Disastrous Draught!

[earle]

So sadly I've got to limit my consumption to 3 mugs a night now (steins? whatever....).

I have a 1L stein. You're not using one of those are you?

[Anna]

OMG No! I don't know how much mine holds, but I get 2 out of a longneck. I didn't know what to call it, but because it's got a handle I called it a "mug". Do they have a name?

[bullfrog]

Yeah, I call my one my glass-beer-mug-jobbie. That's the technical name for it, of course.

[Anna]

"jobbie"?? Are you perchance a Pom Bullfrog?

[Planner]

OMG No! I don't know how much mine holds, but I get 2 out of a longneck. I didn't know what to call it, but because it's got a handle I called it a "mug". Do they have a name?

Anna

Depending on size and state of origin it could have many names. Down here bars don't regularly sell 375ml. Glass 200ml or pot 285ml. Pots with handles are sold in some pubs as "handles", but still 285ml.

Planner

[bullfrog]

"jobbie"?? Are you perchance a Pom Bullfrog?

Them's fighting words, Anna.

I'm an Aussie of Scottish stock...from a family that, through history, would periodically and for almost no reason whatsoever, charge south at the border in flocks of anywhere from 10 to 1000, wielding Claymores and screaming boisterously as we went.

We'll keep it hush that my family initially aided the English in throwing over the Scottish Monarchy, because they did enough Pommie head-bashing in the centuries that followed to make up for it.

...now what were we talking about? Oh yeah, in New Zealand pubs, those glasses are referred to as "handles" but I think they're generally pint-sized.

[warra48]

Anna,

If you get two glasses out of a longneck, you have a Schooner sized glass.
A schooner holds an actual 375 mil of beer (the same as a stubby or a can), although the pub and club Schooners are marked with 425 mil. I guess that's to allow for froth and headspace etc., and to fool the drunks into thinking they're getting more than they really are.

[Anna]

"jobbie"?? Are you perchance a Pom Bullfrog?

Them's fighting words, Anna.

I'm an Aussie of Scottish stock...from a family that, through history, would periodically and for almost no reason whatsoever, charge south at the border in flocks of anywhere from 10 to 1000, wielding Claymores and screaming boisterously as we went.

We'll keep it hush that my family initially aided the English in throwing over the Scottish Monarchy, because they did enough Pommie head-bashing in the centuries that followed to make up for it.

...now what were we talking about? Oh yeah, in New Zealand pubs, those glasses are referred to as "handles" but I think they're generally pint-sized.

My God Bullfrog! What images you've conjured up in my fertile mind!! Now I'm imagining you "handle" in hand, wielding a long-handled spoon and screaming boisterously....

Thanks guys for the clarification - looks like I'm drinking "a schooner with a handle". Anna

[drsmurto]

Your beer has arrived Anna. I am letting it settle for a few days (as well as my stomach after a weekend with too much wine ) and will get back to you once i have tasted it.

[Anna]

I'll wait with baited breath!

[Anna]

I can already see Monday morning's discussion topic:

How to fix a candied fish taste in your brew

Your idea to blend my two crook beers worked brilliantly Bullfrog! I mixed 2/3 "fairy floss Draught" and 1/3 "smoked fish Dark Ale" and ended up with a very drinkable "Candy Fish Ale"! So thanks for the suggestion and the name - that's what's going into my record book. AND it's saved 2 crates of beer that might have been tipped down the drain.

Anna

[bullfrog]

Glad it turned out well, Anna. Nothing sadder than wasting beer, so it's good you could avoid it

[Anna]

Planner - how long did yours look active?

Anna

Brewed and pitched on Sunday night (nothing worth watching on the box, so I sat in the shed and listened to the footy) @ 23deg OG 1040
Monday am, no action 18deg
Monday pm, some condensation 18deg
Tuesday pm, good krausen 16deg
Wednesday pm, krausen 50-60mm glad wrap taut 14-16deg
Thursday am, krausen 50-60mm glad wrap taut 14-16deg
Haven't taken a SG yet, and probably won't until bottling, generally at 2 weeks.

