Kearnage Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 This is the Coopers suggested recipe to approximate their dark ale: Dark Ale Those temps are pretty high (as you know!), if you can get closer to 20 degrees your result will be better. Some ideas here: Temp control ideas If you get the bug, a fridge and temperature controller will end up on your wishlist. Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savagedavid Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 OK so after reading up elsewhere in the forum I have loosely decided on the following recipe: Coopers Real Ale kit (got it as a present) 500g LDME (standard size of the box, should I use more?) 300g Dextrose (is this enough?) Some hops (not sure which, will have to see what is available) How much hops should I use (what is average?) Yeast - SAF Ale - S04 (11.5g sahet) I don't want to experiment with grains just yet, I'll leave that for future brews. Does this sound OK? Am I missing anything obvious? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 It looks good Savagedavid. You could push the LDME up to 1kg if you want (I would). It depends if you want a maltier, stronger beer. What are you planning to do with the hops? If dry hopping I would probably run with 20-25g for your first batch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savagedavid Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 You could push the LDME up to 1kg if you want (I would). It depends if you want a maltier, stronger beer. I do, I will :) What are you planning to do with the hops? If dry hopping I would probably run with 20-25g for your first batch. Thanks for the quantity guideline. I am going to keg this batch, would dry hopping leave any bits I need to be concerned about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyG4 Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 another quick q that doesn't warrant it's own thread. why don't we boil wort in Australia? seems the done thing in america... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kearnage Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 FAQ - boiling PB2 puts it much better than I could. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savagedavid Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Uh oh. I just went out and bought a 25L food grade container with a tap, plus a siphoning tube. I think the bug is starting to bite... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 another quick q that doesn't warrant it's own thread. why don't we boil wort in Australia? seems the done thing in america... Not to be confused between kit cans and actual wort. We do boil Wort in Australia. Where is the reference to say we don't? We boil wort for pasteurisation and hop additions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Uh oh. I just went out and bought a 25L food grade container with a tap' date=' plus a siphoning tube. I think the bug is starting to bite...[/quote'] Woohoo!!... your on the slippery sloaps now. Next thing you will be looking for a kettle of sorts [ninja] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savagedavid Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Any used tea urns going cheap on Ebay? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kike Gimenez Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Hello Mates! So I'm on 8th day after bottling, My bottling temp has been around 20-28C. Yesterday I grabbed one for taste and check. It was really good, missing a bit of carb due to the early carb stage. But in flavor was really good. Other thing I noticed was that it was a bit cloudy, is this normal ? It should clear up in the upcoming weeks Im guessing. What would be the ideal temp for bottling Ales? I dont think I will be lagerin down here in Venezuela its kinda hard. Thanks in advance for ur input! Happy Brewing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Hi Mate Your bottling temp should be fine. I'd keep it around the 20ish mark though but it wont hurt if it goes higher. The beer will clear in time. If you can store them cool after about 3 weeks they will clear a lot quicker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kike Gimenez Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Hey Bill thanks for your answer :D I moved them to a room wirh a towel on it that I keep a little bit wet, and I just turn the AC of the room once or twice a day. Makes it easier for me. the fridge temp manual control was driving me crazy :D. So in this new room bottles have been between 20-22c and should be fine for the next few weeks. About the cooler temp after 3 weeks. How cool ? Can I store them back in the fridge to be around 12-16c ?. I was planning on putting them back in there with the fridge on 24/7 which gives them a temp from 12-16c. Also my next brew would be the Lager from the starter kit. At the moment I can only get a hold of Light Dry Malt Extract (amber, dark also) Priming sugar, and a few hops. I saw a lot of recipes for this kit, then I saw this page coopers recipes and got me some ideas that wanted to ask you guys about. For instance noticed that most of these recipes on the site posted, for the Lager kit, the proportion for Dextrose-Sugars to LDME are around (Dextrose-Sugars) 60 - 40 (LDME). I was thinking of doing exactly the oposite, since I've heard DME does more good than sugar to your beer in larger proportion than Dextrose/Sugar. My recipe was going for something like this. 1 Can Coopers Lager. 