Polarian Posted February 18, 2013 Share Posted February 18, 2013 I have used Coopers home brew over the years and have had mixed results but over all i have been happy ! I have one of the new coopers home brew kits now , the kit with the lid and collar rather than the old kits with the screw lid. Some questions tho: When i am fermenting my batch ( the first 6 days ) , do i need to keep the brew out of the light ? like completely 100% dark ? When i make the batch you are only supposed to sprinkle the yeast on top ? or are you ment to completely stir it in ? Sugars ... i get best results when i use 1kg brew enhancer 1 and 1kg brew enhancer 2 .. but this means i am adding 2k sugars to my mix... is this ok ? THANK YOU for any advice and you can also post back to me directly at facebook.com/polarian also are their any good home brew sites on facebook ? again thank you ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveM33 Posted February 18, 2013 Share Posted February 18, 2013 You can brew your FV in the light, no problems whatsoever. I suggest getting an old fridge though and some temp control. You can sprinkle the yeast on top or stir it. If you are only just starting out I suggest only sprinkle. This way you won't have to worry about sanitation etc. I have never stirred anyway, I initially started sprinkling but for the last couple of years I have rehydrated the yeast instead. It pays to know what is in the Brew Enhancers: BE1 = 600g Dextrose + 400g Maltodextrin BE2 = 500g Dextrose + 250g Maltodextrin + 250g Light Dry Malt Given the above ingredients this means you are currently using: 1.1kg dextrose + 650g Maltodextrin + 250g LDM + comparatively wasted money. Therefore, can I suggest...... Dropping the Maltodextrin altogether. Bump up the LDM to 1kg and use about 300-500g Dextrose?... Just try it and see if you like it. Buy the LDM and dextrose from your local home brew shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polarian Posted February 18, 2013 Author Share Posted February 18, 2013 THANKS very much for the info ! i get all my supplies from my local Dan Murphys these days .. they sell all the coopers stuff. they sell the LDM for 500gm 5.99 and Dextrose 1kg 2.99 so = 9 $ really. i was buying BE 1 and BE 2 ... BE 1 - 4.49 and BE 2 - 5.99 so 10.50 $ so only 1.50 $ difference. but i like the sound of your 9 $ mostly because it's not pushing the brew to 2kg as most brews are 1kg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveM33 Posted February 18, 2013 Share Posted February 18, 2013 Dan Murphys is a rip off. Go to a home brew shop if you can and stock up on Light Dry Malt and Dextrose, you will save a mint. You should be able to get 1kg LDM for around $6-$8 and Dextrose for about $2-$3. All the Maltodextrin you are using is not fermentable and only provides body and mouthfeel. By dropping this and upping LDM will basically do the same but the LDM is mostly fermentable so is adding to your ABV% as well. Dropping from 1.1kg Dextrose to 300g-500g will also provide more body. You will lose some ABV% by doing this but you still have gained from the additional LDM. hrrmmm hope that makes sense to you [unsure] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilboBaggins Posted February 18, 2013 Share Posted February 18, 2013 Very sound advice Steve. [cool] Peter, while you're at the LHBS, maybe ask about some hops?[innocent] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted February 18, 2013 Share Posted February 18, 2013 I have used Coopers home brew over the years and have had mixed results Peter, don't settle for mixed results. Stick around, read and ask questions. Your beer will be better for it. Also, this forum is better than anything you will find on Facebook [devil] PS. Welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IzacF Posted February 18, 2013 Share Posted February 18, 2013 Dan Murphys is a rip off. Go to a home brew shop if you can and stock up on Light Dry Malt and Dextrose, you will save a mint. You should be able to get 1kg LDM for around $6-$8 and Dextrose for about $2-$3. All the Maltodextrin you are using is not fermentable and only provides body and mouthfeel. By dropping this and upping LDM will basically do the same but the LDM is mostly fermentable so is adding to your ABV% as well. Dropping from 1.1kg Dextrose to 300g-500g will also provide more body. You will lose some ABV% by doing this but you still have gained from the additional LDM. hrrmmm hope that makes sense to you [unsure] will LDM cause me (me being diabetic) hassles...and will grains be a drama also??? i only use half the sugar or dex thats in the recipes..but was just wondering Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted February 18, 2013 Share Posted February 18, 2013 Probably not best to ask a bunch of (mostly) drunk home brewers for medical advice. Talk to your doctor about what is appropriate for your circumstance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polarian