Whats in Your Fermenter - 2024?

[Classic Brewing Co]

7 minutes ago, Red devil 44 said:

$16 a schooner,

Shock, Horror  that is way too much, absolute BS. The beer prices in pubs these days are getting ridiculous.

I don't bother much these days unless a special mate (or lady friend wants a drink ) rings for a lunch for a few.

Most of them turn up here at "Phil's Bar & Grill" 

Edited January 6 by Classic Brewing Co

[Red devil 44]

2 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

Shock, Horror  that is way too much, absolute BS. The beer prices in pubs these days are getting ridiculous.

I don't bother much these days unless a special mate (or lady friend wants a drink ) rings for a lunch for a few.

Most of them turn up here at "Phil's Bar & Grill" 

Most people I know in my neck of the woods will refuse to pay that, it’s a working class area. 
The pub is not even that flash anyway. 
‘It had a public bar with the usual (mega swill beers), then another area for Craft Beer, Slipstream, Balter etc, pretty sad state of affairs heading out for a beer in my town. 

[jennyss]

3 hours ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

did you tip out the first pour into the test tube

Yes, thanks Classic; I always tip out the first sample, my first Coopers instruction video insisted that was important!

Edited January 6 by jennyss

[Uhtred Of Beddanburg]

@Red devil 44 a Craft beer scooner? 425 ml?

Geeze I was at Crown Casino in Melbourne the other night and was 18 for a pint of Heineken. A propper pint, then a scooner was only 10.80 or something so just stuck with those as not much volume difference for that price gap.

[Shamus O'Sean]

6 hours ago, jennyss said:

My Coopers Brew A IPA extract was mixed this afternoon with 1.5kg of light dry malt and 25g Galaxy hops (boiled in a chux baggy). The OG was 1051! That is way too high for regular drinking. 

My last brew, a Coopers Bootmaker Pale Ale also started out at 1055!! I brought the OG's down to 1046, and 1052 respectively by adding 2 more litres of water to each.  But what can be causing the whopper OG's? A previous  Brew A IPA started at 1044.  The only difference I can pick is a new brand of light dry malt. Could that possibly cause the higher OG??

It would be unusual for a different light dry malt to cause such a different OG.  However, if the wort it was made from has a higher OG, then it is possible the LDM could make a difference.  Is there any brewing data on the package the LDM came in?

You said you discarded the first sample, which is good practice.  Sometimes a bit of less mixed concentrate gets caught in the tap recess.  That can cause higher OG readings.

I put the 1.7kg Brew A IPA and the 1.5kg of LDM into the IanH spreadsheet.  It says an OG of 1.047.  That is not far off your earlier Brew A IPA batch.

[Otto Von Blotto]

13 hours ago, jennyss said:

My Coopers Brew A IPA extract was mixed this afternoon with 1.5kg of light dry malt and 25g Galaxy hops (boiled in a chux baggy). The OG was 1051! That is way too high for regular drinking. 

My last brew, a Coopers Bootmaker Pale Ale also started out at 1055!! I brought the OG's down to 1046, and 1052 respectively by adding 2 more litres of water to each.  But what can be causing the whopper OG's? A previous  Brew A IPA started at 1044.  The only difference I can pick is a new brand of light dry malt. Could that possibly cause the higher OG??

What volume was it mixed to? A kit and 1.5kg dry malt in 23 litres should start around 1.045 off the top of my head. 

[jennyss]

31 minutes ago, Otto Von Blotto said:

What volume was it mixed to?

Mixed originally to 23litres. Yes, I was expecting an OG of 1044/45. Last time I made the Brew A it started at 1044, with exactly the same ingredients but no added hops.  Most of my brews finish at about 1008. I don't really want a beer with an %ABV of over 5%!

[jennyss]

7 hours ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

Is there any brewing data on the package the LDM came in?

No information on the 1kg bags of LDM from Noble Baron. I'm guessing they buy it in bulk and package it up themselves?

[Otto Von Blotto]

11 hours ago, jennyss said:

Mixed originally to 23litres. Yes, I was expecting an OG of 1044/45. Last time I made the Brew A it started at 1044, with exactly the same ingredients but no added hops.  Most of my brews finish at about 1008. I don't really want a beer with an %ABV of over 5%!

Alright cool. I'd say you probably got a false reading. There may be minor differences in the actual amount of malt sugar between brands of dry malt but it wouldn't be that much. 

Adding 1.5kg of table sugar instead of dry malt wouldn't even result in an SG over 1.050, so it's not gonna happen with malt which is generally a point or two lower on a 100g per litre measure. 

