Coopers English Bitter Kit Brew #1.

snail59 · Jan 30, 2010

Fist Kit done and dusted. All equipment sterilized useing sterilizer and steam to rinse out FVs. Water treated with a Campden tablet. Can of extract warmed in a pan of water think I got most of it out

500g of light Spray Malt was mixed with the extract and 2lts of BOILING water & after a good thrashing with a paddle it gave in and went all frothy

Brew made up to 20lts with cold treated water droped in from around 2 feet from another FV to airate. Mix given a dam good stir. 2lts of boiling water added and mixed in then the remaining cold water added to reach a temp of 20 degrees.

OG appeares to be around 1.035 at 20 degrees. Stupid AUTO focus camara phone seems to think the background of the kitchen is more important :wha:

Used the Yeast that came with the kit & sprinkled on the top of the froth (should I have stired).

So thats it first brew FINISHED

So now we WAIT.

Can anyone see any obviouse misstakes????

rickthebrew · Jan 30, 2010

well done on you first brew snail - quick question was this a single tin brew that you add sugar to and if so should it be one kg not just 500grams? Just your OG seems a little low?

snail59 · Jan 30, 2010

Its a single can but the instructions say to add 1kg of Brew Enhancer or 500g of light malt so thats what I did???. Do you think this is not enough???.

rickthebrew · Jan 30, 2010

does it give an expected Final Gravity? It would probably finish around 1010 at a guess giving you around 3.3 % abv, another 500grams of fermentable sugar should raise this to over 4% - its up to you really - if you add more than the kit recomends you could unbalance your brew. Kit instructions can be a bit vauge, i`ve done a coopers bitter with 1kg brewing sugar and 300grams soft brown sugar to up the ABV and it turned outlovely

Whatever you do it`ll still be an enjoyable pint - hope this helps : cheers:

snail59 · Jan 30, 2010

It dosn't state a predicted FG. It does provide typical hydrometer readings of 1.042 OG-1.006 FG BUT THATS IN A SECTION OF THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVING THE FORMULA TO CALCULATE ABV. Im not worried about the ABV unless its going to affect the taste of the final product. On this brew (as it's my first) I just want to produce a drinkable Beer. Would you reccomend adding more sugar or is it to late brew has been in the FV for around 5 1/2 hours now.

rickthebrew · Jan 30, 2010

If it finishes at 1006 (witch it probably will) then it will finish at around 3.9% so i would just leave it - you could add sugar if you want but if you do dissolve it first, i think you should just leave it though :thumb: it`ll be fine.

snail59 · Jan 30, 2010

Thanks for that RTB will see how it goes gonna have a look in a mo see if theres activity yet :pray:

snail59 · Jan 31, 2010

Just been and checked progress. No need to take the lid off you can see the Yeast Head touching the lid.

rickthebrew · Jan 31, 2010

looking good no worries there :thumb:

snail59 · Feb 1, 2010

Just had another check on the brew. Not the best picture but 50 hours in the FV and the dark area under the lid has grown and gone darker so im hopeing this is a good sign :pray:

rickthebrew · Feb 1, 2010

looking good :thumb:

snail59 · Feb 4, 2010

Just had a check on the Brew. 5 days in the FV & the Yeast Head has gone. Took a sample and temp is 18C and Gravity is at 1.012 (from an OG of 1.035). It looks a little cloudy but that could be sediment as I drew the sample from the tap. Had a taste and it tastes OK little bit sharp but its still young so I hope thats to be expected. Getting excited now : cheers:

rickthebrew · Feb 4, 2010

great snail!! I`d leave it a bit longer in the FV - up to ten days to let the yeast start clearing up after itself, are you ganna bottle or keg yourbrew? Looks like your gonna be hooked :whistle:

snail59 · Feb 4, 2010

Its going in a Keg so priming, filtering, gassing & finning questions to come

. Oh im hooked already :party: . Looking forward to building an AG plant already. Gonna do a couple of kits a Ginger Beer and Cheeky vimto as practice first though.

rickthebrew · Feb 4, 2010

Great ! I started with kits last May and did about 15 - loads of wine and then did my first AG last October, just did my 7th AG brew last weekend

I built my mash tun and got a boiler for free off freecycle(which just broke

) i`m building a 60litre boiler for around 40quid at the moment :thumb: I learnt everything from the guys on this forum :thumb: Check out muddydiscos how to build an AG brewery cheapish in the how to posts - the tun and boiler work out really cheap and you don`t need all the other stuff to start brewing :party:

snail59 · Feb 4, 2010

Looks like your my personal trainer :rofl: . I read a lot on here before I started and am pleased I did. Lots of great tips that I would not have used if just reading Kit instructions. My other half tried wine making a few years back and she has said there are a number of things gleaned from here that would have improved her efforts if she had known. Im moving house this year so wont build an AG till I get settled in new home and Job.

snail59 · Feb 9, 2010

It looks like a brewery in here

Just transfered my first kit brew into the Barrel and some bottles. Put 50g of demerara sugar and a squirt of co2 in the barrel and primed the bottles with a carbonating tablet and half a tea spoon of brewing sugar. Gonna leave it in the kitchen till the weekend then put it in the un heated concervatory to condition for 4 weeks. so thats 36 pints just waiting to be drunk.

rickthebrew · Feb 9, 2010

Looking good - whats next on the list

:drink: :drink: :whistle:

snail59 · Feb 10, 2010

Im going to have a go at a two tin kit. Im thinking of the Woodforde Wherry unless anyone can sugest of a better one???. Then I can test the two kits side by side both Keged and bottled. Got the Vimto and Ginger Beer (in the background) on the go. Then it will be onto extract and the dark art of AG

.

alandkell · Feb 10, 2010

WOODFORDES NUTCRACKER HAS TURNED OUT GREAT! it didnt ferment right out but i put that down to adding 2 extra litres of water to bring it to 15ltrs but wow what a dark and tasty brew its turned out to be!....... just go steady the proof is in the title! :thumb:

Coopers English Bitter Kit Brew #1.

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