Posted February 19, 2013 Author Share Posted February 19, 2013 Thank You to everyone in this forum ! Yes absolutely best advice i have found .. only find junk advice on facebook. i did a rushed bathch of Coopers Orig. Lager the other week ( i say rushed because yeast was added at 30 , normally i try for 24 and rushed because during the week i wasnt able to take "gravity" readings but im fairly sure the avg. temp was 25ish. the OG was 35 / 1035 and FG was 20 /1020 the FG of 20 was really high .. normally i get it alot lower. Most people go for 0 OG so 0 / 1000 ? obviously it depends on sugars and type of wort also this batch was a 1kg sugar mix , all my best batches have the 2 kg mix but in future ill be doing the 1500gm mix of LDM and dextrose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 Most people go for 0 OG so 0 / 1000 ? obviously it depends on sugars and type of wort Do you mean OG or FG? An OG of 1000 means you just have water in the FV. An FG of 1000 is really, really low. You normally wouldn't reach that in a beer with normal yeast and no 'enzyme'. Also, your current SG of 1020 is a little high. What was the 1kg sugar you used? BE1? What was the volume? And how long has it been in the FV? Sorry for all the questions but the more information we have the easier it is to help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polarian Posted February 19, 2013 Author Share Posted February 19, 2013 lol i was thinking FG ment - final gravity and OG - Orig Gravity hehehe it's a bit nerdy but i have made a beer brewing template ! Example check these out i have a blank 1 and an example 1 with the brew i rushed ! Template Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polarian Posted February 19, 2013 Author Share Posted February 19, 2013 Also if you guys have a template or would like to improve mine , please feel free to do so heheh :> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 lol i was thinking FG ment - final gravity and OG - Orig Gravity hehehe It does. FG = Final Gravity and OG = Original Gravity. My point before was that if you had an OG of 1000 then you would have water with no sugar in it. Also, nothing nerdy about brew templates; it's good practice to keep records. My computer wouldn't open the docs properly but I could make out that you take a gravity reading everyday. There is no need to do that; you will end up with no beer at the end [biggrin] Take an OG reading at the start and then at the end of ferment (I wait a week) for two days to ensure it is done. I only take a reading in between if I suspect nothing is happening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveM33 Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 Yes, like Hairy hinted... take an OG reading just before you pitch the yeast wait 10-14 days then take a reading for 2 consecutive days and if they are the same then she's ready for bottling. 1020 is far too high FG to bottle and as Hairy said, if you have a reading of 1000 then this is liquid without any sugar. If you are using a pack of BE1 + BE2 then you should expect your OG to be around 1049 and your FG to be around 1008. It sounds to me like you may not be correctly obtaining a reading. You should, half fill your tube and discard/drink this prior to taking a sample. The sample should be taken at as close as possible to 20C. However, room temp is fine. You should degas your sample prior to taking the reading.... do this by spinning the hydrometer to dislodge any gas bubbles. The gas bubbles clinging to your hydrometer causes your hydrometer to rise in solution so is giving a false reading. @ IzacF Hairy is correct, you should consult your GP if you have any medical concerns. However, as LDM will leave some unfermentable sugars than what Dextrose will, I would hazard a guess and say that yes, it is quite possible that this will have some effect on a Diabetic. I will also assume that this will only be minimal. Nevertheless, I stress that I am not a trained physician and the above is only an analysis in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wal Posted February 19, 2013 Share Posted February 19, 2013 Dan Murphys is a rip off. Go to a home brew shop if you can and stock up on Light Dry Malt and Dextrose' date=' you will save a mint. [/quote'] I've never purchased home brew ingredients from Dan Murphy's before so I am not in a position to comment on staff knowledge or helpfulness when it comes to such things. I do however like the idea of buying from a local home brew store for 2 main reasons. 1) You are supporting a locally owned business. 2) You are likely to get some good information and discussion about brewing/ingredients/recipies. Even if it does cost an extra couple of dollars per brew - for me it is worth it anyway. That's my 2 bob's worth...[innocent] [biggrin] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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