Ramjet Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 G'day Wizbang, and welcome to the forum - it's a great place and you'll learn heaps. The "Lager" which they put in the DIY kits uses an Ale yeast, which gives best results fermented at a steady temperature somewhere between 18C and, say, 22C. (I know the instructions recommend 21 to 27C), but most of us here like to shoot for 18C if we have temperature control available to us. The higher the temp, the more "kit twang" you'll get, and while sometimes those flavours are welcome (to a certain extent in some recipes), generally you'll get a "cleaner" tasting beer by going for the lower regions of the temperature range for the yeast you're using. Before I set up my fermentation fridge (an old bar fridge, with an STC-1000 controller attached), I sat the FV in a big ice cooler (Esky type thing) and regulated the temperature pretty well by adding ice packs to the cooling water as required. I don't know your location, but assume you're in Australia, which means Summer at the moment of course. Another method to keep the temp right is to strap ice packs around the FV (fermentation vessel) and wrap a blanket around the whole shebang. But do yourself a favour and make temperature control your second priority (cleanliness and appropriate sanitization of equipment is the ABSOLUTE Number one!) Happy brewing - it's a great journey of discovery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnE9 Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 HI Wizbang, Welcome! Further to what Ramjet has written (all excellent advice), I would brew your Lager can with a box of TC's BE 2 and follow the instructions diligently. Just one thing though. As it's summer and hot in Australia at the moment, could I suggest that you buy a 60L plastic storage container, preferably on wheels, and fill to a quarter full with cold tap water. Put your fermenting vessel (FV) into the container and chill with frozen bottles of water. Say used 2L milk bottles. This should bring down your wort temperature to around 20C, Very important to have a constant, cool temperature whilst the wort is fermenting. Far, far better beer that way. No TWANG. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeS21 Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Mikes Brewery is located in beautiful Daisy Hill Brisbane....will change brewery name to a better name when the site allows this to happen. My House Beer is IPA ..a great hoppy beer.Loving the new site and would like to say hi to all my fellow booz....er....Brewers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizbang04 Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Before I set up my fermentation fridge (an old bar fridge' date=' with an STC-1000 controller attached), I sat the FV in a big ice cooler (Esky type thing) and regulated the temperature pretty well by adding ice packs to the cooling water as required. [/quote'] Thanks for the advice Ramjet. I live in Victoria, so the weather at the moment is quite up and down heatwise. I like the idea of the STC-1000 controller. That would allow me to be safe with the Brewing. Would love to make this in to a decent hobby so by shelling out $30 odd for a controller and then buying a bar fridge that would fit the FV could be a good idea. Any preferences on controllers? Found this one eBay. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Digital-STC-1000-All-Purpose-Temperature-Controller-Thermostat-Aquarium-w-Sensor-/140951864084?pt=AU_B_I_Electrical_Test_Equipment&hash=item20d162c314&_uhb=1 Probably best to invest a little bit of cash now to save myself in the long run. What size (Litre) Bar Fridge are you using? Can just run it when I am brewing and then turn it off when done. Can you just get a sparky to hook up the temp controller? Thanks for all the advice everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeS21 Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Hi GuysHave just bottled a Coopers Aust.Lager brewed at a consistent 21C...but after reading some of the posts on here maybe I should have set the Temp Control in my Brew Fridge at 18 Degrees.I used 750 gm of Diatose which is a fermentable for Diabetics....this equates to 1Kg of Dextrose but ferments out easier. About to do my first Czech Pilsener now using Coopers Pilsener and 1kg of Czech Pilsener Converter in lieu of Dextrose with a SAF Lager 30/70 Yeast. Any experienced Brewers here got any Tips?I can get my temp down to whatever it takes as I have a Temp Controller that is extremel accurate...I normally tape my Temp Probe to the side of my Coopers Fermenter in the Fridge. Cheers everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadian Eh!L Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Probably best to invest a little bit of cash now to save myself in the long run. What size (Litre) Bar Fridge are you using? Can just run it when I am brewing and then turn it off when done. Can you just get a sparky to hook up the temp controller? Thanks for all the advice