brendon7800

Recipes 

Hey all, I'm really new to brewing. I purchased two Coopers malt extract cans. One is the Australian Lager, the other is the Brewmaster Pilsner. The directions that came with the cans are extremely vague. There isn't a starting gravity, finishing gravity, or boiling time to follow. These are my third and fourth brews, don't want to screw them up like the first two. Has anyone sucessfully brewed these kits?

david_42

Recipes 

Extract brewing by Palmer. Give it a read and proceed.

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Shambolic

Recipes 

I have a feeling you actually aren't supposed to do a boil with those kits. Because the malt extract has already been boiled and hopped, you will only lose hop flavour...I THINK...

If you're brewing with kits, I think it's basically a matter of dissolving the extract in hot water along with a kilogram or so of sugar (dextrose, not table sugar), adding some more finishing hops if you like, then chucking it in a fermenter...

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Coming Up:
Maybe a pilsner...
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Sasquatch

Recipes 

Roger that.... just heat up the can a bit, and dissolve the contents in some hot water with about a kilo (2 pounds or so) of corn sugar or better yet half corn sugar and half dry malt extract. Then transfer that hot sticky gunk into a primary fermenter with some cold water in the bottom. Then just fill the thing to the 20L mark or so... I do those kits by specific gravity, and it works well.

Add your yeast, cover, and you're brewing!!

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Secondary: Sangiovese, Honey Nut Brown, some Pilsner/ale kinda thing that just won't quit...

Bottled:
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Chairman Cheyco

Recipes 

I'd agree with doing these kits by gravity. If you go all the way to 23L you'll end up with a weak and thin brew. A good rule of thumb is about 20L like 'squatch says. The final yeild after racking/sampling/bottling is usually down to about 18L but it'll be yummy.

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brendon7800

Recipes 

ok explain to me how you do those kits by "specific gravity". I understand how to measure origional gravity and final gravity, but I havn't heard the term specific gravity. And when you say "or better yet half corn sugar and half dry malt extract" do you mean to use only half of the can and a half a kilo. I'm still very confused, and as you can tell very green when it comes to brewing. I've been doing as much research as I can about the hobby but still a little unsure.

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Primary= Coopers Pilsner Lager #0602
Primary= Coopers Australian Lager #0604
Secondary= Corona Clone #0603
Secondary= patiently waiting empty
Bottles= Brewers Best American Light #0501
Bottles= patiently waiting empty
Keg= Brewers Best American Light #0601
Keg= air
Up next= Something that tastes good
On deck= I don't know yet
Drinking= Brewers Best American Light. My first batch and it tastes great!

Genghis77

Recipes 

Specific gravity is simply one of the scales on a hydrometer. The other two scales are Potential alcohol and Brix. Generally the OG (original gravity) and FG (finishing gravity) are done on the specific gravity scale.

As to adding other sugars, your beer will taste better if you avoid table sugar. Also, if you keep corn sugar to a minimum. So, yes he is recommending you use half the amount of each. Simply put the remainder in a ziplock and store in your refrigerator to use in a later batch of beer.

Hope this clears some of the confusion. Terminology takes a little getting used to.

God Emporer BillyBrew

Recipes 

Wouldn't he need to boil if he's adding DME? I didn't think it was sanitary...

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Lounge Lizard

Recipes 

Instead of adding enough water to get up to the 23 liter mark like the kits call for, just add enough to get to where you want your OG to be. If the OG is where you want it at five gallons (19L), stop there. Or add more fermentables, or something

I was just looking at an old bag of Coopers brewing sugar. It is a mixture of sucrose and maltodextrin. Yikes, the maltodextrin sounds fine, but sucrose?

Basically, with Coopers kits, you sterilize everything. Pour a gallon of boiling water into your fermenter, and then mix in the extract and sugar. The boiling water is supposed to sanitize the extract and sugar. Then top up with the water of your choice

The guys above have given you some good advice on sugar substitutes. I went to 23 L mark with my Coopers Lager kit and a kilo of corn sugar, but I wish I hadn't.

brendon7800

Recipes 

Thanks to all who gave advice I think I can handle it from here. Finding this site is saving me from a lot of bad batches.

__________________
Primary= Coopers Pilsner Lager #0602
Primary= Coopers Australian Lager #0604
Secondary= Corona Clone #0603
Secondary= patiently waiting empty
Bottles= Brewers Best American Light #0501
Bottles= patiently waiting empty
Keg= Brewers Best American Light #0601
Keg= air
Up next= Something that tastes good
On deck= I don't know yet
Drinking= Brewers Best American Light. My first batch and it tastes great!