My Tips

[coit]

My mates and I have been making Homebrew for years.My tips are:
The best drink in the world is Coopers Stout.Hang off it for a few months(while making heaps more)and you are in Paradise.
The best beer for people like me who work in the heat and want to drink a refreshing beer and are not interested in the intricate fandangos of taste is Tooheys Lager-it tastes great.
I brew all my beers with dextrose;the brew enhancers are crap.
It doesn't matter a stuff if you brew stout with sugar but you can definately get a cider taste with beer.
I make 3 brews every week(don't have a week's settling)and everyone loves my beer.
Cleanliness;different times for different seasons(my shed is air conditioned)
Coopers Draught And Lager are shit -I used to think it was my brewing till I realised I didn't like them.
This is my experience,not trying to offend,thanks,enjoy.
Paul Curtis

[r.magnay]

Hey ciot,
Not too sure that you are that much of an expert on beer or making it, but you certainly say your piece with conviction! After all is said and done, as long as you and your mates like it, who cares? If it does it for you stick with it, I personally like the heavier style beers too, and my staple is Coopers origional bitter, made with Coopers brew enhancer 2, I love it and most people who try it are also impressed so there you go hey.

[HopsAlot]

Hey R.mag,

What is your recipe for cooper bitter -and what kind of alcohol content you getting? My coopers lager just finished fermenting and I am disappointed in the final abv which is about 3.2 (i don't like weak beerz). It started at 145 and finished at 120.

Anyway my next batch is a coopers bitter - thanks in advance!

[Chris]

120 FG is way to high. It sounds like it has stuck.

Eithere let it go a while longer, or rack. I would also suggest pitching more yeast into 2ndary.

[Hashie]

120 OG, sounds like you'll be bottling bombs.

[Terry]

I think Coit makes a very valid point here - simplicity. The less complicated things are the less can go wrong (see my post on the Bad Brew thread). Sage advice for those new to brewing.

[vitalogy]

120 OG, sounds like you'll be bottling bombs.

hmm I dunno, I've had a couple stop at around the 1018-1020 mark. Mind you they've both had an OG of around 1055-1058. And they both were nearly all-malt and had quite a bit of maltodextrin in them as well (ie. lots of unfermentables).

Anyway, to get to my point, they haven't exploded (yet)

[HopsAlot]

Thanks for the replies - Bombs - yikes - this is only my third batch. I have been checking the sg every day and it has not changed, maybe it is stuck.
My first brew started at 150 finished at 118 (10 litre batch), my second brew started at 160 and finished at 120 (17 litre batch), my third one is a 23 litre batch and started at 146 and seems finished at 120. I stuck the ingrediants into the brew calculator and it said it should finish closer to 115. - http://www.brewcraft.com.au/wa.asp?idWe ... etails=172

All of these have been coopers lagers.

I think next time I add less water targeting a OG of about 155 (add water, check sg - repeat as necessary), then pitch the yeast.

Anyway thanks all - so far all have been drinkable

[50% Mogman]

I totally agree with coit on the Coopers Stout kit.
It's great, bulletproof, easy to drink, and you can add lots of diffeerent things to it.

As coit said, just lay off it for a few months.

[r.magnay]

G'day HopsAlot,
sorry I have been a bit slow getting back to you, I make the Origional bitter using 750g Coopers BE2 and just as the directions tell you, I have a brew room which is air conditioned so I keep it at about 25* which all comes out how I like it. If you prefer stronger beer use the whole 1Kg of BE2 and it will do the job! I have never used a hydrometer so I can't tell you what the % is but I do know that if I make it with the whole 1Kg it does the job on me a lot quicker!! I still reckon it is the best beer I have ever drank so good luck.

[501]

HopsAlot,
As you are using standard brews I am guessing you are not
Spinning the hydrometer enough.

This is common with those new to brewing.

If I just plonked a hydro in my Corona clone it would read 1020,
after spinning, it looks like 1010-12.

cheers 501

[HopsAlot]

Thanks 501, i will give it a spin. I may have hijacked this thread - apologies to coit - I am new to this forum game -

Coit: coopers stout it is - I will give it a try. If you are brewing 3 batches a week - my hats off to you! Your experience speaks for itself!

Cheers.

[Oliver]

When you say 145, 120, etc, I gather we're actually talking 1045, 1020 ...

A very rough guide is that fermentation should reduce the original gravity by 75 per cent, so a beer that begins at 1045 should finish about 1011-1012.

Cheers,

Oliver