homebrewandbeer.com

Greetings one and all,

i've been considering getting into homebrewing but would like to get it right the first time other than ending up with a kit when I could have done better.

I've been looking at the coopers kit but reading this forum it seems to be common belief to not follow the instructions. Is the coopers instructions not really the way to go or are you guys/gals just suggesting a better way to do things?

Also how important is it to keep the fermenter cool? Currently this maybe a little hard to do due to the heat.

Small changes are best when getting started, plenty of time for exotic experimentation later.

Ignore the bit about 1Kg of sugar. Instead use 1Kg BE2 or Ultrabrew. Also grab a hop bag from your local HBS.

Cheers,
Greg

If you buy the Coopers Home Brew kit, along with everything else will fall out of the box a bag of Brewing Sugar. The instructions will tell you to add that to the fermenter with the can of beery goodness. If you are rigorous with your cleanliness and can keep the full fermenter at around 20C once you've thrown the yeast in, it will turn out fine. If you ignore the sugar and buy yourself a kilogram of Coopers Brew Enhancer 2 or malt, it will turn out better.

It is pretty hard to make bad beer with the Coopers kit - I believe I am the only person in history to ruin their first batch with this kit.

There are several techniques for keeping the fermenter cool, such as wrapping the fermenter in a wet towel. Poke around this place and you will find lots of good information.

definitely follow Gregb's advice on the hop bag when moving away from the 1KG of sugar. The kits are hopped, but introducing additional malt will bring additional sweetness. Fine if your after that, but most would prefer to balance this flavour with more hop.

Keep reading, you get the hang of it. Most important, have a go. You'll never know you personal preferences without some trial and error.

Rich

Ive always been glad that with my first brew i used the 1kg of sugar. Having always been given some of my pop's home brew when i went and saw him i always thought thats what home brew was suppose to taste like. Now having read up on brewing seeing my pop notice the small changes i had made to me brew was one i'll never forget

Jarryd wrote:Ive always been glad that with my first brew i used the 1kg of sugar.

So am I, my brews slowly improved from the first and it was good to go back and compare.

Madness wrote:Greetings one and all,

i've been considering getting into homebrewing but would like to get it right the first time other than ending up with a kit when I could have done better.

The above advice is good,

Now if you want to get better go A.G.

Thanks you for your advise makers of the golden ale..... Just to run something by you guys.

Does this kit look any good or would I be better to get the coopers Kit???

Advantage of that kit is that it comes with the Pail type fermenter.

Cheers,
Greg

no bottles & the fermenter is smaller, so not as good IMO - unless you absolutely hate PET bottles.

I've only used PET but from what I've read they are easier to clean, no accidents capping them (especially with a hand capper), no bombs if you screw up your priming/stuck ferment and they take up way less space.

Coopers Kit at BigW for $60 odd, get some BE2 while you're there & drop into a HBS for some hops & safale = win


Oh, with Greg's comment on the pail fermenter - people argue both ways, it's like ford/holden - they both do the job but people have personal preferences, except pails & carboys aren't shit like ford & holden

Get the Coopers kit, you get everything in the box and it's a steal. Getting the bottles in there is a great help for your first brews - no need to collect empties or buy a capper (bench cappers are the go). I've bought two of the Coopers kits now, the second one I was tossing up buying some more bottles only but decided to buy the whole kit since I got another fermenter for not much more..

Although others here say to toss the brewing sugar that comes with the lager in the kit, I thought it was helpful to make it up with it the way Coopers recommended to I could get a benchmark for future brews. It's easily drinkable, but all other brews I've made since then with dex or malt instead have been much, much better.

Uh-Oh

Well well tipsy wonders will never cease, we agree on something to do with a carboy/pail thread

Ash wrote:Coopers Kit at BigW for $60 odd.....

Big W in Sydney area has them for $74

Obviously it varies & you have to go when it's on special, Kmart do them too of course.

If you're in Sydney I can sell you a used starter kit. See here:

http://www.homebrewandbeer.com/forum/vi ... php?t=3935

Thanks for the offer but as I'm new to all this I think it better for me to get a coopers kit (which I'm picking up tomorrow).

Madness wrote:Thanks you for your advise makers of the golden ale..... Just to run something by you guys.

Does this kit look any good or would I be better to get the coopers Kit???

Madness this kit looks good ask them how much they will take off the price if you get a bench capper at the same time. If you have the money they will take even more off if you ask for a bench capper and a heater belt with the kit. A bench capper is worth its weight in gold.