1 can only

[Aemon]

Hey,

I want too try out some of the Coopers kit, and I'm wondering if its possible too just use the one can, and go down on the water volume? I would like too make 10 liter batches, but not sure how that would come out, using a full Coopers Kit and just add water till i have desired size (10 liters).

First off is the Coopers Dark Ale kit.

Ray

 

[bobsbeer]

Coopers kits are 1 can. Why brew it so short? They make a decent pint when made as instructed so I would make the full brew and end up with more beer. You will need to add beer enhancer, but you get a decent pint. If you only want to do a small brew, get a 2 can kit and use 1 can. Then only use 10lt water.

 

[wilsoa1111]

ive heard of brewing short but thats really short- will still be nice im sure- some of the brewferm kits are 1 can and only do 9 litres with sugar (u do get 8% or so though) and they are really tasty

 

[bigboots]

I ALWAYS brew full 50 pints in my 6gallon fermenters. As the other BB says, why brew less volume when it will still take the same time to ferment? Just up the sugar. I sometimes use up to 6kg of sugar (inc. brew enhancer) on top of the liquid malt. This usually gives a final ABV of approx 8.5/10% :thumb: depending on FG. It has never yet resulted in a weak tasting beer or a beer lacking body.
:

 

[Aemon]

Hey,

Thx for replies.

I have a 23ltr fermenter that I've used, and still uses on some kits. Its just that i also have this 10ltr that I also would like too use, and taught it would be great for trying different kits, without ending up with too much beer (yeah, i said it.........its just a question about space and bottles). So my question was really if it would turn out decent (good that is), brewing a Coopers Kit short, without adding anything else (like DME or dextrose).

Ray

 

[mmaguy41]

it would make beer certainly, but it would double up on the hops, so be warned. Maybe try and pick up a cheap kit and try it, id experiment with a low hopped style like lager to make sure its not too overpowering for you. 10l fermenters are also great for small biab batches

 

[DirtyCaner]

Personally, it sounds like a bit of a waste. By all means brew a few litres short to up the body n mouthfeel, but one can in 10l, never tried it but more than likely to produce an undesirable result.

DC

 

[Aemon]

Personally, it sounds like a bit of a waste. By all means brew a few litres short to up the body n mouthfeel, but one can in 10l, never tried it but more than likely to produce an undesirable result.

Yeah, was afraid of that, thx :)

10l fermenters are also great for small biab batches

Thinking of stepping up too BIAB, but as it is now, my stove can't handle big enough kettle. I only got a 12ltr and that take ages too boil. But guess I will buy a burner or something in the future.

Thanks for all the replies, will keep the Coopers kits for the bigger fermenter, and try and brew some small extract recepies for the 10ltr. :thumb:

Ray

 

[calumscott]

Thinking of stepping up too BIAB, but as it is now, my stove can't handle big enough kettle.

Don't you believe it!!

Small domestic hob + 70l pot = BIAB Time!!!

 

[rpt]

Small domestic hob + 70l pot = BIAB Time!!!

Do you run all the burners at once? Do the flames come up the side of the pot? How long does it take to boil?

 

[calumscott]

Small domestic hob + 70l pot = BIAB Time!!!

Do you run all the burners at once? Do the flames come up the side of the pot? How long does it take to boil?

I run three usually, the biggest double burner and the smallest - they stay for the most part under the pot.

It took me and hour and 10 mins to get 37l to strike temp (9C to start with!), then took 15 mins (on all four burners) to get from mash temp to to mash out, then a further 30 mins from mashout to boil.

It really does work exceptionally well and it's SO easy, being able to just fire up a burner when the mash temp drops a degree gives so much control.

 

[graysalchemy]

. It has never yet resulted in a weak tasting beer or a beer lacking body.
:

I think you have obviously never experienced beer with body if you can make that sweeping statement.

You will seriously upset the balance of the hop flavour and bitterness, by just adding sugar. Sugar is also a flavour dilutent as it will turn to just alcohol and again upset the balance of flavours and body.

 

[bigboots]

When the sugar turns to alcohol it may change the flavour SLIGHTLY, but it won't change the body to any significant degree!
P.S. GA... Have you tasted any of the beers I'm talking about? If not ( and I know not! ) how the f*** can you make a comment like that?

 

[graysalchemy]

When the sugar turns to alcohol it may change the flavour SLIGHTLY, but it won't change the body to any significant degree!
P.S. GA... Have you tasted any of the beers I'm talking about? If not ( and I know not! ) how the f*** can you make a comment like that?

I have tasted plenty of commercial beer that lacks body and flavour, and plenty of decent hand crafted ales and probably 300 gallons of my own ale grain beer. I have also read extensively on the subject, and been an active member of this forum for a number of years. So I think the evidence is pretty clear to me that adding sugar to a kit serverely effects the balance of flavour and body not to mention the BU:GU ration which is a major factor in the perception of bitterness.

But if you like beer that ferments down to .996 and to add so much priming sugar that you end up with gushers then go ahead that is your choice. However that is just your opinion and not the consesus of the greater brewing comunity and people far more knowledgeable on the subject that you and I ever will.

 

[calumscott]

When the sugar turns to alcohol it may change the flavour SLIGHTLY, but it won't change the body to any significant degree!

Alcohol is a recognised part of the flavour profile of beer (and cider and wine and everything else). If you increase the amount of "clean" sugars (dextrose, sucrose, fructose etc) then you increase the amount of alcohol without a corresponding increase in the other flavour components of the beer. i.e. you get a real-terms reduction in them as the alcoholic component is increased, basically you double the alcohol you get a real-terms reduction of 50% of any single other component in proportion.

Using malt extracts (LME or DME) will help prevent this as they aren't clean sugars, they have dextrins and other unfermentable polysaccharides which will contribute to the body and malty flavours in the beer. "Dirty" sugars like mollasses can add a bit of body and flavour along with the alcohol too.

Trouble is though that this is only half the story, we haven't considered hops. The amount of bittering in kit brewing is fixed unless you add hop teas and/or dry hops. So you can increase the alcohol all you like, you can get a body/mouthfeel/malt flavour balance by using malt extracts but you can't add bittering or hop flavour/aroma. In fact using malt will make things worse! You increase alcohol + body + maltiness + mouthfeel but don't increase bitterness or hop flavour or aroma.

These are the basic principles which drive extreme beer brewers to go to great lengths and use exotic grain bills and vast amounts of hops to produce beer in the 9%+ range which don't taste like the all-alcohol, cloying, mess of a beer that is Tennents Super...

P.S. GA... Have you tasted any of the beers I'm talking about? If not ( and I know not! ) how the f*** can you make a comment like that?

The knowledge of basic principles of flavour profiling is probably more than enough and a pedigree in brewing exceptionally flavoursome high ABV beers would help.

I'd also like to point out that this forum is one of the friendliest places on the 'net. Mind your language in future please. Healthy debate (no matter whether or not it suits your opinion) and learning is what we're about and we don't tolerate aggression in any way.

 

[eggman]

I'd also like to point out that this forum is one of the friendliest places on the 'net. Mind your language in future please. Healthy debate (no matter whether or not it suits your opinion) and learning is what we're about and we don't tolerate aggression in any way.

Well said :clap: