First time brewer!
- Thread starter pinky
- Start date
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I have never used them, but from what I know, they can be decent to start with. Just mind that you read the stickies in the beginners area for tips on how to get the best out of them.
First, ignore the directions that come with the kit. They can be misleading. There should be some information on this site that gives better information.
If done right they can make some pretty good beer.
First, ignore the directions that come with the kit. They can be misleading. There should be some information on this site that gives better information.
If done right they can make some pretty good beer.
In my later life.. now.. I and my son each purchased the new DIY Coopers kit. They come with a lager malt extract and an ale yeast. If you follow the instructions as they are written, they will make beer. If you Search here for Coopers, you will find some who have been making beer with Coopers and have modified the recipe a bit to make even better beer. Unionrdr, for one, has been doing this for a while successfully.
I am using different extract kits at the moment.. but, I believe the extracts Cooper makes are fine, and I'll go back to using them sometime in the next batches.
That said.. If you buy the DIY kit.. which is now on a good sale thru "makebeer.net".. you will be happy. The newly designed fermenter is great as long as you take proper care of it. I think it can handle any explosive krausen that others have to add big blowoff tubes to control. The kit comes with everything you need including top quality PET bottles.
Also, as Homercidal said.. the one caviat I have found is to forget the instructions that say bottle in "x" days.. something stupid like 5 days. You will see here on HBT that your hydrometer is your friend. Before pitching your yeast.. take a hydrometer reading... pitch your yeast and wait about 7 days. Take another hydrometer sample and record it. A few days later take another. If the readings are the same.. at the same temperature.. you have made beer and you CAN bottle.. but, the consensus is that the yeast has not finished doing it's job..
I would not bottle the beer until it has sat in the fermenter (primary) for 3 weeks.. even 4 if you can stand to wait. Follow the instructions on bottling using 2 candies per bottle.. screw the caps on TIGHT and store at room temperature for another 3 weeks before opening one. During that time you can invert the bottles to make sure the sugar has mixed well.. don't need to do that more than once, IMO. Then just wait and dream. Have a favorite brew from the store here and there.
I would spend a bit of time reading some of Unionrdr's posts and others. I think their recipe mods will help you brew a tastier beer from the git-go. BUT, that said.. following the instructions.. you'll get a very pleasing session beer.
Good luck and ask questions.
I am using different extract kits at the moment.. but, I believe the extracts Cooper makes are fine, and I'll go back to using them sometime in the next batches.
That said.. If you buy the DIY kit.. which is now on a good sale thru "makebeer.net".. you will be happy. The newly designed fermenter is great as long as you take proper care of it. I think it can handle any explosive krausen that others have to add big blowoff tubes to control. The kit comes with everything you need including top quality PET bottles.
Also, as Homercidal said.. the one caviat I have found is to forget the instructions that say bottle in "x" days.. something stupid like 5 days. You will see here on HBT that your hydrometer is your friend. Before pitching your yeast.. take a hydrometer reading... pitch your yeast and wait about 7 days. Take another hydrometer sample and record it. A few days later take another. If the readings are the same.. at the same temperature.. you have made beer and you CAN bottle.. but, the consensus is that the yeast has not finished doing it's job..
I would not bottle the beer until it has sat in the fermenter (primary) for 3 weeks.. even 4 if you can stand to wait. Follow the instructions on bottling using 2 candies per bottle.. screw the caps on TIGHT and store at room temperature for another 3 weeks before opening one. During that time you can invert the bottles to make sure the sugar has mixed well.. don't need to do that more than once, IMO. Then just wait and dream. Have a favorite brew from the store here and there.
I would spend a bit of time reading some of Unionrdr's posts and others. I think their recipe mods will help you brew a tastier beer from the git-go. BUT, that said.. following the instructions.. you'll get a very pleasing session beer.
Good luck and ask questions.
