SWMBO and I brewed BYO's Moose Drool clone last night, and it was a much more rewarding experience than the first batch (Coopers can, add yeast, wait.) We upgraded to a turkey burner with a 7.5 gallon pot, so got to do the full boil. Grain steeping, hop adds and such certainly feel much more like brewing. The SG for the recipe was 1.052, and we hit 1.053 so it LOOKS like we did everything correctly, just a matter of waiting for that vial of WLP002 to kick in.
First "real" batch last night
- Thread starter Taypo
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Hey! Moose Drool for the win!
I love that stuff, it's on tap at a $hitty bar I go to and it's great.
Congrats on what sounds like a very successful brew, I felt the same way when I made my first Mr. Beer brew (compared to your feelings about the cooper's brew). I heated up the can, added the booster, then cooled and pitched the yeast while scratching my head thinking "there has got to be a little bit more to it than this"...
I love that stuff, it's on tap at a $hitty bar I go to and it's great.
Congrats on what sounds like a very successful brew, I felt the same way when I made my first Mr. Beer brew (compared to your feelings about the cooper's brew). I heated up the can, added the booster, then cooled and pitched the yeast while scratching my head thinking "there has got to be a little bit more to it than this"...
My first batch was with Festabrew ready made wort. There wasn't even any heating involved. Open the bag, watch the wort cascade into the bucket, slosh around and pitch.
My second batch was an AG. You can do it Taypo, you just have to invest in a 5$ nylon bag. You already have the kettle and everything !
My second batch was an AG. You can do it Taypo, you just have to invest in a 5$ nylon bag. You already have the kettle and everything !
This was an extract + grain recipe that we steeped and loved it, so I see partial mashes and all grain in the future but we're taking it slow and making sure our processes and sanitation are sound before bumping it up a notch. Trying to make sure we can make a consistent product before adding steps, as I brewed years ago and could never make the same beer twice.
Right now its the WLP002 that we used giving me a little stress, I know that fermentation can take a while to start but 12+ hours with no action is making me worry a little bit. Probably because we didnt use a starter, though
Right now its the WLP002 that we used giving me a little stress, I know that fermentation can take a while to start but 12+ hours with no action is making me worry a little bit. Probably because we didnt use a starter, though
No need to worry. Lag times of 12 hours or more aren't something to be concerned with. The pouch inflated ? You pitched at the correct temperature ? The manufacture date wasn't when Clinton was in office ? Everything will be cool.
A starter is certainly recommended and can help with faster starts, but it is not required for most gravity ales.
It wasnt a smack pack, just the White Labs vial, with a best by date for next month. Pitched a bit warm (76) but nothing serious. I'm sure its fine, just first time using liquid yeast jitters.
Be also aware that lag times vary by yeast strains.
God luck on the brew. But you could do the same thing with cooper's cans. I do,with great success. The cooper's Original Series cans are great for this,as they have bittering only. Add 3-4lbs of plain DME,& the right hop schedule/amounts,& you've got many different styles of ale on your hands. I think it's easy,& certainly more involving for you as the brewmeister. Plus it's just plain fun. A voyage of discovery,if you will.
This makes me think I need to do a video on this very subject next. I see/hear so much negativity about cooper's. In my day,if something didn't work right the 1st time out,you made it work. You tweaked it till it did. This is what makes champions. And good beer that gets the gold...
This makes me think I need to do a video on this very subject next. I see/hear so much negativity about cooper's. In my day,if something didn't work right the 1st time out,you made it work. You tweaked it till it did. This is what makes champions. And good beer that gets the gold...
Not taking anything away from the Coopers cans, they're popular for a reason and it was a great first step. The batch we brewed from it is happily aging away, and the bottles we've tried have been very drinkable. I'm just a more hands on kind of guy, and branching away from them seemed like the right thing for me.
That's fine,but what I was saying ws that they can be combined with other things to make different ales. Just like those other brands of kits are doing. There not just for starting out any more. Many options available to re-combine different malts,hops,water profiles,crystal malts,etc on your own. That's what I do with the cooper's OS cans. I use them as a base for something different than what they are. It's about the same as those steeping grain kits. just my idea...
I think you can get Coopers without any bittering also, which gives you even more freedom and liberty on the process.
Yes,they also sell un-hopped cans in light,amber,dark,& wheat.
That WLP002 kicked into gear, took it about 24 hours at 68 degrees to start working without a starter. Its much more subdued than the dry yeast we used last time, the krauzen is a really good looking creamy foam, rather than a Hiroshima cloud.
paulster2626
Well-Known Member
Same process for me - adding hops, steeping grains, boiliing for a long time, is so much more fun than dumping a can of molasses in a pot and stirring it up.
Gotta agree with that,Paul. It's been fun making different ales with added malts,hops,etc & the cans. I have a case in the fridge for a few days now that'll get cracked tomorrow. It's more fun playing mad scientist.
A piece from here,a piece from there...
A piece from here,a piece from there...
Dry yeast is "engineered" to be "ready" with a lot more yeast cells than liquid yeast. That is why you don't need a starter with the dry yeast.
The main advantage to liquid is many more strains that will give different flavors etc. to your beer.