800g LDME. 300g Corn Sugar or Dextrose. 20g Saaz Hops Pellets. Am I going too high on the LDME ? or is it ok ? Thanks for reading mates. Happy Brewing! [bandit] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyG4 Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 brew night friday night is fast becoming my favourite day of the fortnight, even with the cricket and A League on [cool] i'm just going to keep posting my newbie questions in here... tonights recipe 1.7kg can of Coopers Draught 1.5kg can of Coopers Amber Malt 250g of LDME (plus another 100g in my hop boil) 25g Cascade hops @ 30 mins 20g Galaxy hops @ 10 mins 15g Galaxy hops @ flame out (thanks to those who suggested straining - after i'd strained it i realised that all that remnant in my trub would've sucked) the brewcraft calculator suggested on OG of 1052. the spreadsheet suggested an OG of 1055 (although I don't know whether I used that right) my OG was only about 1044. what have I done wrong here? given my first lager tastes fine but only started at an OG of 1039 and only got down to 1015, is this as simple as just needing a new hydrometer? i've tested it in 20 degree water, it came up to 1000. i'm a bit perplexed about this one. as i have the full set up now with the fridge and temp controller, as well as spending more than i ever thought i'd spend on home brew to include a liquid malt, i also went to the extra effort of using the John Palmer method of rehydrating yeast. (15 mins yeast in a cup of 35 degree water, then quarter of a cup of water mixed with 1 tsp of dry malt, boiled, cooled, then added to the yeast) edit: just discovered i used the wrong yeast - used my US-05 instead of the Saf-04... but i don't suppose it'll matter. (at least, not until I go to make my Cascade Pale Ale clone using Black Rock IPA that called for the US-05...) haven't pitched the yeast yet - temperature came to 26 degrees, i thought there'd be no harm in putting it in the fridge for half an hour and let the yeast do some more rehydrating. i gotta say, more than any other brew, i'm filthy that it'll be 6 weeks before i drink this one, because it looks and smells amazing, and i know how much work i've put into it! the plan is 9 days at 18 degrees, 3 days at 23 degrees and 4-5 days cold conditioning. unless someone tells me that's wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 1 Can Coopers Lager. 800g LDME. 300g Corn Sugar or Dextrose. 20g Saaz Hops Pellets. Am I going too high on the LDME ? or is it ok ? That is definitely not too much LDME. The recipe looks good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 the plan is 9 days at 18 degrees' date=' 3 days at 23 degrees and 4-5 days cold conditioning. unless someone tells me that's wrong.[/quote'] While this plan looks the goods from the outside, you will find that sometimes yeast have a different plan.. they are a living organism that doesnt run to a calender... they may finish in 5 days or maybe 15, only they know whats going on [lol] but yes, sounds like a good plan, your patience is developing then? [lol] Yob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamH1525226084 Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Hi Kike. I'm a beginner brewer, but seasoned taster. Have started tasting my first brew, the kit Lager, and while it is quite drinkable I think it is missing something - that something I think is more malt and perhaps a little more flavour (although that will develop from what the experts on here say). The kit comes with BE1 which doesn't have any malt - 60% dextrose, 40% maltodextrin. So, I think your recipe sounds like it will turn out nice. How are you going to use the hop pellets? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyG4 Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 your patience is developing then? [lol] hell no, i hate the waiting, and i am not at all patience. it is a necessary evil though, i have quickly found. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savagedavid Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 6 days into bottling and I couldn't wait any longer! Chucked a bottle into the fridge and tested it out. I am very happy with the result, quite bitter, but I understand that will mellow out over time. Almost no head retention though, will this improve? The carbonation was perfect even though I used 2 carbonation drops in a liter bottle, which is a bit below recommended. I cant wait to test it again in a few weeks time. I just did my second brew today. After reading around and taking the advise on this forum, I went with the following: Coopers Real Ale kit (discarded the yeast) 750g LDME (I used the Coopers this time, although my supplier suggested a much cheaper source for the next brew) 300g Dextrose 11.5g sachet SAF04 Ale yeast (activated in some tepid water first) This time I left the wort to get down to about 26 degrees before adding the yeast. It's quite hot in SA at the moment so I have a wet towel draped over it and a fan blowing as well. Temp is coming down quite nicely and I hope to keep it around 20-21 degrees. Going away for 3 weeks so I hope it will be okay in the FV for that length of time. If I want to dry hop can I do that after moving to a secondary FV? