First Beer - Stuck at 1.012

[pablodiablo1211]

Hi All, I have been brewing Mead for a few months and have attempted my first beer for my wife. It is a Cooper's international Mexican Cerveza, all you do is mix up the canned liquid malt extract with water, brew enhancer, and pitch yeast. I did everything according to instructions, except I used a brew enhancer #1 instead of #2 because I couldn't get it (#1 has no dry malt extract, just dextrose and maltodexterin, #2 has those plus dry malt extract).

Starting gravity was 1.038 which I thought was low but assume like a mead, it will go to 1.000 = 4.9% ABV. Maybe that's where I am wrong.

My cellar is around 15 - 18 degrees C, and on day three it was at 1.024, day five 1.013, day 7 1.013 still..... bubbles in the airlock also stopped around day four..... has it stalled? Shouldn't it be done in a week? Is my cellar too cold? Freaking out but not sure if I should wait or pitch more yeast, or maybe everything's fine but I didn't start with a high enough SG so I have to deal that this is now 3.2% beer?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me!

 

[McKnuckle]

Beer does not typically ferment as low as wine or mead. 1.012 would be a moderately dry beer as far as final gravity goes. Very dry would be 1.005. Beer won't get to 1.000 unless there is something in there other than saccharomyces contributing to the party.

You fermented at a reasonable range of temps, but on the lower side. 15C / 59F is a little chilly for some ale yeasts. 18C / 64F is right in the middle. I don't see an issue, although a touch warmer might have eked out another gravity point. One week is definitely long enough for a low gravity wort to fully ferment.

Don't pitch more yeast. It's done. The beer had a low OG so it's not going to produce more alcohol for you. The two "brew enhancer" products must have different amounts of fermentable sugar in them, with the one you chose having less. Most kit recipes would not be designed to produce such a low OG, so that's my guess.

Move it to a warmer area if you can, and wait another few days. But don't expect any more attenuation. Bottle it, then brew another one.

 

[D.B.Moody]

Relax, beer is not expected to go to 1.000 like meads do. I'm not familiar with Cooper's kits, but maltodextrin is not a fermentable. It's for body, mouthfeel, and head retention. Leave it be. It's probably done, but it needs some time to settle before bottling.

For next time, keep in mind that malt extract is generally better than sugar for tasty beer.

 

[pablodiablo1211]

Thanks guys, really appreciate it, will wait a few days to a week, test gravity again, and bottle / carbonate and try the next one with the proper ingredients and starting gravity.

Thanks!

 

[kmarkstevens]

It's been decades since I used Coopers kits and yeast, but at 1012 you should be done. As pointed out above, beer doesn't dry out like mead. Yeast has a huge impact on where your beer will finish, but a low gravity beer like yours should finish generally in the 1012-1008 range depending on a lot of variables.

Play around with a brewing calculator such as this one: Beer Recipe Calculator - Brewer's Friend

Put in LME or whatever, and then change your yeast to see how it affects your final gravity.

One more thing, if you're going to use more Coopers, trying 2-3# of honey in your boil instead of sugar. Honey is a form of invert sugar. If you boil pure honey, then it doesn't really impart any taste to your beer. It's a lot like adding more malt.

Anyhoo, way back when, I would brew the Coopers Stout kit and add in 1-3 pounds of honey. Came out pretty tasty....

 

[pablodiablo1211]

Thanks, more great advice, calculator is coming in very handy with learning how it all works together!

 

[kmarkstevens]

Yep, it was an eye opener for me. Plug in a few such as US-05 (chico strain), WLP002 (Fuller's strain), Nottingham, san Diego super yeast, Cooper's Ale yeast. It will prolly give you a range from 10.08 - 10.14 depending on the yeast used

Plug in the LME (liquid malt extract) amount, the #2 (which I guess is corn sugar), and cooper's ale yeast and it should calculate out your FG, which, coincidentally enough, is probably around your current FG.

 

[dwhite60]

The Australia Coopers brewing site has a BUNCH of information and generally friendly folks.

https://community.diybeer.com/forum/3-diy-brewing-blether/
Wish I could get Coopers kits for what they pay for them in Australia. Most any Coopers kit is about $11 USD. Here they push $20 which is $30 AUD.

 

[pablodiablo1211]

Yeah, they are 29.99 plus tax in canada, so about 33 bucks!