Bottling my first brew (Coopers Australian Lager)

[nhenson22]

Hi all,

Just signed up yesterday and am very happy I found this place!

I started my first brew last week with the Coopers DIY kit. The included Australian Lager kit (the one that uses ale yeast) is currently fermenting and I am just trying to plan ahead for my next steps.

With the kit I got the carbonation drops so may as well use those, but the bottles included were 500ml PET rather than the 740ml. The carb drops say to use 1 for 330 and 2 for 740. I have seen a thread asking a similar question but I am curious what I should do for my 500ml bottles. I definitely do not want this to be under carbed so 1 drop is not an option. Rather than try halving the drops to do 1 and a half, would it be possible to add 1 drop and a small amount of sugar to make up the difference? If so, how much sugar would you recommenced to equal half a carb drop, also what is the best kind of sugar?

My next question is about the bottle conditioning. I currently have the FV out of the way in my ensuite as seems the best for temperature. It is holding around 20-23. Unfortunately this isn;t going to be a good place for the bottles as there just isn't enough space and it isn't dark. How important is the temperature for the bottle conditioning and what should I be aiming for. I have read that anything above 18, but is there a max? I have dark cupboards which I fear may sit at around 18 during the day but maybe drop at night, or I have the airing cupboard which probably sits at quite a bit warmer most of the time (I will get a thermometer in there to find out the temp).
Final question is once I have the bottles in their ideal conditioning spot, how long should I leave them there before moving to storage in cool cupboard/garage?

Sorry for the essay but have found there is so much learning to do when it comes to this stuff. Looking forward to it all though!

Cheers!

 

[mike77]

I like the idea of the carbonation drops but they just aren't the right size. Instead of using the drops you might just try a teaspoon of sugar in each bottle.

I think your cupboard will be fine. They should cloud up a little to begin with. This means that there is a secondary fermentation going on inside the bottle. Then the beer will clear as the fermentation completes. Usually a week or two in my experience.

Usually the taste will improve with age too. I have made a few beers that I was so so about after a couple of weeks. Forgot about them for several weeks and went back to them and they were lovely. I don't have any set conditioning time though. If it looks and tastes good after a week, I'll drink it.

 

[nhenson22]

I like the idea of the carbonation drops but they just aren't the right size. Instead of using the drops you might just try a teaspoon of sugar in each bottle.

I think your cupboard will be fine. They should cloud up a little to begin with. This means that there is a secondary fermentation going on inside the bottle. Then the beer will clear as the fermentation completes. Usually a week or two in my experience.

Usually the taste will improve with age too. I have made a few beers that I was so so about after a couple of weeks. Forgot about them for several weeks and went back to them and they were lovely. I don't have any set conditioning time though. If it looks and tastes good after a week, I'll drink it.

Hi Mike77, thanks for the reply. Is there any specific sugar that everyone uses for priming. I read a lot of people just using granulated but I am happy to shell out an extra few pounds if there is something more suited to the task?

When you say the cupboard will be fine, are you talking about the colder cupboard or the warm airing cupboard?

Cheers

 

[mike77]

You get brewing sugar as well but I think that produces more carbonation than regular sugar so you may have to use a little less than a teaspoon or possibly over carb it a bit. Not 100% sure.

I was referring to your 18c cupboard. I think it would probably be fine. If it drops a bit at night then it may just take slightly longer to condition.

 

[fbsf]

For carbonation, brewing sugar works in the same way as normal granulated - no reason to spend any more.

You can use dry malt extract (DME) but at the low levels you are using there really isn't any point.

Happy bottling!

 

[GavH]

This was my first brew as well and I would concur that 1 x carb drop per 500ml PET bottle isn't enough. I've recently done a Coopers European Lager as well (which comes with Lager yeast) and used 2 x carb drops in each of the half dozen or so 660ml glass bottles I'd retained from previous supermarket purchases and that seemed to be the perfect level of carbonation.

I'd be interested to hear your views on this one once you've conditioned it. I opened one of mine after a fortnight out of pure curiousity and found it to be quite yellowish, no head and massive bubbles. Not drinkable as one would expect after such a short time. After 4 weeks there was a noticeable difference and after 6 it was drinkable-ish, but with a potent after taste that felt bitter (the ale yeast?) and not what I expect from Lager. It's now been about 3 months since I bottled them, storing somewhere warm for the first fortnight and then moving in to a cupboard in our unheated utility room. Frankly I'm debating pouring the last 8 bottles away as they haven't improved one iota.

Top Tip - the bottling wand drips, so put a pan underneath it or be prepared to keep turning the tap on the FV on and off each time!

 

[nhenson22]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Will most likely just go with sugar form the supermarket for priming then. Granulated or Caster, does it make a difference?
Shall I just not bother with the carb drops or could I use a mix, 1 drop and say half a teaspoon of sugar per 500ml

 

[Angle Grinder]

Like you, I bottled my first batch of Coopers home brew lager last night and apart from giving myself a large blister on the palm of my hand from tightening up the 40 screw-on bottle caps it went very smoothly. For info I used two of the carbonisation drops for each 500ml bottle. I put all of my bottles back in the box they came in so they will be away from light and will try one in a week and again a week later to note the results.

