Brew Enhancer 2

[Will12283]

I just do 2 drops in a 500ml bottle and find its fine but will be batch priming when I finally get my next brew going

 

[peelman]

I did this kit a few weeks ago and its in the secondary at the moment. I used Muntons Brew enhancer and the ABV is working out to be 5.2.

Not tasted it yet saving it for the summer (I will try one or two obviously). Its going into one of the corny's today or tomorrow. My mate did it the same way as me and left it for 3 months. I tried a couple of bottles of his last summer and it was lovely.. Not sure how mine will turn out. We will see...

:pray:

 

[ScottM]

I did this kit a few weeks ago and its in the secondary at the moment. I used Muntons Brew enhancer and the ABV is working out to be 5.2.

Not tasted it yet saving it for the summer (I will try one or two obviously). Its going into one of the corny's today or tomorrow. My mate did it the same way as me and left it for 3 months. I tried a couple of bottles of his last summer and it was lovely.. Not sure how mine will turn out. We will see...

:pray:

5.2% with just 1kg of brew enhancer and brewed to 23L? That's way over what you should have managed. I was very disappointed in the strength of the cerveza when I made it. I used 1KG of sugar and only managed 4.3% brewed to 23L.

Brewed with an enhancer kit it should hit around 3.8-4% max.

 

[springtime]

Not so sure about your figures.
I haven't brewed Coopers cervesa but I have brewed Coopers European Lager a couple of times both 23L.
The last one the og was 1.042 and the fg was 1.006 which equates to around 4.7%abv.
In both cases I used 1kilo of Muntons light dme.

 

[ScottM]

Not so sure about your figures.
I haven't brewed Coopers cervesa but I have brewed Coopers European Lager a couple of times both 23L.
The last one the og was 1.042 and the fg was 1.006 which equates to around 4.7%abv.
In both cases I used 1kilo of Muntons light dme.

You did really well there then. I brewed the European Lager with 1KG of brewing sugar and 500g of DME and hit 1.046 @ 23L.

A lot of the figures I read on here seem optimistic to me. I always check what I should have based on the ingredients, as you can't ferment sugar that doesn't exist.

I'll show my working for a straight up Euro Lager kit with 1kg of sugar (as per the instrucions)

Euro lager kit is 1700g, has a yield of 80%.
Brewing sugar 1kg, has a yield of 100%.

80% of 1700 = 1360
100% of 1000 = 1000
Total sugars = 2360g

2360g in 23L gives a maximum starting gravity of 1.037.

Anything higher than this to begin with shows an error in either the reading, with the equipment, with the volumes or with the mixing.


Edit: Additionally I'll show my working for what I brewed...

Euro Lager kit = 1360g of sugars
Brewing Sugar = 1000g of sugars
Muntons DME = 95% of 500 = 475g of sugars (DME has a yield of 95% that of sugar)
Total sugars = 2835g

2835g in 23L gives a maximum starting gravity of 1.044.

My hydrometer reads 3 points high (at 20 degrees) so corrected my starting gravity would have been 1.043..... not bad for a quick calculation.

 

[springtime]

Regardless of your calculations all my brews are checked with two hydrometers & a refractometer.
I don't think that there is anything wrong with my readings as with Wherry, for example (brewed 5 times always 23L), I have always achieved an og of 1.042 and if I'm lucky a fg of 1.012. This equates to other peoples experience and Woodfordes notes on their instructions.
I'm quite comfortable with my readings and beer quality. :)

 

[ScottM]

Regardless of your calculations all my brews are checked with two hydrometers & a refractometer.
I don't think that there is anything wrong with my readings as with Wherry, for example (brewed 5 times always 23L), I have always achieved an og of 1.042 and if I'm lucky a fg of 1.012. This equates to other peoples experience and Woodfordes notes on their instructions.
I'm quite comfortable with my readings and beer quality. :)

No issues with that whatsoever, you asked about my figures though so I thought I would explain them to you.

