Some basic extract (coopers) advice

HI, i just started home brewing. I started with 1 coopers Brewmaster Irish stout pre hopped kit and 1 can of LME 3.3# dark muttons. I got a Hydrometer reading of 1.34 which seems a little weak to me. it's around 5 - 5 1/2 gallons total. I used a safal 04 yeast or something like that.

Does the hydrometer reading sound right or does it sound like i didn't do it right?

and do you suggest that i use like a DME (how much) for my next kit which will be the Coopers english bitter.

I read allot that you boil hops for x amount of time but is it possible for me to boil the hops in water and then add said water to the extract instead of boiling with the extract?

Thanks alot any advice would be appreciative.

Typically, DME is a better quality extract to use than liquid. I'd suggest moving to it.

As for your hydrometer readings, you can't screw up your gravity with extract beers. If you ended up with the right amount in your fermenter, then you have the right gravity. I'm assuming your water didn't get completely mixed into the wort and it gave you an innaccurate reading.

Yes, you can boil hops in water and add them, but why would you want to? Just seems like more work. Plus, you'd have to figure out isomerization %'s for the amount of water you're using.

Papazian recommends (for one's first batch) to add 1 pound of DME.

Palmer gives an example of 2.5lbs (1.1kg) of DME for an extract batch.

I find Papazian's a bit light. When I do the occasional extract batch, I use 1kg (2.2 lbs) of DME in addition to the can of LME. Mostly because that's how my DME is delivered, and packets left open tend to clump and become a pain to use.

I read allot that you boil hops for x amount of time but is it possible for me to boil the hops in water and then add said water to the extract instead of boiling with the extract?

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This method is called "late addition" and is useful when doing partial boils.

The hydrometer reading sounds about right, I think the coopers kits are a bit low and they have "enhancer packs" to boost it.
If you want to raise it up, go buy yourself another package of dark DME. There is a very low percentage of fermentables to start with in that brew. I did a quick Beersmith calc and adding 1 lb of DME will raise you from about 3.1% to 4.0%
You can mix this with a minimum amount of water, heat it on the stove for sanitation reasons, and add it to your fermenter after it has cooled.

IceFisherChris said:

The hydrometer reading sounds about right, I think the coopers kits are a bit low and they have "enhancer packs" to boost it.
If you want to raise it up, go buy yourself another package of dark DME. There is a very low percentage of fermentables to start with in that brew. I did a quick Beersmith calc and adding 1 lb of DME will raise you from about 3.1% to 4.0%
You can mix this with a minimum amount of water, heat it on the stove for sanitation reasons, and add it to your fermenter after it has cooled.

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The alcohol level in his brew is fine. Doing a quick search for the kit he used says he had approx. 4% ABV using the kit. If he added the additional 3.3lb can of LME, then he's now looking at around 1.060 for gravity. Either way...I don't suggest adding things until you're a bit more experienced so you don't risk more problems.

well, in your hydrometer reading, you are missing a 0 as its probably a 1.034, but that does sound OK.

I have been brewing with the Brewers Best extract kits which seem pretty decent overall and they are incorporating late extract addition and other techniques and have been turning out pretty well for me, plus you get to experience a bit more of the brewing process it seems.

Good luck on your first batch and let us know how it turns out

Suthrncomfrt1884 said:

The alcohol level in his brew is fine. Doing a quick search for the kit he used says he had approx. 4% ABV using the kit. If he added the additional 3.3lb can of LME, then he's now looking at around 1.060 for gravity. Either way...I don't suggest adding things until you're a bit more experienced so you don't risk more problems.

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You would have to have an FG of 1.003 to get to 4% which I don't think that is even really possible?
I said to add 1 pound of DME which will bring it up a little bit. An OG of 1.034 is on the very low end of the style.
There is a "package" kit that includes the regular ingredients and then a package of DME, a pound of dextrose, and carb drops. I don't think this would really count as anything risky because its part of the "enhanced" recipe...
If he wants to add a little bit, it's up to him.

IceFisherChris said:

You would have to have an FG of 1.003 to get to 4% which I don't think that is even really possible?
I said to add 1 pound of DME which will bring it up a little bit. An OG of 1.034 is on the very low end of the style.
There is a "package" kit that includes the regular ingredients and then a package of DME, a pound of dextrose, and carb drops. I don't think this would really count as anything risky because its part of the "enhanced" recipe...
If he wants to add a little bit, it's up to him.

