How short can a single can kit be Brewed?

Hello. first post.

I have been brewing for the last couple of years and have moved on to the higher quality two can kits as well as doing a few BIAB batches.

At the back of my brewing cupboard i have a single can kit of young's harvest larger. Not really a favorite of mine, i was wondering just how short it would be possible to brew it to give a high abv. Most of the kits that i have brewed have been slightly short to give a bit more body, but would it be feasible to brew a 40 pint single can kit to 20 pints?

Has anyone experimented with brewing kits really short? any good results? Sick of looking at the can and would rather do something with it while i have a bucket free!

Thanks.

I guess in theory it only really depends on the max ABV that the yeast can take. I've always been taught that yeast can take up to about 15% (I've only recently discovered turbo yeast...).

So, what is the ABV supposed to be at 40 pints? Let's say, for the sake of argument, it's meant to be 4%. If you half the volume you'll double the concentration, so it'll end up 8%. If you do a quarter of the volume, so 10 pints, then it'll be 16%, which would be pushing the yeast to it's limit.

I guess at the end of the day it depends on the max ABV the yeasties can work at.

If you halve the amount of beer you double the bitterness. This would probably mean 40-50 IBUs as opposed to 20-25 for 23 litres. So I don't think I'd go below about 15 litres, unless you like bitter lager.

Ah yes, there is that too...

clibit said:

If you halve the amount of beer you double the bitterness. This would probably mean 40-50 IBUs as opposed to 20-25 for 23 litres. So I don't think I'd go below about 15 litres, unless you like bitter lager.

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ah yes. I am not opposed to bitter, but i still want something that is drinkable.

Sugar also makes the brew bitter I am only just starting with experiments but if instead of the 1kg of sugar you only added 1/2kg sugar then at 20 pints may work out better.

I am also not a lager drinker and I also have a couple of cans in my case of Brewmaker Lager which I had intended to mix with bitter. So interested on what you do and what the results are.

ericmark said:

I am also not a lager drinker and I also have a couple of cans in my case of Brewmaker Lager which I had intended to mix with bitter.

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You don't need to mix with bitter. Just use an ale yeast at ale temperature, 20-22C ish, steep some crystal malt or use medium spraymalt, and maybe steep some hops like Goldings, Fuggles or Cascade, whatever you like in an ale.

If I were you I'd buy a can of light malt extract (or sme) and use that and brew to almost full length. The extract will give you a much better result, similar to a two can kit, and then dry hop with something you like to improve it further.

I've done some brewing-short with excellent results, reducing the sugar content to keep the strength down. Much would depend on the bitterness of the original kit as this would be the main limit as to how short you can brew. Your lager might not taste much like lager though - though I've never managed to brew a kit lager that did in any case. Give it a go and see, have a taste before fermenting to check on the bitterness level, and maybe dilute a bit more if it's a problem.

You could try using the Harvest Lager kit with a different yeast - e.g. the Danstar Saison - use a bit of dextrose and brew to 15l with some lager hops in the fermenter...could be fun!

Cheers - Louis MacNeice

Yeah, i might go down to 15 L and see how it is. A hop tea and some dextrose. Not too sure on yeast, will have to see as atm i am having trouble keeping anywhere in my house at a constant temp, other than bloody freezing!

I understand the temperature problem. I did not realize how much of a problem it was until I got rid of it. I looked at the times and 12 days to 28 days then cured the temperature and 12 to 16 days.

I used all sorts to try and stabilise a simple body warmer with the air lock sticking out of the neck did well in early stages where the fermenting was still giving out heat. But as the process continued I had to add some heat. I had an old demo underfloor heating tile at 18W which was ample to raise the temperature with the body warmers to around 6 degs C above ambient but it's very slow heating 40 pints and I quite often would over shoot.

What I did not realise until latter was the stick on thermometer was being affected by the ambient temperature so reading 24 degs on stick on it was more like 27 degs in the centre of the brew. As a result I got some rather bitter beers due to over temperature.

Then my fridge freezer was replaced and the old one went into the garage with the 18W tile but now instead of frequent checks I used a temperature controller and sensor held onto side of fermentor under a sponge for insulation with an elastic band. In real terms it did not need the fridge the body warmers would have done. But having automatic temperature control and insulation between sensor and ambient air transformed my brewing. Now I start, then after 8 days transfer to clean fermentor and after around 14 to 16 days bottle and I leave brew for days without even looking at it.

As to Lager I had one go at proper lager with a youngs lager yeast and it was total failure. Most the kit lagers are lager taste not a true lager and are brewed the same as a bitter. Only reason for adding lager concentrate to bitter was it was cheap and I wanted to see how it would go mixing while I still had a cheap supply. Problem as with most beers looking at a few months before I can taste it.

Today just finished off bitter made in June 2014 stopped brewing in summer so next batch October but still 4 months start to drinking.

My reason for reduced water was simply doing two kits together can't get 80 pints in the fermentor so reduced sugar to 1.5 kg instead of the 2 kg which would have been used at 80 pints.

So some time in July I should taste it I will try to remember to post to say how it went.