Edited January 7 by Otto Von Blotto

[iBooz2]

Finally got the new big FV fridge ready and so in went COPA cube B along with a fresh culture of CCA yeast.  It set at 17 C.  Top FV in pic is just for pic's sake as it was waiting to be cleaned after COPA cube A was kegged.  Was not sure if I was going to harvest some of the trub but I ended up spinning up a new culture for cube B and cleaning this one out.

This fridge is a ripper deal.  Only $100 and not a scratch or ding on it.  Still had a lot of the white shipping tape on various bits like it was new.

Going to use it for two Coopers FV at the same time in the meantime but I have just ordered another 58 L SS Kegmenter and floating dip tube kit for this fridge.  That way I can dedicate one of the 58 L Kegmenter's to lagers and the new one to ales so effectively I can do double batches of each.  That will give me the capacity to pump out 50 L of lagers and 100 L of ales per fortnight.  Might just be enough!

Will still use the Coopers FV for first tries of new recipes before I throw a new recipe double batch at the big boys.

Edited January 10 by iBooz2

[Back Brewing]

3 minutes ago, iBooz2 said:

Finally got the new big FV fridge ready and so in went COPA cube B along with a fresh culture of CCA yeast.  It set at 17 C.

This fridge is a ripper deal.  Only $100 and not a scratch or ding on it.  Still had a lot of the white shipping tape on various bits like it was new.

Going to use it for two Coopers FV at the same time in the meantime but I have just ordered another 58 L SS Kegmenter and floating dip tube kit for this fridge.  That way I can dedicate one of the 58 L Kegmenter's to lagers and the new one to ales so effectively I can do double batches of each.  That will give me the capacity to pump out 50 L of lagers and 100 L of ales per fortnight.  Might just be enough!

Will still use the Coopers FV for first tries of new recipes before I throw a new recipe double batch at the big boys.

You think it might just be enough?

[Tricky Micky]

13 hours ago, iBooz2 said:

That will give me the capacity to pump out 50 L of lagers and 100 L of ales per fortnight.  Might just be enough!

Ya think? 

13 hours ago, iBooz2 said:

Will still use the Coopers FV for first tries of new recipes before I throw a new recipe double batch at the big boys.

Damn, I was already hovering. 

[Aussiekraut]

On 1/6/2024 at 4:22 PM, Red devil 44 said:

Yeah first time I’ve seen this kit at the LHBS, the owner has just purchased the pub across from it.

He was recommending I slip in there for a beer, I had 1 as it was $16 a schooner, went home and drunk my own

Where was that?

I still haven't been to the craft beer place on Brisbane Rd, can't recall the name and apparently, there is a place near the courthouse that has nice beers on tap. Pumphouse? Pumpbar? Something like that. 

[Kegory]

Jolly Roger Pale Ale (Pirate Life Pale Ale clone kit)

[Kegory]

On 1/6/2024 at 4:32 PM, jennyss said:

My Coopers Brew A IPA extract was mixed this afternoon with 1.5kg of light dry malt and 25g Galaxy hops (boiled in a chux baggy). The OG was 1051! That is way too high for regular drinking. 

My last brew, a Coopers Bootmaker Pale Ale also started out at 1055!! I brought the OG's down to 1046, and 1052 respectively by adding 2 more litres of water to each.  But what can be causing the whopper OG's? A previous  Brew A IPA started at 1044.  The only difference I can pick is a new brand of light dry malt. Could that possibly cause the higher OG??

On paper 1.7kg of liquid malt extract + 1.5kg of dry malt extract in 23L should give you an OG of 1.045.

Temperature of the sample affects hydrometer readings, and hydrometers are calibrated to give a reading at a specific temperature. A few degrees difference in the temperature can change the reading by a point or two but 10 points seems like a lot.

Anyway, it all comes down to the difference between the OG and the FG.  If the FG winds up higher by the same amount as the OG you'll end up with the same ABV.

[Otto Von Blotto]

2 minutes ago, Kegory said:

On paper 1.7kg of liquid malt extract + 1.5kg of dry malt extract in 23L should give you an OG of 1.045.

Temperature of the sample affects hydrometer readings, and hydrometers are calibrated to give a reading at a specific temperature. A few degrees difference in the temperature can change the reading by a point or two but 10 points seems like a lot.

Anyway, it all comes down to the difference between the OG and the FG.  If the FG winds up higher by the same amount as the OG you'll end up with the same ABV.

In this case on paper is what actually matters. The same weight of sugar dissolved in the same volume of water will always result in the same SG. Other variables don't change this as the readings can be adjusted to the standard if needed.

[Coopers DIY Beer Team]

@jennyss as others have already said, your SG reading was 5 or 6 points high because the sample you took was not representative of the wort. This is usually caused by liquid malt extract lodging in the back of the tap when dissolving the ingredients.