Just before I started bottling I tasted a sample and although obviously flat it had a nice lager taste so it has worked its magic in the FV. Once carbonated and eventually chilled I expect it to taste fantastic so I can't wait!

I have another batch of Coopers lager to bottle tomorrow but my hand is knackered so that will be fun, no pain no gain I suppose.

 

[nhenson22]

Like you, I bottled my first batch of Coopers home brew lager last night and apart from giving myself a large blister on the palm of my hand from tightening up the 40 screw-on bottle caps it went very smoothly. For info I used two of the carbonisation drops for each 500ml bottle. I put all of my bottles back in the box they came in so they will be away from light and will try one in a week and again a week later to note the results.

Just before I started bottling I tasted a sample and although obviously flat it had a nice lager taste so it has worked its magic in the FV. Once carbonated and eventually chilled I expect it to taste fantastic so I can't wait!

I have another batch of Coopers lager to bottle tomorrow but my hand is knackered so that will be fun, no pain no gain I suppose.

I look forward to the bottle screwing on then. You will need to keep me posted on how the two carb drops per bottle work out for you.
Out of interest, as your kit was new, what (if any) did you use to sanitise your bottles before bottling?

 

[mattrickl06]

I have always used castor sugar for my priming - i think it gets absorbed into the beer easier than granulated.

A flat teaspoon for a 500ml bottle will give you a nice lively carbonation.

 

[Angle Grinder]

I look forward to the bottle screwing on then. You will need to keep me posted on how the two carb drops per bottle work out for you.
Out of interest, as your kit was new, what (if any) did you use to sanitise your bottles before bottling?

It was my fault for doing them up as tight as possible and then retrying each bottle once again. I didn't even notice the skin hanging off until I'd finished. I'll stick a gym glove on next time as I clearly have baby soft skin.

I used VWP steriliser to clean the bottles, it has quite a potent smell so requires a very good rinse afterwards. I'd happily hear of any recommended brands of steriliser if VWP isn't the best (which I doubt).

 

[Remf]

[/quote]I used VWP steriliser to clean the bottles, it has quite a potent smell so requires a very good rinse afterwards. I'd happily hear of any recommended brands of steriliser if VWP isn't the best (which I doubt).[/quote]

Starsan no rinse :thumb:

Alan :

 

[marksa222]

I used VWP steriliser to clean the bottles, it has quite a potent smell so requires a very good rinse afterwards. I'd happily hear of any recommended brands of steriliser if VWP isn't the best (which I doubt).[/quote]

Starsan no rinse :thumb:

Alan :[/quote]
2nd that... thats the best thing you'll ever buy!

No-rinse, contact (I think), reusable etc...etc...

 

[nhenson22]

Is there anywhere likely to stock star san that is not online?

Just took a sample from my coopers fv and had a slight issue with my tap. It is like I opened it too slowly then when I closed it there was still beer coming out. I then tried pushing the top section further in which made it worse, lost a bit of beer to the floor.

When I opened and closed it again it was ok. Anyone else found these to be temperamental or am I just showing my newbie status at this?

 

[joe1002]

I use videne (antiseptic solution) as a no rinse sanitizer which you can get from some chemists. Have a read here :thumb:

 

[Angle Grinder]

Thanks for the feedback on sanitisers chaps. I'll bin the VWP after reading that summary from joe.

As for the tap issue, did you use any petroleum jelly to seal the fixture and washer etc?

 

[nhenson22]

Thanks for the feedback on sanitisers chaps. I'll bin the VWP after reading that summary from joe.

As for the tap issue, did you use any petroleum jelly to seal the fixture and washer etc?

Oh dear, I did not do that/ I have seen it mentioned since for various different taps but as it was not mentioned in any of the instructions for the coopers FV i presumed that the rubber seals were good on their on.

I take it it is too late now

For future reference, do you apply the Vaseline to the rubber seals before sliding them into place?

 

[Angle Grinder]

For future reference, do you apply the Vaseline to the rubber seals before sliding them into place?

Yeah. I got my kit from Home Brew Online and the instructions that came with the tap and FV said to do that. I believe it also makes it easier to rotate the tap to enable you to place the FV on a level surface without the tap getting in the way if that makes sense.

 

[nhenson22]

Ok, so after 10 days in the FV I am wondering whether it is time to bottle my batch. My OG was 1.040, 2 days ago it was 1.014, yesterday and today it has been 1.013/1.014. I may have filled to very marginally over the 23L mark but still, this isn't quite where I thought it would reach going by the other threads so not sure if there is still more to happen (most reposted FG of 1.008-1.010). If it has been stable for a couple of days is it time to bottle or as it is not as low as expected should I give it a bit more time?

 

[PuggledPrune]

Give it a gentle stir with a sanitised spoon. Leave it a couple more days. :

TBH I have had a couple of kits that stuck around there and no amount of rousing got the yeast going again. I think I narrowed it down to not aerating the wort enough in the beginning. My latest kit has not stuck. :