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kike Gimenez Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Hi Kike. I'm a beginner brewer, but seasoned taster. Have started tasting my first brew, the kit Lager, and while it is quite drinkable I think it is missing something - that something I think is more malt and perhaps a little more flavour (although that will develop from what the experts on here say). The kit comes with BE1 which doesn't have any malt - 60% dextrose, 40% maltodextrin. So, I think your recipe sounds like it will turn out nice. How are you going to use the hop pellets? Hey Adam! From what I've browsed around. The most common an easiest way for a new brewer to add hops on coopers kit I read was to boil 1L of water, Add the LDME to it. Get hops into the cooking sock (I dont know the proper name for this in english). Put the hops into it for 7-10 mins. After this move mixture to the fermenter and continue the process. Other method could be Dry Hoping but I might screw it up since im not sure how to do it. Accepting suggestions [biggrin] Happy brewing all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 If I want to dry hop can I do that after moving to a secondary FV? You sure can. From what I've browsed around. The most common an easiest way for a new brewer to add hops on coopers kit I read was to boil 1L of water, Add the LDME to it. Get hops into the cooking sock (I dont know the proper name for this in english). Put the hops into it for 7-10 mins. After this move mixture to the fermenter and continue the process. Other method could be Dry Hoping but I might screw it up since im not sure how to do it. Accepting suggestions Kike, if you have a strainer then there is no need to use a hop sock when boiling. Just add them loose and strain the liquid into the fermenter. Save the hop sock for dry hopping. Just boil the hop sock in water to sanitise, add the hops, tie the end and drop it in the fermenter when you are ready to dry hop. Easy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 ... with something to weight it down, stainless steel spoons, marbles, whatever, you will get a better result if if sinks and is fully immersed. Yob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianH8 Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 I am now enjoying the fruits of my fist homebrewing. I did the Cooper's IPA. I let it ferment for a full two weeks before bottling. The IPA is good, but I like a hoppier taste for an IPA. What is the best way to add more hops to it when I do another IPA. I am not thrilled with how it finishes. Kind of a sour aftertaste. Could that be from the water I used (regular tap water)? For my next batch I was going to use the Lager that came with the kit. I would welcome ideas on how to improve on it from the basic instructions. Also, what is the best way to clean and sanitize the bottles? Can they go in a dishwasher? Cheers from Chicago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 dishwashers are great for washing bottles so I have read.. Best way of adding hops is to a mini boil, 4lt water and 400g DME, bring to the boil and add hops at say 20 min, 10 min and a goodly whack at 0 min. Strain out after 10 mins and add the wort to the rest of the ingredients, brew as you normally would and add some hops to the fermenter after the krausen starts to drop back.. aka dry hopping as read above. Your sour aftertaste may well be due to the brews age, I assume it is only a few weeks old? It will get better with a bit of age if it lasts that long [lol] Yob edit: you hate Brians? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyG4 Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 I am now enjoying the fruits of my fist homebrewing. I did the Cooper's IPA. I let it ferment for a full two weeks before bottling. The IPA is good, but I like a hoppier taste for an IPA. What is the best way to add more hops to it when I do another IPA. I am not thrilled with how it finishes. Kind of a sour aftertaste. Could that be from the water I used (regular tap water)? For my next batch I was going to use the Lager that came with the kit. I would welcome ideas on how to improve on it from the basic instructions. Also, what is the best way to clean and sanitize the bottles? Can they go in a dishwasher? Cheers from Chicago. if i were going to make the Coopers lager kit again, i'd be throwing away the kit yeast and getting a lager yeast to ferment at 12-13 degrees. i'd be replacing the sugar with malt. and i'd be hopping the bejeesus out of it with bitterness, flavour and aroma. the lager is a pretty boring from my recent experience, and my first experience in doing it years ago. on dishwashers, i don't have one myself - but i remember hearing on basic brewing radio that you aren't using the dishwasher for the cleaning itself, you're using it for the heat it generates to steralise the bottles. so i don't think you would put a detergent in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.