A Few Beginner Questions

tmannion87 · Post by **tmannion87** » Monday Sep 24, 2007 3:39 pm

Hi, I recently bought a Cooper's Kit and have a few questions. First of all, when I pitched the yeast my temperature was very high, I think it was at 30 C. I put in the yeast anyway because the instructions said to do so. It stayed at that temp for 2 or 3 days and now is at 26 C. Will my beer still turn out alright? Also, I feel foolish for saying this, but I don't understand how to read my hydrometer. I know that it should be between 1008 and 1010, but when I looked at the hydrometer I got confused. Lastly, if this brew turns out alright, I would like to continue brewing. Does anyone have any suggestions as to a good second brew to try? I liked how easy this first one was, but at the same time I would like something more involved than just mixing water and the concentrate. Thanks so much for your help.

Tim

Kevnlis · Post by **Kevnlis** » Monday Sep 24, 2007 3:55 pm

30C is acceptable pitching temp for Coopers dry yeast.

The brew will ferment fine at 26C, Coopers yeast is pretty tough! Idealy you want to be around 18C, but this will still work.

Reading the hydrometer, well that depends on which hydrometer you have, but lets assume it is the brigalow one. It starts at the top with 1.000 and reads backwards from there by .002 with each line.

For your second brew I suggest a Morgans kit with an addition of malt extract.

tmannion87 · Post by **tmannion87** » Monday Sep 24, 2007 4:01 pm

I have whatever hydrometer came with the Coopers kit. I didn't take an OG reading, so is it still alright to do the reading over 2 days and as long as its between 1008 and 1010, and then I should be ready to bottle? I'll look into the kit you are talking about. Thanks again

TommyH · Post by **TommyH** » Monday Sep 24, 2007 4:05 pm

Tm.
Welcome to brewing.

It might be a good idea to look at this link http://www.homebrewandbeer.com/forum/vi ... php?t=1966
Cheers

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Monday Sep 24, 2007 4:29 pm

The Coopers hydro is the same. Just read it backward from the top.

And as Kevnlis said, try to get your temp down to 18*C if possible, asthis will make much better beer.

tmannion87 · Post by **tmannion87** » Tuesday Sep 25, 2007 4:35 am

I think I've got the hydro figured out. When I'm ready to bottle I want to also keep them close to 18 *C , correct? Any good ways of recording the temperature or is it kind of a guessing game? Thanks

Tim

warra48 · Post by **warra48** » Tuesday Sep 25, 2007 6:29 am

tmannion87 wrote:I think I've got the hydro figured out. When I'm ready to bottle I want to also keep them close to 18 *C , correct? Any good ways of recording the temperature or is it kind of a guessing game? Thanks

Tim

I suggest you don't bottle until at least a week after you started your brew, and preferably up to 2 weeks. Once you have bottled, just keep them at your normal room temperature for about 2 weeks to allow your beer to carbonate. Don't fret about storage temperatures after that, so long as you keep it somewhere reasonably stable, and try to kep it out of the light if you can. You can always put the bottles in a carton to do that. Enjoy your new hobby, and enjoy your beer.

timmy · Post by **timmy** » Tuesday Sep 25, 2007 7:50 am

Another good (simple) kit to try is the Coopers Australian Pale Ale. Just make it according to the instructions on the can (i.e. with the addition of Brew Enhancer 2) and you will end up with a very nice drop. Apart from anything else, you should be able to get all ingredients from your local supermarket. I'd agree with warra and suggest you leave for 2 or more weeks before bottling too. The longer you leave it (within reason), the clearer your resulting beer will be and you should see a reduction in the amount of sediment in the bottles.

Happy brewing...

Cheers,

Tim

MOFO · Post by **MOFO** » Tuesday Sep 25, 2007 9:20 am

One other tip:

When bottling, don't listen to the instructions (I think on the video with Paul Mercurio it features quite prominantly) when they say to leave 2 inches headspace at the top of the bottle.... I did this and blame this (and high temps.. try and brew between 18-20degrees) for the end result - a beer with esters making it taste like I had put a slice of pear into each bottle. Fill the bottles upto pretty much the top - if you are using a little bottler to fill the bottle then fill it right to the top because when you remove it from the bottle it will fall down around 1-2cm which is perfect.

tmannion87 · Post by **tmannion87** » Tuesday Sep 25, 2007 1:33 pm

So I shouldn't bottle for a least a week or 2, then leave in the bottle for 2 weeks at least? I'm really glad I have your guys help because the Coopers instructions seem to rush everything, so Im glad to have a different opinion. My temperature has also been high, anywhere from 30 to 24 C. Will my brew be doomed for this pear like taste? Do you have any suggestions on ways to bring the temp down to around 18 or 20? Ive been keeping it away from light and was thinking of wrappping the fermenter in a cold wet towel. Would this work? I don't have options to put it many other places, as I live in an apartment. Thanks again.

KEG · Post by **KEG** » Tuesday Sep 25, 2007 2:03 pm

yes, cold wet towels are helpful.

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Tuesday Sep 25, 2007 2:37 pm

And don't get too concerned about the temperature on the current brew- I was just happy I had made beer to worry about weird flavours. Work on that for your next brew.

warra48 · Post by **warra48** » Tuesday Sep 25, 2007 4:16 pm

KEG wrote:yes, cold wet towels are helpful.

Yeah, they definitely work. I've wrapped my fermenter in 2 towels and an old flanellette sheet, wettened them down, and put a block of ice on top of that. Put on a new block of ice each day. Kept the temp down to 18ÂºC in the middle of summer. Perfect.

tmannion87 · Post by **tmannion87** » Wednesday Sep 26, 2007 11:40 am

I got the temperature down to a steady 20 C, so hopefully this will help the taste. I'm going to bottle on Monday I think , then let them carbonate for 2 weeks, just in time for my birthday.

I want to try the Coopers Pale Ale that Tim was talking about. Does it come with everything you need in the kit, or will I need to buy other ingredients?

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Wednesday Sep 26, 2007 11:50 am

You'll need the can and 1kg of malt (recommended) or some other 'brew enhancer.'

tmannion87 · Post by **tmannion87** » Tuesday Oct 02, 2007 1:23 pm

I tried to take a hydrometer reading today and got confused. Is the reading where the beer lines up on the meter? If so, my reading was past 1010 by a lot. Sorry for such simple questions, but I got confused. Thanks so much

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Tuesday Oct 02, 2007 1:55 pm

The reading is taken from where the surface of the beer is relative to the hydro.

tmannion87 · Post by **tmannion87** » Tuesday Oct 02, 2007 2:05 pm

Thats what I thought, I think its right at 1010. Im going to take another reading tomorrow then bottle for 2 weeks....I'm excited

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Tuesday Oct 02, 2007 2:10 pm

There's no feeling like that first beer!

Save a bottle or two for a year or so later so that you can compare it to brews you have done since. It gives you a good idea how much better your beer gets after a few batches.

Danzar · Post by **Danzar** » Tuesday Oct 02, 2007 2:25 pm

tmannion87 wrote:I tried to take a hydrometer reading today and got confused. Is the reading where the beer lines up on the meter? If so, my reading was past 1010 by a lot. Sorry for such simple questions, but I got confused. Thanks so much

That used to ghet me too!

When you peer through the 'jar' you will notice that the beer curves up (like a bell curve). Take your reading from the base of the bell not the top. (Shit I hope I'm right 'cause I never had the guts to ask this question!)