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As I said in my very first post, I believe his hydrometer reading was wrong because of an improperly mixed water/wort ratio. That means I'm discrediting the 1.034 reading that's been given.

Even if you take just the 1.7kg can of extract he got from Coopers, and the 3.3lb can of LME he got as extra, he would still have around 1.045 for a starting gravity. I didn't figure it into beertools, but that's approx.

And yes, 1.003 as a FG is perfectly possible.

well i might of taken a wrong reading but ( thanks IceFisherChris) i went bought some DME dark 1 pound mixed it with water and added it and it seemed to react well so hopefully i can get like a 4-5% hopefully.
problem is , is that i broke my hydometer sampleing tube thing so now, shrug. i'll just wait like 9-10 days then rack to secondary i guess.

is it ok if i use a bottling bucket as a secondary?

then add 3/4ths a cup of priming sugar mixed with water to bottleing bucket to bottle? or just use the carb drops and skip the whole priming sugar thing?

Doh, it is possible to take a reading in the primary but you just have to watch out for foam, and its hard to see anyways...
Honestly I have never taken serious hydrometer readings... some may think its crazy. I just let it sit for a month before going into bottles and it comes out fine. I do extract so the only way to screw up gravity is to get bad instructions or not add everything they say.

You can use the bottling bucket as a secondary, but I would use a carboy instead. You'll probably get more sediment in your bottles because there is still a lot of yeast and stuff that falls out of suspension while in the secondary. A quarter inch, even after it was sitting int he primary for 2 weeks. The spigot is so close to the bottom that it might get sucked up.
It is also arguable that HDPE plastic is more oxygen permeable than PET plastic, and definitely more than glass. Plus a ton of head space is in a bucket. Leading to oxidation.

Just use priming sugar. It's simpler and cheaper (a quarter of the price of carb drops)
Boil sugar water for a minute or so to sterilize and dissolve. I start the siphon into my bottling bucket and then add the priming sugar solution (avoid splashing). I don't wait for it to cool down since the wort will do it for me.

cyoung1112 said:

well i might of taken a wrong reading but ( thanks IceFisherChris) i went bought some DME dark 1 pound mixed it with water and added it and it seemed to react well so hopefully i can get like a 4-5% hopefully.
problem is , is that i broke my hydometer sampleing tube thing so now, shrug. i'll just wait like 9-10 days then rack to secondary i guess.

is it ok if i use a bottling bucket as a secondary?

then add 3/4ths a cup of priming sugar mixed with water to bottleing bucket to bottle? or just use the carb drops and skip the whole priming sugar thing?

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You don't want to use your bottling bucket as a secondary. What will happen is that the spent yeast and other trub will fall out to the bottom so that the beer is clearer. If you add the priming solution, two things will happen. One is that you'll resuspend all of that trub, which totally negates the value of racking it to begin with. Two, you'll risk oxidizing your beer by needed to stir.

You can use the carb drops if you want, but if it was me, I'd just leave it in the primary for 2-3 weeks, then rack to the bottling bucket. I'd put the priming solution in the bucket first, then rack the beer into it, with the tip of the tubing at the bottom in a circular pattern, so it fills and mixes from the bottom in a "swirl" pattern.

well i have actually 2 extract brews going lol. i did 1 one day got excited and got another one and a better bottle the next day lol.

so would a 5 gal better bottle be alright for a secondary, even know i started out with a little more than 5 gallons?

I was thinking of doing a 10 days primary then 10 days secondary.
problem i have here is i did the coopers bitter which i read is good after 4 weeks in the bottle , but i have no idea how long to wait for in the secondary and in the bottles for the coopers Irish stout....? i hear stouts take longer?

also is 3/4th cup of priming sugar good for 5 to 5.5 gal batch to bottle?

thanks for any advice

The amount of priming sugar you use all depends on how much carbonation you want.

As for primary and secondary, I suggest (as will most experienced brewers) that you ignore using a secondary all together and save that extra vessel for another beer. You beer will actually benifit more if you leave it on the yeast in primary for 3-4 weeks instead of taking it off right away and leaving it in secondary. Don't waste your time and risk having a problem with the beer. Bottle it after it's been in primary for 4 weeks. Wait an additional 4 weeks before even thinking about drinking it.

I realize patience is very hard to come by with new brewers, but if you listen to the advice on this forum, you'll be very happy with the outcome of your first beer.