Best to use for 2 can brew

[DJ]

I think I might try a 2 can only brew for my next brew..

Anyone done this that can recommend which one work well.. Have read on here that some don't work well...

[da_damage_done]

For a stout try http://www.homebrewandbeer.com/forum/vi ... php?t=1756

I've made this one and got praises from those who've tried it.

I`ve read the forums re: 2 cans and the main concern is with the level of bitterness.

But considering the above is Stout 43 + Dark Ale 28 = 71 IBU

And i admit that it is a little bitter - but not overpoweringly so (aging does mellow the bitterness I feel)

You could look at mixing different tins with lower IBU's and see what happens - at the end of the day - the cans are just malt + hops so there can`t be any real harm. Just be wary if you aren't a fan of bitter beer.

[ACTbrewer]

I think I might try a 2 can only brew for my next brew..

Do you mean using two different kit cans with no added fermentables?

[NickMoore]

Hiya, I reckon the stated IBU of a hopped extract only holds true if you add a kilo of sucrose or dextrose, something that ferments fully and adds no sweetness.

So if you add a 1.5kg of unhopped liquid malt extract, your bitterness will fall due to residual sugars. That means you may want to increase the bitterness - a feat accomplished by using a second can of hopped extract.

I don't believe it's a matter of adding the stated IBUs of the two cans together to get your beer's IBU. The fact that it's all malt throws this out.

I've done a stout/dark ale two can (with 500g of lme), two pale ales, and two lagers (with 300ml honey), and none have turned out overly bitter. in fact they were great.

[velophile]

I'll second NickMoore.
I made a 2 can batch with 2 out-of-date Tooheys Lager kits & a recultured Coopers Pale Ale yeast.

On opening the fermenter it smelt like pure caramel, a huge amount of diacetyl wafted out.
Further info on diacetyl http://www.beerme.com/diacetyl.shtml & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diacetyl

Bottled it anyway & stored it away.

At first it was as bitter as a mother-in-laws kiss. Now (2 months) it's a ripper! the bitterness has mellowed & it's thick 'n malty.

If you ever find cheap kits, give it a go!

[Wassa]

Try 2 cans of Casade Golden Harvest Lager with 500gm of yellowbox honey.............my brew buddy and i liked it, it got better over 12 months.

[Lukejones01]

I recently did my second brew with a 2 cans following the recipe on the following link:

http://www.lemis.com/grog/brewing/cheapbeer.html

The brew is very bitter but I have only bottled it a few weeks ago. So as Velopile mentions above I am hoping it will mellow out a bit.

My big problem is I just don't want to wait or store it so I get into it and cop this bitterness. It's a terrible issue for me but someone has to bear the burden of drinking it and I don't yet have enough bottles to store brews.

[SUBREW]

My bog standard quaffer is a Coopers Draught Two-Can.

2 X Coopers Draught.
Crystal Malt (250G Steeped) - OPTIONAL
50G Caster Sugar (Chelsea)
50G Dextrose
10G Hallertau Aroma Hops - OPTIONAL (if you like an even more hoppy taste like I do!).

Make to 26L

Safale Yeast works a treat with this brew @ 20 deg if you can.

I drink this after 4 weeks and it just gets better and better as it ages - never had any left much after 6 months though!

[Thirsty]

Luke,
I too suffer from the same terrible problem. The more I read this forum the more I realise that I'm doing no favours at all by drinking my HB's after 2 weeks in the bottle. Basically, the whole batch (30 bottles) is gone within 2 weeks, at which time I CAN certainly notice the improvement, only to return to the crate to find only empty vessels there!
Yes indeed, so I am beginning to learn my lesson by putting down brews one after the other (only done 3 so far, ready to put down the 4th). But I'm really thinking that looking ahead, to really condition some brews for 6 - 12 months, I'm going to have to geta second fermenter.

[r.magnay]

Buy a sixty litre one Thirsty, you then have the option of one brew, two brews or three brews at once, it can also give you a bit of flexibility when experimenting, nothing worse than trying to do something out of the ordinary with a small brewer. I have often just made two standard brews in the one brewer, but I have also tried mixing a couple of cans of different types, a Coopers bitter and a coopers draught makes a pretty good beer with a bit of body but still a bit lighter for those really hot days.
The other advantage is that you only have one lot of gear to clean after doing a double brew. Providing you have the bottles, it takes no time at all to get ahead. I have been known to bottle half in glass and half in pet, drink the pet and leave the glass, that way you can age some for as long as you like.....if you can stay away from them!

[Daron]

I was at the Holgate Brewhouse's open day last weekend and was told that a two-can brew on its own is far superior than the bog-standard one can brew with all the adjuncts. Anyway, the consensus was to either use one can at 11litres or two cans at 22+ litres.

I like my beers faily malty/hoppy, but can't really achieve with the one can, light malt extract, honey, added hops etc.

So, in a long-winded question, is this how you achieve this - with 2 cans?

And this Bitter/Draught mix sounds interesting.

[r.magnay]

G'day Daron,
I'm a pretty basic brewer, kits only, I was trying to make the point that having a bigger fermenter and a smaller one gives you a bit more flexibility so I can't really answer your question regarding the body of the beer, my main beer is Coopers Origional Bitter to twenty three litres, with BE2. I have made the draught, wheat, lager, pale etc, but still always go back to the bitter. The two cans one of draughtand one of bitter I simply mix in the large fermenter and add the BE2 etc so brewing two brews together, I find it just makes the bitter a bit lighter just for a bit of a change. you could back the water off a bit if you want your beer to be a bit heavier in body, but you will have to wait for someone a bit more technical than me to get the rest of your answers.

[NickMoore]

Hiya Ross, how do you move that 60L fermenter around when it's near full?

[Thirsty]

Hi NickMoore,
Sorry to but in here, but I'm sure the correct answer to your question is - "you don't"! A 60L brew would be bloody heavy, and I reckon you'd bottle it from where you left it.

[Rough60]

If you like dark beers try, 1 can Morgans Aussie Old, 1 can Morgans Aussie Draught.
I make it to 18L because I keg and it ends up around 6% alc.
Very nice winter beer though.

[r.magnay]

You got it thirsty!! I am fortunate to have a custom built climate controlled brew room so I don't have to lift my fermenters around, I have a trolley that I can use to brew on so I can move it around a bit if I really need to, but there is no real need to.

[Tipsy]

Hiya Ross, how do you move that 60L fermenter around when it's near full?

The question should be, how do you get yourself motivated to clean 60lt worth of bottles?

[Ash]

if you drink that much, surely kegging is the go

[r.magnay]

I don't drink that much as of a few weeks ago, but when I did, kegs still are not an option for me, a lot of the beer was taken bush when I work, and sometimes to places that are 'dry' so you are not allowed to take any grog with you, (a keg might be a bit obvious), it also limits you when you go to a mates place or a barbie etc. I have my brewroom set up with a double laundry trough and my lovely wife sometimes helps or actually washes the bottles for me!! (she's a bloody gem) and she doesn't even drink!! the set up makes the washing a bit less of a pain especially if you rinse well as you drink them.

[Rob E]

My next brew is the Malt Shovel Two Row Lager with S23, I Will be doing 2 cans and yeast only, so will see how it goes! (apparently should have quite a bit of character)