NEW TO BREWING...Starting with Coopers

[RAKBREW]

Hi all, just starting to home brew. I have seen alot of posts about people who started with Mr. Beer kits, but none about Coopers (maybe I have not looked in the right areas?) I have a couple of questions and maybe some can help me out.

1) Coopers says you can bottle after 4-7 days, but I have read in other posts to let it be in the primary fermenter for 2 weeks before bottling. Any advice?

2) Coopers also says when bottling to leave 2 inches of head space, using a filling tube how much space should I leave? when removing the the bottle from the tube give me the 2 inches?

Any help or advice would be great, my first batch is brewing now and all seems to be going fine so far!

Thanks VTBREW

 

[lumpher]

Hi all, just starting to home brew. I have seen alot of posts about people who started with Mr. Beer kits, but none about Coopers (maybe I have not looked in the right areas?) I have a couple of questions and maybe some can help me out.

1) Coopers says you can bottle after 4-7 days, but I have read in other posts to let it be in the primary fermenter for 2 weeks before bottling. Any advice?

2) Coopers also says when bottling to leave 2 inches of head space, using a filling tube how much space should I leave? when removing the the bottle from the tube give me the 2 inches?

Any help or advice would be great, my first batch is brewing now and all seems to be going fine so far!

Thanks VTBREW

when bottling, there is a reason for the thin neck. it's a marker to stop the flow. never bottle before 7 days after last visible fermentation ( the last bubble you saw).

 

[Homercidal]

First, Welcome! Nothing wrong with coopers kits. They are a great way to get started and many people brew tons of them before switching to purchasing ingredients individually, so they can tweak their recipe.

I rarely bottle before 3 weeks are up, even on lighter styles. It helps the yeast to settle out and do a bit of cleaning up. After the initial sugar fermentation is complete, the yeast switch to eating other compounds and the flavor can improve.

I have the smaller bottle filler wand, made for beer bottles. I find that filling the bottle right to the top, then pulling the wand out, leaves just enough headspace. For me, on a regular 120z bottle, that's pretty close to the middle of the neck. There is room either way, so don't sweat it as long as it's not below the neck, or real close to the cap.

With a kit, I'd recommend purchasing a second packet of dry yeast for most beers. You just don't know how many living yeast are in that packet and a second one is good insurance that you are pitching the right amount.

Order of importance IMO:

1. Sanitation (use Star-San or Iodophor if possible)
2. Fermentation temps (try to hit the lower end of the recommended range of temps for that yeast).
3. Pitch enough yeast (mrmalty.com has a chart to look at, but I usually build a good starter for liquid or pitch 2 packets for dry (except for very special beers which might require even more))
4. Patience. Just because you want your beer to get done sooner doesn't mean that it actually will. I think you'll find most people here wait 3-4 weeks to bottle, depending on the beer and yeast strain of course.
5. RDWHAHB!! It's all good, baby!
6. Don't get discouraged. I have been brewing for a few years and my latest batch of Blonde Ale turned out cloudy. I have no idea why. I may have forgotten the irish moss, but I doubt that the only reason. At any rate, the flavor is ok. Things happen. These experiences make you a better brewer.

Honorable Mention: We are always here to give advice. Some of it is actually worth listening to! (Then there is that pesky Gnome! I'd feel bad about talking about him like that, but I know he only hangs out in the Chit Chat and debate forums

 

[IrregularPulse]

A good rule of thumb for those kits is to throw away the "instructions" and buy new yeast.

My advice for a new brewer would be to let it sit in primary 4 weeks, rack to bottling buck with priming solution, bottle, let sit for 3 weeks.

Now since it's your first batch, let's not kid ourselves. Go ahead and put one or two in the fridge after 1-2 weeks of being in the bottle. It may not be carbed or ready, but you have to figure in the excitement factor of your first batch
Just know not to judge it at this point because it will change. After all......

-----------------------------It's Alive!!!!!