Hope all ends well

Planner

Planner, how is this brew going? Finished yet? If so, what was your FG?
The good news is that mine has finally come down to 1.014, very cloudy still though, so I'm going to leave it for another week to clear and maybe come down some more. Definitely tastes totally different to brews with the kit yeast! I can hardly wait to taste the finished result. Anna

[Planner]

Planner, how is this brew going? Finished yet? If so, what was your FG?
The good news is that mine has finally come down to 1.014, very cloudy still though, so I'm going to leave it for another week to clear and maybe come down some more. Definitely tastes totally different to brews with the kit yeast! I can hardly wait to taste the finished result. Anna

Anna

The brew has settled down quite a bit, still sitting at 14-16deg and bubbling slowly (possibly Co2 coming out). I haven't yet taken a reading since the SG. My usual practice is to take a reading about 10-12days after pitching and then at 14days. If stable I bottle, if I have time, otherwise I leave until the following weekend.
Tonight is 9 days, so in the next few days I will test and report back. I'm expecting with only 700LDME it should drop to about 1008-1010, but it's new territory for me with CPA yeast. At present it's clearing very well and smells great (I think PoR will probably get another run in a brew shortly). Also keen to taste the results, as the the store-bought stocks are getting low.

Planner

[Planner]

Tonight is 9 days, so in the next few days I will test and report back. I'm expecting with only 700LDME it should drop to about 1008-1010, but it's new territory for me with CPA yeast.

Anna

I took a sample last night and found it has dropped to 1010, with no sign of any activity. I will check again on Saturday, but I suspect it has finished and will be bottled this weekend. I tested the apple cider that has been sitting next to it and found that the coopers ale kit yeast has not handled the cold (14-16) as well as the CPA yeast. I've had to fire up the heat pad to raise it a few degrees (still at 1020 after 10 days).

All looks and smells good, so in a few weeks I should be drinking what promises to be a good beer.

Planner

[Anna]

Yes, from reading the Coopers forum I wouldn't expect kit yeast to do anything below 16 deg, and according to Dr Smurto the re-cultured yeast does its best work around 14-16 deg (which is good, considering the current temps).

Funny thing - in my current brew (the one with the re-cultured yeast) I thought I had used a can of Pale Ale and that's what I had written down in my notes. Then I had of flash of recall and realised it had in fact been a can of Draught! Could be interesting. It's been very slow fermenting but it's now down to 1.014. Smells great but I've got a feeling I may have used too much late POR (is there such a thing? ), 'cause it tastes a bit weird at this stage. Interesting colour too - very yellow! Maybe bottle this weekend if the SG stays the same.

Anna

[Anna]

Well, very confused now! I couldn't resist doing another SG test this morning - seems to have gone up a bit! Yesterday's reading was 1.014, now it's 1.016. Now I don't know what to do. It's had 10 days - OG 1.056, starting temp. 22 deg, dropping to around 18-20 deg for the last week.

Can Coopers Draught (not PA like I originally posted)
1 kg No.2 enhancer
Extra 300 gm LDM
15 gm POR boiled for 15 mins in 1 Lt + 100 gm LDM
15 gm POR at flameout (Doc, you were right - think I overdid the POR! )
Re-cultured yeast from 4 Coopers PA stubbies

To bottle or not to bottle tomorrow?

The SG is still a bit high I feel, but then again, it started pretty high and has got the extra malt in it....so maybe it is done.

My question is: If I leave it another week, should I pitch some more yeast or not? (It would have to be kit yeast.) If I did that and it had in fact already finished, what would happen to the new yeast? Would it just sink to the bottom or would it taste super-yeasty?

(You'd think I'd be more confident after 50 brews, but this is the first time I've re-cultured Coopers yeast and I so wanted it to turn out good!)

Anna (HWDMOTB's only comment: "Can't you just make beer?????" )

[SuperBroo]

Dunno if this is good advice or not Anna, but you might be able to sanitise a long spoon and gently stir some yeast back up into the brew ?

anyone else feel free to chip in if theres something wrong with doing this...

cheers, Chris

[Anna]

Thanks Grog, but I've already done that twice! And raised the temp a bit for a day or two.

[drsmurto]

10 days isn't an issue, if it was me i would be patient and leave it another 4 days and see if it drops any further. Makes it an even 2 weeks in primary.

It may well be done. 1.014 gives 74% attenuation which is at the low end of the range you would expect form this yeast but since you started off with what i think is too small an amount of yeast then it may well be done.

So give it another few days, if the SG remains the same then bottle it as usual.

Don't under any circumstances add another yeast.

You have pure coopers yeast that you can reuse in the next few batches. If you mix another one in you may as well throw away the yeastcake.