Cooper's Aztec Gold

[MazdaMatt]

I did use the search function and all I found was notes in people's sigs saying they've got it brewing.

So... the recipe is bloody simple. How's the beer? Anybody want to chime in?

This is directly from the Coopers website.

http://www.coopers.com.au/the-brewers-guild/how-to-brew/mid-strength/aztec-gold

I've thought about adding dextrose to bring ABV up to something a little more fun.

 

[MazdaMatt]

Uuuhhhhmmmm....

Anybody?

Perhaps some general comments about this based on the recipe?

 

[Oldsock]

It seems like you'd be better off using unhopped malt extract and adding some hops of your own. I've got no problem adding some sugar to a stronger beer, but it doesn't seem worth it in a light beer where you are already short on malt character. As is the OG will be around 1.030.

 

[MazdaMatt]

Sounds to me like you think this'll be a boring beer.

Great. That's what I was hoping for. This'll be served to a crowd at a bbq on a hot day that are far from beer snobs.

I'll keep your suggestion of only adding sugar to stronger beers in mind and really curb my enthusiasm with the sugar. I may add a little bit, but I'll keep this as a "light beer".

Thanks!

Any input from someone that has tried it as-is would be appreciated. The kit got good reviews at some beer kit rating website.

 

[MazdaMatt]

So, I hacked my way through starting this brew Saturday night. Somehow forgot to consider the 2L of extract plus bag of light DME when figuring my water requirements, added too much water and had to add some more sugar than I was intending to get a decent SG of 1.032. High water level had me worried about blow-off, so i've used a blow-off tube instead of an airlock. I"ll leave it that way for a while till I see things settle down. It is in a bucket, not a carboy, so high water level isn't AS big of an issue - still has a wide surface.

The kit that I was using was past expiry, so I made a starter wed night with intent to brew friday night - I wanted a day's gap in there in case I had to run to LHBS for new yeast.

It was almost exactly 24 hours after pitching that I heard the bubbling start and it is bubbling aplenty.

Obligitory dancing banana:

Next brew will be AG witbierre shared with a buddy, then a 3g maybe-all-grain-maybe-PM oatmeal choc stout... BUT I might make an oatmeal stout and split it between 3g choc and 3g coffee. I said my 3g carboys would be for expirimentation and so it will be.

 

[MazdaMatt]

Can anybody give me a good fermentation temp for this? The cooper's website says 21c (69.8F), but I don't know if that is for fast beer, or good beer. Right now it is sitting at approx 65-66. There was bubbling in the airlock after 24 hours that lasted 48 hours, then nothing. I pulled the bung to peek inside (bucket) and I saw a broken-down kraussen.

I'm pretty sure that I'm fine and I'm going to leave it alone as it is for 3 weeks, but I'd like to know if anybody thinks this is going poorly...

Also, I'm thinking of racking it after 2 weeks and perhaps even fining a few days before bottling. Thoughts? I want a very clear beer.

 

[unionrdr]

The temp is fine,pretty standard for Cooper's Original Series. Check for FG at the 2 week mark. It should be clearing already if it goes as fast as my 1st one did. It was the OS lager,really a pale ale with the ale yeast the OS kits get. 68-72 is the preferred range for that yeast.

 

[MazdaMatt]

Do you know where I can find out what yeast is in this Mexican Cerveza kit? I wouldn't even know where to look.

 

[unionrdr]

I think I saw the gold ale yeast sachet on the Midwest site under "dry yeast".