alcohol content

[Trbrown87]

Hi guys new to the forum here

I got a coopers lager brew kit for christmas.

So I did everything according to the instructions.
My question is about the alcohol content.
On first try my Original gravity was 1.04.
on day 6 it says test it again. it was 1.025, and very similar again today on day 7.

When I do the calculations online it says the beer will be around 2.6% a very low % beer...
Should I leave it longer or bottle it? The temperature has only been hovering around 17-18 degrees for the past few days. Does the temperature need to come up next time I do this? or is there any more alcohol % increase when I bottle it?

Thanks for the help!
I look forward to doing some stuff without the kit. So I am glad I am learning some stuff with this pre-bought kit.

 

[unionrdr]

The Cooper's cans with DME & hops, as I did them, were 1.046 to 1.048 or so. so your FG should be anywhere from 1.008 to 1.012. You don't need to test it so often. Get an OG, then leave it 10-14 days, then take a first FG test sample. that'll show you how close to done it is. Or in typical FG range. wait till the third day, test again. If the numbers match, it's done. If not, it has some finishing up to do. Patience, grasshopper...

 

[dmtaylor]

It must still be fermenting, 1.025 is very high. If you bottle right now it will certainly explode. Patience indeed. Let the yeast work at their own pace. They don't care about their recipe -- they do whatever they want. When fermentation is complete, all the yeast will fall to the bottom and the beer will become clear. When this happens, be even more patient! Take a specific gravity reading, then wait at least 3-4 more days, then check gravity again. If the gravity does not change at all over 3 days, then it is safe to bottle. But if it changes a little, even just by just one or two points, it's not done yet, then wait 3 more days and try again. Only after the gravity stays the same for 3-4 days can you safely bottle it. Don't rush it! Just leave it alone for a few more days. It's getting close but you don't want the bottles to gush or explode on you!! That's happened to me twice and it is NOT fun! Dangerous! Imagine shards of glass thrown 20 feet away -- it's bad!

 

[m00ps]

do not take readings that early. The beer will almost certainly not be at FG so all it will do is open your fermentor to oxidation and/or contamination. Even if it is at FG, it will still need time to clena up and condition.

Wait AT LEAST 10 days before taking a gravity reading, maybe another 2-3 after that. If tis the same and hasnt dropped then your probably ok to bottle

And once you bottle. STEP AWAY FROM THE BOTTLES for 2 weeks or so. They need time to carb and condition. you need to learn patience as a brewer

 

[Trbrown87]

Hey guys thanks for the replies.
I was reading as well online from other people using coopers. and apparently it taste better if you leave it two weeks anyways before bottling. So I will lay off of it until This monday 14th of Feb.

I was worried as well if I was missing adding any extra sugars as well other than the "beer enhancer". I have been lucky the spot it has been hiding in has been a steady 18C

 

[ZmannR2]

Never put a time table on beer. For me, I take a reading at day 12 and again at 14 and if it still is lowering, again at 16. Once you go 2 days without it budging, bottle her up! Never go strictly by time.

 

[Calder]

Day 7 and only 1.025. My guess is it is in a too cold place, or you are taking readings with a refractometer.

You should be at FG at 7 days.

 

[slym2none]

You should be at FG at 7 days.

So you say - the yeast might very well say otherwise.

 

[Subdivisions]

I really doubt a new brewer doing extract is using a refractometer.

That being said, OP, are you using a hydrometer to measure?? If so make sure it's not bottoming out in your test vessel. It needs to float.

If not then let it go another week and check it. It could just be going slow.

 

[Trbrown87]

Day 7 and only 1.025. My guess is it is in a too cold place, or you are taking readings with a refractometer.

You should be at FG at 7 days.

I think next time I am going to get a better thermometer. But the one the kit came with is saying its 18 degrees C

Its still bubbling away. So I will wait until monday at the earliest to look into bottling again. That will be two weeks.

 

[Trbrown87]

I really doubt a new brewer doing extract is using a refractometer.

That being said, OP, are you using a hydrometer to measure?? If so make sure it's not bottoming out in your test vessel. It needs to float.

If not then let it go another week and check it. It could just be going slow.

I made sure it wasnt bottoming out.

 

[TxBigHops]

Hi guys new to the forum here

I got a coopers lager brew kit for christmas.

So I did everything according to the instructions.
My question is about the alcohol content.
On first try my Original gravity was 1.04.
on day 6 it says test it again. it was 1.025, and very similar again today on day 7.

When I do the calculations online it says the beer will be around 2.6% a very low % beer...
Should I leave it longer or bottle it? The temperature has only been hovering around 17-18 degrees for the past few days. Does the temperature need to come up next time I do this? or is there any more alcohol % increase when I bottle it?

Thanks for the help!
I look forward to doing some stuff without the kit. So I am glad I am learning some stuff with this pre-bought kit.

Lots of good advice here. A few other things to consider. When taking your gravity readings, you need to also adjust them for temperature, which you may already know. So your OG of 1.040 - Was that adjusted? For example, if your wort was 28C (82F) when you took your reading, you would add a few points, so your OG might really have been 1.043. Same with your FG reading, although usually only about .001 adjustment or less at normal ferment temp of 17-18C. Use this tool to compute the adjustment. http://winemakersacademy.com/specific-gravity-temperature-correction-calculator/

Also, your ideal ferment temps are dependent on the yeast you used. Do you know what that was? It may be time for you to start warming it up a bit, but again, that depends on what yeast you are using. You will hopefully be able to get your FG down around 1.015 or close to that.

If it's still bubbling in the airlock, you are definitely still fermenting. You don't want to take your first reading until you think it might be done. I would never take a reading when I still have airlock activity.

One of your posts you mentioned "beer enhancer." Can you be more specific about what that is? Did you forget to add something? Maybe it's dextrose sugar, which would certainly have effected your OG if you left it out. If so, it may not be too late to add it. Give us more details and we can advise.

 

[Trbrown87]

The beer enhancer that came in the kit is 60% dextrose,40% maltodextrin
Enhancer #1 for lagers.

Thanks for the temperature adjustment idea. I did not think of that. I believe the wort was 23 at the time. So I will make that adjustment.

I believe the yeast was an ale yeast. As I have been reading that all of coopers kits are ale yeasts.

its also not too fancy of a kit. it doesnt have an airlock. But I can see inside most of the white foam has dissipated and there is just some bubbling going on with what is left

you guys have been so helpful this is awesome!

 

[unionrdr]

Not all the Cooper's cans/kits use ale yeast. some are wheats, others are true lagers.

 

[TaylorT]

So you say - the yeast might very well say otherwise.

Indeed!

My last Brooklyn Brewshop kit was only down to 1.021 after the first week (OG was 1.047). It took another two weeks to get down to the FG of 1.013.

 

[Trbrown87]

Not all the Cooper's cans/kits use ale yeast. some are wheats, others are true lagers.

Sorry about that. I think the coopers lager kit is supposed. I will look into the shop where i got it from and ask them.

 

[unionrdr]

Well, the Original Series (usually abbreviated to OS) uses ale yeast. The omes above that use lager yeast.