If you're not mashing any grains there's no real need to take a Starting Gravity reading. All of our liquid malt extract products have a target density of 80 Brix, which you can use as a rough "percentage equivalent". Convert the liquid malt extract ingredients to "dry equivalent" then add all your dry ingredients up and divide by the volume of the wort to get total dissolved solids in grams per litre. For example a recipe calling for a 1.7kg can of Real Ale, a 1.5kg can of LME and 500g of BE2 made up to 23 litres:

 80% x [1700 + 1500] + 500 = Xg

80% x 3200 + 500 = Xg

2560 + 500 = 3060g

3060/23 = 133g/l

Then plug that number into a density scale converter app to get your Specific Gravity. There are heaps around, including programs like Beersmith, but I find this one from Vino Lab accurate, versatile and one of the easiest to use:

https://www.vinolab.hr/calculator/gravity-density-sugar-conversions-en19

Plug your dry equivalent g/l figure into the Dissolved Sugar (g/l) field at the bottom and the app autofill's the other fields.

Cheers, Frank.

[iBooz2]

On 1/6/2024 at 5:22 PM, Red devil 44 said:

Yeah first time I’ve seen this kit at the LHBS, the owner has just purchased the pub across from it.

He was recommending I slip in there for a beer, I had 1 as it was $16 a schooner, went home and drunk my own

I was gobsmacked by the prices at Point Samson pub in WA.  Asked for a pint of 150 lashes (on tap) and a 7 oz glass of ginger beer and put $20 on the bar.  Barman screwed his nose up and so I said "how much"?  He said you had better hit me with $30 and I will get you your change.  Gave him $30 and he gave me back $1.50.  Had I known how much he was going to sting me I would have said "I hope these drinks have a good shelf life, because that where you can keep them".  The pub did not get to rip me off a second time.  It's problematic with big mining communities, big salaries/wages and big rip-offs to take it back off them.

[iBooz2]

Kegged up my Carlton Draught clone #1 today so tipped two cubes of Carlton Draught clone #2 back in and onto the DL yeast trub of the 58 L Kegmenter.  Did not bother to aerate it as it clearly worked fine without it on previous pitch.  This batch is using Toffee malts in lieu of Vienna as a specialty malt so will see what that brings to the beer.

[Shamus O'Sean]

I dry hopped one of my fermenters of Coopers Original Pale Ale tonight with 25g of Pride of Ringwood.  I decided to go commando.  These hops will be in the beer for around another week.  Hopefully it does not get grassy notes.

I measured the SG with 3 devices:

• Floating Pill hydrometer said 1.016
• SmartRef electronic hydrometer said 1.013
• Coopers standard hydrometer said 1.018

It is a bit of a range.  I trust the SmartRef to be the most correct.  Interestingly, by the time the beer is complete, the SmartRef and Coopers hydrometer are usually within a point of each other.

I already increased the temperature to 21°C during the day.  I like to up the temperature once the SG drops below 1.020.  This is to help the yeast finish off.  I checked the Pill reading at lunchtime on my phone from work.  I remotely increased the Inkbird temperature controller to 21°C.  So handy when technology works.

[Classic Brewing Co]

Back to basics, just a couple of quick brews to give me some keg stock & then full bang on AG brews to really stock up, most of my visitors couldn't tell the difference between an all grain or a k & k once it's kegged. 

[John304]

39 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

Back to basics, just a couple of quick brews to give me some keg stock & then full bang on AG brews to really stock up, most of my visitors couldn't tell the difference between an all grain or a k & k once it's kegged. 

I’ve had to do the same since Christmas, must admit, pimp them up with a decent dry hop and they make a nice beer  

[Classic Brewing Co]

5 minutes ago, John304 said:

I’ve had to do the same since Christmas, must admit, pimp them up with a decent dry hop and they make a nice beer  

Oh yeah, they will both get hopped with what I have in the fridge ATM POR, Galaxy, Eclipse. I will give them both about 50gms on the last 4 days of fermentation. 

Hop sock steeped seems to work for me the most.

[John304]

3 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

Oh yeah, they will both get hopped with what I have in the fridge ATM POR, Galaxy, Eclipse. I will give them both about 50gms on the last 4 days of fermentation. 

Hop sock steeped seems to work for me the most.

I just kegged a cerveza with BE3, dry hopped in a bag with 15g citra, 15g amerallo and 15g  centennial, very nice 

[jennyss]

Bottled my 23L brew of Coopers Brew A IPA today.  This brew had 1.5kg LDM and 25g Galaxy pellets (added in a steep at mixing time). The FG was 1011 after an OG of 1046 (got it down to this after adding 2 more litres of water), which gives me an ABV of 4.7%. The colour of the brew all along has been a very dark purply brown. I'm looking forward to tasting this brew on 30th Jan.

A Coopers Original Pale Ale will be my next brew.