Recent content by Stuart637

This is all very helpful, thanks guys. I'm going to do another reading shortly and see where we're at. Should be good for bottling by the weekend. Can't hardly wait to drink the stuff!

Thanks, Sadu. I'm going to go with adding 8 ounces of white sugar in 500ml boiling water. Will that work? I don't want to thin the wort out too much.

Thanks, Sadu. I'm going to go with adding 8 ounces of sugar in 500ml of boiled water. Will that work? I don't want to thin it out too much.

Thanks chelis! So I have 2 more questions :1) Can I use white or brown sugar and will this have the desired effect of increasing ABV. And 2) how long can I expect fermentation to last once I add the sugar? Can I roughly expect to bottle next weekend if I add the sugar today?

Hey guys, it's been about 9 days since fermentation started and I thought I would take hydrometer readings to see how the brew is getting on. Turns out the ABV is lower than anticipated. My OG was 1.040 and FG 1.016. That gives an ABV of 3.1%. Much less than the package stated ABV of 5.5%. I did...

Awesome guys! Will let you know how it turns out. Thanks a bunch!

Ya, using a bucket. So do you think my temp is good? I've since taken it out the bath thinking I needled to raise the temp to 20 but I could take it back down to 18 if that would result in a smoother flavor. Thanks so much for your help!

Hi all, I'm brewing my second batch of homebrew, a Coopers Amber Ale this time. I started the batch last Sunday but the yeast failed to activate so I bought a second packet and pitched it a couple of days ago. Within 12 hours I saw some signs of fermentation, like krausen and a bubbling overflow...

Figured as much. I'm not keen on adding brew enhancer either. I guess I'll just play it safe with a full batch unless anyone else has a different experience. Thanks again.

Hi guys, I'm onto my second batch as a newbie. Was wondering if I could half the quantity of Coopers Family Secret Amber Ale from 23 liters to about 11. I've read somewhere here that halving the brewcans increases the bitterness. Would this be true for the Amber Ale? If this were to work, would...

South African. But I think we generally follow European standards so this is probably correct. Thanks!

Guys, I'll be bottling my first batch tomorrow in 440 ml (15 oz) bottles. Do you know what crown cap size I should use? 26mm or 29mm?

You guys rock, thanks!

Thanks! Yeah, I'm just dying to know already! Would you agree that I should leave it for a couple more weeks before bottling?

Hey everyone, Just to start off by saying that I've learnt everything I know about homebrewing (as little as that is) on this forum, so thanks to everyone for their insights. I purchased a brewing kit a few weeks ago and decided to take my first stab at making a Coopers Real Ale 4 days...