Coopers Malt Extract- NO INSTRUCTIONS, HELP

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brendon7800

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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?
 
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...
 
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!!
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.:D
 
brendon7800 said:
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.



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.
 
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.
 
What was meant by "half corn sugar, half extract" was that you still use the entire contents of the kit but instead of adding 1kg of sugar, add .5kg sugar and .5 kg of Dry malt extract (DME), wich can be bought seaprately. This will give more body to the brew.
And, I usually add water to get to about, 1.044s.g. I just leave my sterilized hydrometer in the primary while adding water and stop when I get to the desired gravity. Then take the hd. out, pitch the yeast (if temp is between 20-30C) and let nature take over.
 
I don't have any dry malt extract. Should I get some? And if so what kind is recomended? Remember I'm doing the Coopers Pilsner, and Coopers Australian Lager. Do I really need to add a DME? Or can I go without it?
 
I think getting the wort to a decent Starting Grav is more important than using DME or not. Certainly, malt extract adds some nice flavour, and I prefer to brew with it vs sugar, no question. BUT you can make perfectly acceptable homebrew with corn sugar (dextrose) and the canned kits. I do however find that it comes out thin if you brew according to the directions. So, I beef em up with DME, and keep the gravity nice and high (ca 1.050 to start). Throw a handful of pellet hops into your boiling water too!
 
I'm not a lager drinker but I like to have some in the house for the holidays so I make up a cooper pilsner kit with Muntons Kit enhancer (its quick and cheap).

Neither ingredients need boiling, and mix well. I never worry about the gravity as the kit enhancer is going to give you far more body than corn sugar anyway so all you loose if you dont quite hit the SG is a small amount of alcohol.

To be honest the kit enhancer is probably just a mixture of Corn sugar and light dme (probably 50/50), its just a convenient way to buy it.

I definately wouldnt dick around with the hop balance by boiling some up, coopers kits seem to get it about right. Steeping them in boiling water wont hurt though to add aroma.

To get the best out of the kit it needs least 2 months to mature but produces a drink that is quite acceptable and worth the wait.
 
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