everyone. Look into a keg set-up if you're looking to invest a little capitol up-front. This is the single most important step into making better beer at home. You can't beat fresh beer on tap! It's not hard to do. Don't even mess around with bottles. They suck eggs! They're a major pain in the ass and the beer poured from them is inferior to the tap! This goes out to all you brewer's who haven't gone to kegs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeS21 Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Hi Wizbang04...Happy Brewing Mate....Re a good Temperature Controller ..KegKing in Vic have an excellent one that I bought...working Temp -10C to 60C,Display Range -45C to120C Power Consumption 2 W..Temp Sensor 1pc 2metre lead Accuracy + or - 0.1C Couldnt be happer with this lil Baby!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizbang04 Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Might just run the temp controller and fridge for now but thanks for the idea on the keg. Might look in to that down the track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramjet Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 ... What size (Litre) Bar Fridge are you using? Can just run it when I am brewing and then turn it off when done. Can you just get a sparky to hook up the temp controller? There's a discussion on some of the things you're interested in here: https://www.coopers.com.au/coopers-forum/topic/12608/ Also if you can wait a couple of weeks for the postage' date=' you can buy cheaper: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/220V-All-purpose-Digital-Temperature-Controller-with-Sensor-STC-1000-ElR8-/121166809495?pt=AU_B_I_Electrical_Test_Equipment&hash=item1c361ac997 Of course the downside (apart from the slow-ish postage) is that you have to get it wired up, but buying locally already madeup will get you brewing so much quicker. As for bottles vs kegs, Chad's a kegger big-time, but I've only ever used bottles (big heavy old glass crown-seal types) so can't comment really on what I'm missing. I'd probably drink too much if I had it on tap! [img']devil[/img] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnE9 Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Yeah, Chad is what we commonly call a KEG-HEAD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadian Eh!L Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Yeah' date=' Chad is what we commonly call a [b']KEG-HEAD[/b]. Don't kid yourselves, boys! Some would say that you should invest in a keg set-up before a kettle. I wish that I did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeS21 Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Probably best to invest a little bit of cash now to save myself in the long run. What size (Litre) Bar Fridge are you using? Can just run it when I am brewing and then turn it off when done. Can you just get a sparky to hook up the temp controller? Thanks for all the advice everyone. Look into a keg set-up if you're looking to invest a little capitol up-front. This is the single most important step into making better beer at home. You can't beat fresh beer on tap! It's not hard to do. Don't even mess around with bottles. They suck eggs! They're a major pain in the ass and the beer poured from them is inferior to the tap! This goes out to all you brewer's who haven't gone to kegs. I use 5L Plastic Kegs Master Brew Kit carbonated with CO2 Gas Cylinders 8gm 2 to gasup and then 2 to pressurize after 1 week in fridge....works a treat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeS21 Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Probably best to invest a little bit of cash now to save myself in the long run. What size (Litre) Bar Fridge are you using? Can just run it when I am brewing and then turn it off when done. Can you just get a sparky to hook up the temp controller? Thanks for all the advice everyone. Look into a keg set-up if you're looking to invest a little capitol up-front. This is the single most important step into making better beer at home. You can't beat fresh beer on tap! It's not hard to do. Don't even mess around with bottles. They suck eggs! They're a major pain in the ass and the beer poured from them is inferior to the tap! This goes out to all you brewer's who haven't gone to kegs. I use 5L Plastic Kegs Master Brew Kit carbonated with CO2 Gas Cylinders 8gm 2 to gasup and then 2 to pressurize after 1 week in fridge....works a treat! BTW What part of Canada are you from mate?Cold ehhhh!:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeS21 Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Before I set up my fermentation fridge (an old bar fridge' date=' with an STC-1000 controller attached), I sat the FV in a big ice cooler (Esky type thing) and regulated the temperature pretty well by adding ice packs to the cooling water as required. [/quote'] Thanks for the advice Ramjet. I live in Victoria, so the weather at the moment is quite up and down heatwise. I like the idea of the STC-1000 controller. That would allow me to be safe with the Brewing. Would love to make this in to a decent hobby so by shelling out $30 odd for a controller and then buying a bar fridge that would fit the FV could be a good idea. Any preferences on controllers? Found this one eBay. