye on temps - it saves opening and closing the fridge door. You can get them for less than $2 delivered from ebay.

 

I use mine to keep an eye on temps in my bottles storage area.

 

lol I have 3 of them already and just bought another 7 last Monday. Very handy for a lot of purposes at only $1.89 delivered to your door ... [cool]

 

[Snags]

Without heat in the fridge, ambient temp sits at around 16-18 with the door closed, colder if left open.

 

[Matty A]

The ambient temperature will be great there Mick. Try ferment with the heater off and you will more then likely be making some awesome beer.

 

I have been brewing with Ale yeasts at 18C and its working great.

[Snags]

Another stupid question[crying] , but how long generally do you guys leave the bottles above 18' for secondary fermentation? I've been leaving mine in the fridge with the heat lamp on for around 5 days, until the bottles clear out, and then moving them into a dark cupboard.

[Matty A]

I just pack them in milkcrates after they are bottled, move to wherever they are being stored and leave them there until I drink them.

 

roughly 4 months ago I made a stout and have stored the milkcrate in the shed where I brew and it has been sitting in there since the day I bottled it.

[Snags]

Yeah, the sheds way too cold to do that for me. Overnight temp is generally around the zero degree mark.

[Muddy Waters]

They generally need a week for carbonation but I generally aim for 2 if I can.

[Snags]

So the temp for secondary carbonation isn't as critical as the primary fermentation?

 

Sorry for all these stupid questions, I'm just trying to get a better grasp on the correct methods.

[Matty A]

Not as crucial because it is only fermenting a couple of grams of sugar so won't make that much differance to flavour, obviously if too cold it wont work and too hot it will kill the yeast.

 

As for the shed, I havent been putting them in there for the same reason, at the moment they are inside. It is definately warm enough to carbonate them.

[Snags]

Do you use carbonation drops? I'm thinking of using something else as I think the variation in the size of them is why I'm getting varying levels of carbonation in my bottles.

[Matty A]

Nope, I Bulk Prime.

 

I connect 2 fermenters together by the taps using a food grade hose. In the empty fermenter I put my sugar, water solution (Usually around 175g of dextrose added to boiling water and then cooled) and then open the taps so the full fermenter drains into the second one.

 

Doing this will mix the dextrose into the brew and then you bottle straight after it has moved all of the beer across. No need to add sugar to the bottles as it is already mixed into the beer.

 

Doing it this way allows you to use odd sized bottles without the worry of over carbing them.