How does this look? Extract Batch

Hello,

I have been playing around with Coopers Real ale extracts and I added LDME for the first time and played with the dextrose quantity. How does this look? Does this look good or should I cut down on the dextrose?

Extract: Coopers Real Ale
Water: 22 liters
Dextrose: 1.125kg/2.48lbs
LMDE: 500g
Yeast Nutrient: 2.5 teaspoons
Yeast: Coopers Yeast (Kit)-Boiled 6 of the 22 litres of water
-Added Extract/Nutrient/DME/Dextrose/6L hot water to primary and stirred
-Added remaining cold water (16 litres)
-Took Original Gravity and Temperature
-Sprinkled yeast on must at 26ºC

If I'm reading this correctly, you have over twice the abount of dextrose versus malt extract? For making that low of a gravity beer, I'd at least reverse it, if not do away with the dextrose all together.

That will be a very dry beer that just won't taste right. Save the dextrose for priming and just use 3kg of extract.

3 kg of extract? DME? or coopers extract

Either would be better than the dextrose. I was referring to the liquid extract. Dry would be ok as well. Just use a little less (like 10%) if you want to keep the grav. low.

I think there may be some confusion on your recipe. I believe that you have the following fermentables:

3.3 lbs of liquid extract from the kit.
500g of dry extract
1Kg of dextrose.


If this is the case a few suggestions.

1) I'd want to add some more hops to this. You will have higher alcohol and slightly more body than the hop load in the kit will readily support.

2) You want to fully boil your dry malt extract and dextrose because they aren't sanitized and using them without boiling will open you up to the possibility of infection. If you add hops you'll want to do a boil to extract their goodness anyway. You can just toss the extract and dextrose to the water you are already boiling. be sure to boil long enough to extract the flavors from the hops and also sanitize the wort (15 minutes minimum but 30-60 is better for hop utilization)

3) Personally I'd look to getting rid of the dextrose all together.

4) you don't need yeast nutrient with that much extract and that gravity, there are plenty of goodies in there for the yeast to perform well.

Cool... So I would add some hops with the boiled DME right? Not the coopers extract because that will change the colour of the brew right? Any recommendations on a hop to use? Cascades?

I know I have lots of questions

Thanks

Your Coopers kit almost certainly already has some hops in it. I don't know what hops are in Coopers so I can't really recommend one to go well with it. Also, your taste will determine which hops and how much to add.

I'd wait until you are ready to bottle your first batch as described above so you'll know what you want to change. If it is perfect then keep on doing what you are doing. If it is lacking in malt then look at replacing the sugar with malt extract as I recommended above. If you want it a little more hoppy and/or bitter then post back.

If no one has mentioned to you about John Palmers site, then I guess I should.

Here are two sites for your pleasure
http://www.howtobrew.com/
And although as of right now our site is down, when it comes back you can visit us here http://barleyment.wort.ca/biz/?biz=48

Cheers and welcome to the start of great brewing.

I would seriously suggest you do some more reading before you start anything. Go to beertools.com they have a recipe generator that will help you with everything and the best part is it's printable and self correcting. :cross:

Ok got it out of the Primary and in the secondary and all looks good. I'm gunna take all your advice and get off the dextrose and use the LDME for now on. Either way this recipe will be an improvement from the rest of my extract beer. Working on getting the rest of my gear for a mini mash with some hops.

I have a question in regards to boiling Coopers extracts or any hopped extracts for that matter. I don't boil my exracts right now I add it in at the end and disolve it and add it to the primary. Can I boil my extracts and add some more hops (B/A/F)? I've never attempted to use hops and was wondering if I should boil the hops seperate in just water and maintain the temp or should I add the extract and boil?

Thanks for all the help,
LS_Grimmy

Let's just say that for the future you and your beer will be better off if you stay away from pre-hopped kits. Start with un-hopped extract and use the "extract late" method of brewing.

If you happen to have some pre-hopped kits lying around the house you can make a hop tea by boiling plain water with the hops, it will smell like pot and might be a little grassy tasting at first but is the best way to add bitterness to your pre-hopped kits.

cool... I'm working towards doing the partial mash with non-hopped extracts. Just gotta get rid of the last kit I have... oh and the FESTA BREW Brown Ale which I hear is really good.

Cheers and happy new year,
LS_Grimmy