Hi from Leeds

The Homebrew Forum

Help Support The Homebrew Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

THE_Liam

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2012
Messages
131
Reaction score
0
Location
Leeds
Hi all,

Been wanting to have a go at home brewing ever since I used to be a barman, so I bought a Coopers Lager brew kit and decided to give it a go. Had my first batch fermenting since Friday, can't wait for it to be ready!
 
quote...
can't wait for it to be ready

Learn. Its the most important aspect of home brewing.

Welcome to the forum.
 
Hello and welcome. I wonder how many new home brewers have started off this hobby with the Coopers Lager kit ? I think they hit on a winner here, although in my experience the Lager is not their best beer type kit.
 
Cheers fellas!

Just got started on some pikey cider as well :lol:

5 litres apple juice
brewing sugar
pectolase
wine yeast

Should be fine right?
 
yeah, should be fine mate. sugar is unnessecary imo, how much did you use? apple juice alone ferments to between 4.5% - 5.5%

next time add Citric Acid, Malic Acid and Tannin too.

Citric acid you can get by juicing a lemon per gallon. Tannin you can make up a cup of strong black tea, let it cool and add it. Malic Acid you will need to buy.

all of that will result in a better cider, but by all means this one will be drinkable :cheers:
 
RobWalker said:
yeah, should be fine mate. sugar is unnessecary imo, how much did you use? apple juice alone ferments to between 4.5% - 5.5%

next time add Citric Acid, Malic Acid and Tannin too.

Citric acid you can get by juicing a lemon per gallon. Tannin you can make up a cup of strong black tea, let it cool and add it. Malic Acid you will need to buy.

all of that will result in a better cider, but by all means this one will be drinkable :cheers:

I haven't actually started yet buddy, just got everything steeping in steriliser in the sink before I mix it. I've only got cheapo Sainsbury's Basics apple juice, will that be enough to produce that kind of strength? I bought a kilo of brewing sugar but I can save that for my next batch of lager :)

Daft question, but I'm making this in a 5 litre glass demijohn, what are the chances of it exploding? And what temperature should it be kept at? Just want to make sure I don't blow up my porch :whistle:

It's weird how I got into this, I'm on a car modding forum and someone started a thread about making some hooch in a demijohn, now there's about 9 lads trying various things! I'll link this forum on there...
 
Djseaton said:
Welcome to the forum fellow Leeds brewer ;)

Cheers pal! By the way, I went in Abbey Beer and Wine to ask some advice, do you know it? It's in Kirkstall? I was gonna go back and buy a kit but my mate gave me this Coopers kit because he got it as a present but never used it, he preferred his own kit. Result :mrgreen:

My lager is already named Rhino's Pride :lol:
 
5 litre demijohn - none, but add it below the shoulder, you need to leave a decent amount of headroom for it to froth up. cider/wine are less vigourous than beer so you only get a little action, but get the juice to this level here for fermentation;

images


after that, if you want to maximize it, you can top it up to below the neck with apple juice and it will ferment again, but a lot less vigourously. you will realistically fit 4.5L in a 5L demi john.

temperature, room temp is fine. 18c - 24c is best for most yeast.

basic apple juice is a-okay! it will indeed ferment to around 4.5% - 5.5%. Don't be excited by making it mega strong with extra sugar, it will take longer to ferment, condition and mature - the weaker it is, the quicker it will taste as good as it will get.

we have some good recipes for Turbo Cider, Vimto Turbo Cider, Wurzel's Orange Wine...they are forum favourites and we love making them because they taste great! I highly suggest using tannin, citric, malic and pectolase - they will all benefit your cider massively and most are available from easy sources.

If you want nutrient, add 1tsp tomato puree, that'll give the yeast something to feed on!
 
RobWalker said:
5 litre demijohn - none, but add it below the shoulder, you need to leave a decent amount of headroom for it to froth up. cider/wine are less vigourous than beer so you only get a little action, but get the juice to this level here for fermentation;

images


after that, if you want to maximize it, you can top it up to below the neck with apple juice and it will ferment again, but a lot less vigourously. you will realistically fit 4.5L in a 5L demi john.

temperature, room temp is fine. 18c - 24c is best for most yeast.

basic apple juice is a-okay! it will indeed ferment to around 4.5% - 5.5%. Don't be excited by making it mega strong with extra sugar, it will take longer to ferment, condition and mature - the weaker it is, the quicker it will taste as good as it will get.

we have some good recipes for Turbo Cider, Vimto Turbo Cider, Wurzel's Orange Wine...they are forum favourites and we love making them because they taste great! I highly suggest using tannin, citric, malic and pectolase - they will all benefit your cider massively and most are available from easy sources.

If you want nutrient, add 1tsp tomato puree, that'll give the yeast something to feed on!

Thanks for that mate, it's got about an inch of foam on top but I only put 4 litres in just to be safe. My porch was a bit cold so it's in my box room sat in a bucket in case it does overflow while I'm at work :whistle:

My plan is ferment for a week then just siphon it into a couple of 2 litre pop bottles and lay it down for a couple of weeks :)

Got to gravity check my beer tonight (after work and a car meet), first time I'll have opened the tap so just hoping that's gone ok... :?
 
THE_Liam said:
Djseaton said:
Welcome to the forum fellow Leeds brewer ;)

Cheers pal! By the way, I went in Abbey Beer and Wine to ask some advice, do you know it? It's in Kirkstall? I was gonna go back and buy a kit but my mate gave me this Coopers kit because he got it as a present but never used it, he preferred his own kit. Result :mrgreen:

My lager is already named Rhino's Pride :lol:


Ive not been to that one yet.
My nearetst is Morley Homebrew, been going there for about a year now. Good prices and good advice.
There is always something he is selling off cheap aswel :D
 

Latest posts

Back
Top