Spraymalt v's Sugar and a question on 5L water containers

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GlentoranMark

GlentoranMark

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I have a Munton's Bock Beer Kit just bottled. I never done anything special and followed the instructions to the letter (I used sugar.)

As I like this type of dark lager, I'd like to experiment with this kit and use Dark Spray Malt instead of sugar to give it a deeper colour and flavour for my next brew. Is 1Kg of spraymalt the equivalent of 1Kg of sugar?

Also, I have some WOW brewing in 5L containers. I was told these aren't really suitable for brewing but I was thinking of splitting my brew into these containers. I could then experiment with 4 separate batches and vary quantities of sugar/ spraymalt ect. Is there a reason why they are not suitable?

tyia.
 
Malt, either spray dried or liquid, gives more body, flavour, mouthfeel and colour to beer and is the favoured fermentable for most brewers. It doesn't fully ferment out the way pure sugar does so used on its own it will yield a slightly sweeter beer, which may or may not be desirable' For that reason it's usually mixed with brewing sugar (dextrose) often at the rate of 50/50 and can be readily purchased this way as 'Brew Kit Enhancer'. http://www.tesco.com/direct/beer-kit-enhancer/213-6255.prd?pageLevel=&skuId=213-6255
Did you use ordinary Tate&Lyle granulated? One of the first rules of home brewing is :nono: Obviously if it works for you then stick with it, (and if you used dextrose then ignore this) but I recommend reading up on the subject as kit instructions are often vague at best and misleading at worst.
I currently have two wows fermenting (hopefully!) in plastic 5l Tesco water containers. I've read of many who do the same thing, and I've read of no reason not to.
 
I've a home brew shop close to me but they had no brewing sugar so I went ahead and done the kit with normal sugar.

I've only done a handful of kits but I felt I'd try this kit and see how it turned out and then brew it again when the shop had proper brewing sugar so I could compare the results. As I've never compared in the past, I don't think this is a bad idea.

I then thought about using dark spraymalt instead of brewing sugar which gave me the idea for using the 5L bottled water containers and splitting the brew into 4 containers of 10 pints each.

I could then do one batch with just dextrose, one with 50/50 spray malt, one 100% spraymalt and one with something I haven't decided yet.

Glad you confirmed the 5L use but another question: Is there any need to sterilised the containers? I didn't sterilise for my WOW brews as I feel they are already sterilised but I also thought it was only a few £££ wasted if they did spoil.
 
Yes, comparing brews of the same beer with different additions is a very good idea. A bit more hassle but the results should be useful enough to make it worth while.
If the containers are freshly emptied then you shouldn't need to sterilise (I didn't with my wows either) but I expect some other members would tell you different.
If they've been empty for a while or were donated to you then I'd be inclined to sterilise them along with everything else, especially as you want to be sure your different brews aall start from a level pitch, so to speak.
To sterilise I use approximately 4ml each of thin household bleach and vinegar per litre of water followed by two or three thorough rinses. If you use this method make sure the bleach is plain and unscented, the cheap stuff is best. The vinegar is supposed to help remove any bleachy smell afterwards but never add the two together neat as apparently that's a recipe for chlorine gas!
 
It's still a learning curve for me but I'll try a light, medium and dark spray malts and just brewing sugar with my next Bock Beer (probably next week) and then do a review on the beer in a few months time. The spray malts won't go to waste I'm sure.

Lidl is a good place for WOW brewers, 89p for 5L of water and 99p for red grape juice.

Thanks for your help and reassurances.
 
GlentoranMark said:
Lidl is a good place for WOW brewers, 89p for 5L of water and 99p for red grape juice.
Click to expand...
My local Lidl do 2l bottles of spring water for 25p which is even cheaper if your not after the 5l container. I use the 2l bottles for my brews. Wine is generally good for 3or4 days after opening. (Maybe more. Never tested)
 

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