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Digital-STC-1000-All-Purpose-Temperature-Controller-Thermostat-Aquarium-w-Sensor-/140951864084?pt=AU_B_I_Electrical_Test_Equipment&hash=item20d162c314&_uhb=1 Probably best to invest a little bit of cash now to save myself in the long run. What size (Litre) Bar Fridge are you using? Can just run it when I am brewing and then turn it off when done. Can you just get a sparky to hook up the temp controller? Thanks for all the advice everyone. Hi Wizbang04…Happy Brewing Mate….Re a good Temperature Controller ..KegKing in Vic have an excellent one that I bought…working Temp -10C to 60C,Display Range -45C to120C Power Consumption 2 W..Temp Sensor 1pc 2metre lead Accuracy + or - 0.1C Couldnt be happer with this lil Baby!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antiphile Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Hello to all the new members. It sounds like there's a variety of skills and experience from my reading of the posts of the new posters. Whatever you skill level, there will be a lot of really good advice (some of which may or may not suit your situation, especially if we have to make assumptions about your circumstances and wants. To Wizbang: JohnE9 (our resident NSW Central Coast ratbag ) is quite right that the Coopers BE2 will give a better result, because IMHO the included brew in the DIY kit is a little bland and usually slightly underpowered (usually 3.8 or 3.9%). If you have a local home brew shop near Daisy Hill, though, and you are more keen on Pale Ales, it will probably only cost you about $5 to get 50g of hop pellets and a hop sock to put it in your brew on about day 3 or 4. The other guys will have a better idea of which type of hops are better for a Pale Ale dry hop, but I suspect it may be a little closer to your tastes (if no-one else suggests better, I'd probably think about using 30g of Cascade or Amarillo hops, and then store the rest in the freezer for later use). It also wouldn't hurt to add another 300g of white sugar or dextrose to the fermenter and dissolve it in at the start. That should bring the end result (after bottle priming) to about 4.4% ABV. Welcome and Cheers Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerlust Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Welcome to our newest forum members. I hope your stick around. There is a wealth of combined brewing knowledge here on the forum, & some very clever brewers that have a heap of hints, tips, tricks, & brewing experience that will have you brewing some truly high quality home brewed beer in no time. Some very good replies from Ramjet, JohnE9, Canadian Eh!L, & antiphile. Good luck with your future brewing. Cheers, Anthony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbowe Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Okay, I need some help. My first batch appears to be flat, and I don't think the taste is that good. What did I do wrong? Can you help me? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerlust Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Hi Mike. Okay' date=' I need some help. My first batch appears to be flat, and I don't think the taste is that good. What did I do wrong? Can you help me?[/quote']Given the questions you have posed so far, Hairy's advice has been spot on. To help you with why the beer appears flat, we just need a bit more information. I would ask, What temperature did you primary ferment the beer at? Are you bottling in glass bottles, or the PET bottles that come with the DIY kit? How long has the beer been bottled? Could you please give a description of your procedure for bottling the beer? (Every little detail will help) Cheers, Anthony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sss1200 Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Hi All, After quite a few years of me talking about it, my lovely wife bought me a DIY kit for Xmas . I promptly put down the supplied lager kit and after a LOT of research here, I managed to keep it to a steady 18C whilst fermenting and even let it stay in the FV for 12 whole days! I must admit it was a struggle to not bottle it earlier but I restrained myself by not taking my first SG sample until day 9, soon as I got that 3rd stable reading a couple of days later, in the bottles it went! A couple of weeks later I cracked the first bottle and was pleasantly surprised! My last HB taste was from my Grandad's efforts 20 odd years ago and unfortunately (or fortunately) his efforts didn't last long as the results weren't flash! Very pleased with the first up effort, nice clear lager that everyone who has tasted to date has been quite happy to have more of. Am now really looking forward to trying a few more of the recipes and