Just one more that I thought of.

Lets say that the 1.7kg tin of LME was in fact 100% sugar (we know it's not as it's watery, but regardless). If we add that and 1kg of 100% sugar then we will have 2700g of sugar. If we then add that to 23L of water the starting gravity will be 1.042.

You don't even find it a little strange that your starting gravities are higher than what is even possible with 100% sugar?

 

[peelman]

OG 1038 FG 1003. I was using the formula on the instructions?? What do you make it??

 

[ScottM]

OG 1038 FG 1003. I was using the formula on the instructions?? What do you make it??

4.5%, a bit more in line with what I would have expected. Still high but not silly high.

My Cerveza also went really low. I think it was 1.001 or something like that (as I didn't use any DME). Lesson learned for the next time

 

[springtime]

Regardless of your calculations all my brews are checked with two hydrometers & a refractometer.
I don't think that there is anything wrong with my readings as with Wherry, for example (brewed 5 times always 23L), I have always achieved an og of 1.042 and if I'm lucky a fg of 1.012. This equates to other peoples experience and Woodfordes notes on their instructions.
I'm quite comfortable with my readings and beer quality. :)

No issues with that whatsoever, you asked about my figures though so I thought I would explain them to you.

Just one more that I thought of.

Lets say that the 1.7kg tin of LME was in fact 100% sugar (we know it's not as it's watery, but regardless). If we add that and 1kg of 100% sugar then we will have 2700g of sugar. If we then add that to 23L of water the starting gravity will be 1.042.

You don't even find it a little strange that your starting gravities are higher than what is even possible with 100% sugar?

What I find stranger is that 2 tin kit manufacturers are quoting an og of 1.042 with 23L and that 2 hydrometers and a refractometer are apparently also giving incorrect readings. :lol:

 

[peelman]

Can you post your formula please.. I'll use that one from now on. :hat:

 

[ScottM]

Regardless of your calculations all my brews are checked with two hydrometers & a refractometer.
I don't think that there is anything wrong with my readings as with Wherry, for example (brewed 5 times always 23L), I have always achieved an og of 1.042 and if I'm lucky a fg of 1.012. This equates to other peoples experience and Woodfordes notes on their instructions.
I'm quite comfortable with my readings and beer quality. :)

No issues with that whatsoever, you asked about my figures though so I thought I would explain them to you.

Just one more that I thought of.

Lets say that the 1.7kg tin of LME was in fact 100% sugar (we know it's not as it's watery, but regardless). If we add that and 1kg of 100% sugar then we will have 2700g of sugar. If we then add that to 23L of water the starting gravity will be 1.042.

You don't even find it a little strange that your starting gravities are higher than what is even possible with 100% sugar?

What I find stranger is that 2 tin kit manufacturers are quoting an og of 1.042 with 23L and that 2 hydrometers and a refractometer are apparently also giving incorrect readings. :lol:

I didn't mention a 2 can kit? I thought this was about Coopers Cerveza?


Anyway, a 2 can kit....

3400g * a yield 80% = 2720g of fermentables

2720g in 23L = a starting gravity of 1.042.

I've never made a 2 can kit but the maths certainly adds up so I don't see any issue with getting that. I was referring to you making the Cerveza with 1kg of additionals and managing a higher gravity than possible given the ingredients.

Edit: Apologies, not the cerveza.. the european lager.

 

[ScottM]

Can you post your formula please.. I'll use that one from now on. :hat:

No problemo, the forum calculator isn't far off it either. The formula I use is the one for UK alcohol duty calculation, so as far as UK ABV goes it's spot on :)

ABV = (OG - FG) * (100.3 * (OG - FG) + 125.65)

If you sign up to my recipe website there is a calculators area that you can do all this stuff in yourself. Only registered members can access it though :)

 

[peelman]

Can you post your formula please.. I'll use that one from now on. :hat:

No problemo, the forum calculator isn't far off it either. The formula I use is the one for UK alcohol duty calculation, so as far as UK ABV goes it's spot on :)

ABV = (OG - FG) * (100.3 * (OG - FG) + 125.65)

If you sign up to my recipe website there is a calculators area that you can do all this stuff in yourself. Only registered members can access it though :)

Cheers for that!
:thumb:

 

[springtime]

No issues with that whatsoever, you asked about my figures though so I thought I would explain them to you.

