Recent content by jcgifford

What a coincidence. I have also started experimenting with changes to the Midwest Simply Beer IPA kit. Just brewed one yesterday, though we did it a little backwards. Our plan was to do the kit as it comes first as a control batch. Then start playing around with different things. But we got...

2 drops in each bottle, as what was called for. Used 2 drops with each batch. The more I think about it, I think it's the temp difference as well. Just took me surprise with my limited experience that they carbed up so quickly.

Just bottled my second batch this past Sunday. NB's Petite Saison. Here's my question/concern. My first batch took forever to carbonate, and this batch seems to have already carbonated. It took about a month on my first batch, and this morning(day 3) the bottles were already hard as a rock...

In Bham myself. Let me know how that 2 Hearted clone turns out. Plan on doing a batch of that later this summer.

Ha! I actually did the Petite Saison. I had already planned on bottle aging for about a month. Thanks for the info.

I haven't brewed it myself yet, but a buddy of mine has and their Bell's Two Hearted Ale clone is pretty spot on.

I got the Cooper's Kit for Christmas and made the lager(really an ale) that came with the kit. It was cool making my first batch, but the end product was disappointing. It tasted like what I imagine the offspring of Corona and Foster's would taste like. Not coincidentally those are 2 of my...

I'm lucky enough to have a basement that hovers around 70 degrees most of the summer, even with the thermostat set at 72+. The thermostat is on the main level, so I sometimes even have to close one or two of the vents downstairs. It's gotten down to around 65 before.

I'm starting a saison tomorrow. Pretty pumped about it.

As noted above, I had a similar problem with carbonation with the Cooper's kit. I checked my bottles this weekend and they were hard as a rock. Previously they had some give to them. They've been sitting for a a little over a month, so I think more time is the answer. Haven't done a taste...

I had the same problem with the same recipe and kit. I've been tied up with other things, and the bottles have been sitting for about a month and a half now since bottling. Mine also had an off taste after 2 weeks of bottle priming.

Duh! Sometimes I out think myself.

Yeah, I was surprised the kit came with that Lager. I knew little about brewing, but knew lager required cold fermenting. The recipe however recommended a temp of 70-80 degrees. Anyway, I didn't really word my questioning well. I want to use different recipe kits, not the Cooper's ones...

After mentioning a few times I'd like to start homebrewing, the wife bought me a kit for Christmas. It is one the Cooper's kits, which seemed fine at the time, but the more I read and research I am realizing it has some limitations. First batch I made didn't turn out real well(it was a Lager...