pdxbrewnoob
Member
Hoping someone on this forum can help out a complete beginner with what is possibly a very stupid question. I went to a local homebrewing supply shop to pick up ingredients for my first attempt at a home brew, and am now more confused then ever. I have a decent understanding of the process...but this kit has left me with some questions.
The kit (Coopers IPA) came with 3.3 pounds of liquid extract, and a packet of yeast (that looks to be expired), and some instructions that might as well have been written in Spanish (no cooking times, sugar is recommended?). This leads me to a few questions:
1. Shouldn't there be more? I assumed the beer would need hops, or some other kind of fermentables, not just some syrup out of a can.
2. The man at the store said that I needed two "kit cans" to make a 5 gallon batch, even though the kit says one can will make the batch. Who is right?
3. How long do I cook the wort for?
At this point, I'm a little weary of the whole thing. I'm a pretty prolific chef, and pouring extract from a can to get to beer seems a little like an easy way out. Any advice on this would be much appreciated.
The kit (Coopers IPA) came with 3.3 pounds of liquid extract, and a packet of yeast (that looks to be expired), and some instructions that might as well have been written in Spanish (no cooking times, sugar is recommended?). This leads me to a few questions:
1. Shouldn't there be more? I assumed the beer would need hops, or some other kind of fermentables, not just some syrup out of a can.
2. The man at the store said that I needed two "kit cans" to make a 5 gallon batch, even though the kit says one can will make the batch. Who is right?
3. How long do I cook the wort for?
At this point, I'm a little weary of the whole thing. I'm a pretty prolific chef, and pouring extract from a can to get to beer seems a little like an easy way out. Any advice on this would be much appreciated.