really liking the RoTM series, actually have the Marilyn's Secret in the FV now, loving the smell of the hops! Here's to plenty more brews to come Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilbyT Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Welcome sss1200! I'm wondering if that's in reference to a Datsun... Glad to hear you are off and running with the "comes with kit" brew and I'm sure you will be happy with Marilyn - who wouldn't be? You have learnt quickly, a bit of research here goes a long way, good brewing to you! You won't go wrong with advice from the brew-ru's here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sss1200 Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Thanks for the welcome PhilbyT. Yes, certainly is a Datto reference, actually is a NZ (showing my heritage there) only 1200 that was locally spec'd up with go fast gear like twin DHLA 40's and 12" alloys . Had one 20 years ago as an apprentice, like all things rare, I didn't know it at the time and now wish I had kept it. Still have a 1200 but a coupe now and not the sss.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbowe Posted February 25, 2014 Share Posted February 25, 2014 Hi Mike.Okay' date=' I need some help. My first batch appears to be flat, and I don't think the taste is that good. What did I do wrong? Can you help me?[/quote']Given the questions you have posed so far, Hairy's advice has been spot on. To help you with why the beer appears flat, we just need a bit more information. I would ask, What temperature did you primary ferment the beer at? Are you bottling in glass bottles, or the PET bottles that come with the DIY kit? How long has the beer been bottled? Could you please give a description of your procedure for bottling the beer? (Every little detail will help) Cheers, Anthony. Hi Anthony, I kept the brew at or as close to 22 C for the required length of time per the CD instruction and measured the FG at 1115 for 2 straight days. I bottled the brew in the 750ml PET bottles that came with the kit, and include 2 carb drops per bottle. The bottles are sitting on my dining room table which is around 22C. If I sit a bottle in the fridge to chill for a day or two there is no head when I open the bottle and pour it into a glass and it taste flat and bitter. Howerver if I pour the unchilled bottles into a glass I can get a nice head although it still taste bitter, which may be okay. I have 18 bottles left and I'm not sure what to do. for 1 I'm not use to drinking a bitter lager if that is what this beer is. My next door neighbor says it taste more like a English bitter beer, but was also curious about the head. Appears to me that when I chill it the carbination goes out of it, but as this is my first ever try at this I'm not sure if its right or wrong, good or bad. Would hate to toss it if this is the way it is supposed to turn out. I bottled it on Jan 29th 2014 Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
okie1 Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 My 4th post, though I joined some time ago. For a Christmas gift to myself I ordered a Coopers DIY kit but instead of just jumping off I researched this forum and gained a wealth of information (thank you all). Yesterday armed with my new found knowledge I went full speed ahead with my first brew, Coopers Lager using Safale 05us yeast, 3 lbs Pale DME, 500gm Brew Enhanser1, no hops this time around so I can see the difference on the next brew. I must have learned something right as everything went as planned, felt like I had done this many times, with everything sanitized properly with Starsan, I proceeded and all went well, hit my OG of 1.053 and pitched my yeast at 22C. Placed the FV in my fridge with the STC1000 controller, this morning the temp is at 19C & things are working away. Now you can tell me what I did wrong, if I did, I had a hell of a good time doing it, now for the kicker, my wife was interested enough to help me, go figure. I will give it a few weeks then bottle & condition a few weeks, will let you know the outcome, wish me luck. Again, thanks for the help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 I can only see one thing wrong. You didn't say you a beer in your hand whilst brewing; this is a traditional part of the brew day. It sounds like everything else went to plan. Good luck with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregT5 Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 Welcome Okie. It's good to see your first brew day went well. The only thing I can see wrong with it is that with your planning & preparation you are never going to be able to contribute to the "First Brew Day Horrors" threads that appear on forums like this periodically. They usually provide a bit of amusement when we look back on that day. On the plus side you can look on the rest of us & have a good chuckle. Keep us informed on the results of your maiden brew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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