coopers cerveza

Just been given a coopers cerveza kit along with some no 2 enhancer.Any ideas how I could improve on this kit? I have some hops I could do a tea with?or maybee add some extra dme?Havnt done any grains yet/dont understand how to steep etc.

why don't you want the cerveza the way it is?

If you really want to change it then you could probably use it in place of light malt extract in just about any extract recipe.

I've taken 500 grams of DME and boiled it in 3 gallons of water for a half hour, adding 30 grams of a moderate bittering hop about 5 grams every 5 minutes, and 5 minutes before the end of the boil I turn off the heat, add the can of Coopers, 500 grams of corn sugar, bring back to the boil, cool it down, strain out the hops into a fermenter, top up to 19L, pitch the yeast. I recently did this with Saflager yeast and kept the fermenter below 60F, and after a week in the fermenter I siphoned it into a keg and will refrigerate it for 4 weeks. It already tastes pretty good.

The Cooper's kit gives you a beer with about 16 IBU's if that helps.


bosco

Sorry Bosco,I dont know what an IBU is.Is it something to do with hop content put in buy coopers?

IBU is International Bittering Units, a way to compare the bitterness of beers, etc. I used to prefer my beers in the 12 to 20 IBU's but I'm learning that I like some in the 30 to 40 IBU's.

In this case you can use the enhancer instead of the corn sugar I mentioned above. As I recall it is corn sugar and maltodextrin.

gingerhammer said:

Sorry Bosco,I dont know what an IBU is.Is it something to do with hop content put in buy coopers?

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The lower the IBU, the lower the hop profile in the beer and the higher IBU the higher the hop profile.

Check out the IBU's in any beers you like and this will give you a decent idea of what you should shoot for when you brew.

I like my ales in the lower end (around 20 IBU's) but that's just my taste.
If you are really into hoppy beers the sky is the limit, but increasing the hop content can affect the overall flavor profile of what you brew.

bosco