what's the difference???????

[Beergut]

:oops:

 

Howdy everyone

 

I'm a newbie to home brewing so can some one answer me this:::

 

 

 

What's the difference between: brewing sugar - dextros - enhancer 1 (2).

 

 

 

I've noticed on the packaging (brew can and packets listed above) that you may put in 1kg of either of the above, but if you do say for instance use dextros or enhancer , do you still use sugar or are these used ONLY by themselves, without the need to use sugar.

 

 

 

Can you use half sugar/ half dextros (enhancer) .

 

 

 

I've read on the labelling what each product does but it never really says to use one in place of the other or in combination with each other , for example: 1kg of sugar with 1kg of enhancer will give the brew a more creamier head etc or will this cause it to bugger up the fermention process.

 

 

 

I just put down a brew and used half brewing sugar and half enhancer 1, (hopefully this will be good)

 

 

 

I've put down about 5 brews so far and they've all been perfect, so I'd hate to stuff it up now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also a bit of advice on this one please: :( I put down a Ginger beer and mixed up my directions. :? Here's what I did:

 

 

 

I wanted to make a non - alcoholic drink but may have made it ALCOHOLIC instead. ( I know i can drink a bottle and see if I fall over but I don't like ginger beer but worse still I gave 6 bottles to the mother inlaw who just happens to be a teetotler :twisted: see my problem :lol:

 

 

 

 

 

Any way the label for non alcoholic said to to use 150g of sugar, add mix, stir , fill up, sit for 3 hours , then bottle. 3-6 weeks later enjoy. Ok fine, except I didn't exactly do that.

 

 

 

 

 

I did this: 1.5 kg of sugar, add mix, fill up , (after 2 hours I realized my mistake in the sugar department) , I let it ferment over night, then bottled it next morning, (hoping some of the sugar disappated). I didn't put any sugar in the bottles when bottling.

 

 

 

I opened one last night (3 1/2 weeks since bottling) and it seem to taste ok. A mate said it was nice. I'd just hate to see the mother inlaw get pulled up by the boys in blue and blow the bag , then have to explane why she's blotto. (life for me is already hard, I don't need added problems :(

 

( the plastic bottles are hard with sediment on the bottom. the one we opened last night was very gasy but nice).

 

 

 

Any way thanks for your help and I wait to see a response.

 

 

 

beergut 8)

[Wort]

Hi Beergut,

 

I would be extremely concerned if you put the ginger beer in glass bottles as they would almost defiantly explode as the yeast would not have chewed up the sugar over night. I'd say they would have a bit of alcohol in them. 1kg will give you 3.5% abv so I'd expect yours to be at about 4% abv given time to ferment out in a 23L fementer but I'm not sure what would happen now as you put them into bottles I'd say they would still be about 3.5 to 4%.

 

 

 

As to your first question you replace your brewing sugar with other fermentables like dextrose, maltodextrin, malt extract and the like. So only put in 1kg of fermentables for 4.2 to 4.5% beer, dextrose will give you more alcohol per kg than malt but less flavour and mouth feel. Where\u2019s you will have to use more malt to get a higher alcohol % but you will get improved flavour and better head, if you can use malt extracts than do it, you wont regret it! (Coopers make excellent malt extracts Liquid and dry) Some times I put in a few hundred grams of dextrose to boost my % but I try to use more malt than dextrose.

 

 

 

Hope this helps.

[kieran]

I reckon there's no way that your ginger would be all that alcoholic. Not after an 18hour ferment, and then bottling. Depending on how much you filled the bottles, the brew would continue to ferment in the bottle producing a tad more alcohol, but then the most of it would go to gas when the CO2 cannot escape any more, and when pressure was too high to pump it any higher, the unfermented sugar would stay in solution (I reckon). Is it quite sweet?

 

I reckon the best way to find out is to drink a couple of bottles and see how you feel afterwards.

[Wort]

Yeah I spose, it depends on how much it continued to ferment. Bottling before the brew has finished fermenting is a common cause of bottles exploding so just because it's been bottled doesn\u2019t mean it wont keep going and add to the alcohol content. And there is 1.5 kgs of sugar in the brew that\u2019s a bit in each bottle. If you knew the OG you could suss it out any way.

[PB2]

G'day all! I am on leave at the moment.

 

 

 

I would put this one down to experience and discard the lot.

 

 

 

You can expect the yeast to work on the fermentable sugars (1.5kg in primary for only one day is far too much) and overcarbonate the brew in the bottle. You can stall secondary fermentation by putting all the bottles in the fridge.

 

 

 

IF USING GLASS BOTTLES, and they have been at temperatures above 18C for more than 2 weeks, you should discard the contents - OPEN THEM WHILE WEARING LEATHER GLOVES AND EYE PROTECTION.

 

 

 

PETs, while not as dangerous, will blow up like a footy and become overcarbonated.

 

 

 

Alcohol may be as high as 4.7% if allowed to ferment completely.

[Beergut]

Hey thanks for the advice, as I said, I don't need problems with the mother inlaw (lol), especially one that's half cut.(love you mum)

 

 

 

I think I'll turf it out just to be on the safe side and put it down to experience :?

 

 

 

 

 

Again thanks

 

 

 

Beergut

 

 

 

 

 

PS: a few of my mates luv me coopers shirt so I wear it just to annoy them, life is good

 

 

 

remember: he who has the most toys when he dies - WINS.