Just one more that I thought of.

Lets say that the 1.7kg tin of LME was in fact 100% sugar (we know it's not as it's watery, but regardless). If we add that and 1kg of 100% sugar then we will have 2700g of sugar. If we then add that to 23L of water the starting gravity will be 1.042.

You don't even find it a little strange that your starting gravities are higher than what is even possible with 100% sugar?[/quote]
What I find stranger is that 2 tin kit manufacturers are quoting an og of 1.042 with 23L and that 2 hydrometers and a refractometer are apparently also giving incorrect readings. :lol:[/quote]


I didn't mention a 2 can kit? I thought this was about Coopers Cerveza?


Anyway, a 2 can kit....

3400g * a yield 80% = 2720g of fermentables

2720g in 23L = a starting gravity of 1.042.

I've never made a 2 can kit but the maths certainly adds up so I don't see any issue with getting that. I was referring to you making the Cerveza with 1kg of additionals and managing a higher gravity than possible given the ingredients.

Edit: Apologies, not the cerveza.. the european lager.[/quote]

So if my hydrometers & refractometer read an og of 1.042 on a Coopers European and 1 kilo of muntons dme - my figures must be right

 

[ScottM]

So if my hydrometers & refractometer read an og of 1.042 on a Coopers European and 1 kilo of muntons dme - my figures must be right

No, this would show that your hydrometers are consistent and accurate. It wouldn't account for not stirring properly, the wrong temp and all manner of other variables that would give an incorrect reading.

I'm not really sure how else to get you to think about this logically. Do you really think it's normal for 1.7kg of LME and 1kg of dme to match the gravity of 3.4kg of LME? Surely even just in your head you can see that there isn't enough to have the same starting gravity?

 

[springtime]

So if my hydrometers & refractometer read an og of 1.042 on a Coopers European and 1 kilo of muntons dme - my figures must be right

No, this would show that your hydrometers are consistent and accurate. It wouldn't account for not stirring properly, the wrong temp and all manner of other variables that would give an incorrect reading.

I'm not really sure how else to get you to think about this logically. Do you really think it's normal for 1.7kg of LME and 1kg of dme to match the gravity of 3.4kg of LME? Surely even just in your head you can see that there isn't enough to have the same starting gravity?

Ok ok you are right - you must be right - lets face it your figures prove that you are right so you must be right :clap:

 

[ScottM]

So if my hydrometers & refractometer read an og of 1.042 on a Coopers European and 1 kilo of muntons dme - my figures must be right

No, this would show that your hydrometers are consistent and accurate. It wouldn't account for not stirring properly, the wrong temp and all manner of other variables that would give an incorrect reading.

I'm not really sure how else to get you to think about this logically. Do you really think it's normal for 1.7kg of LME and 1kg of dme to match the gravity of 3.4kg of LME? Surely even just in your head you can see that there isn't enough to have the same starting gravity?

Ok ok you are right - you must be right - lets face it your figures prove that you are right so you must be right :clap:

I give up, addition and comparing figures clearly isn't your strong point.

 

[springtime]

No, this would show that your hydrometers are consistent and accurate. It wouldn't account for not stirring properly, the wrong temp and all manner of other variables that would give an incorrect reading.

I'm not really sure how else to get you to think about this logically. Do you really think it's normal for 1.7kg of LME and 1kg of dme to match the gravity of 3.4kg of LME? Surely even just in your head you can see that there isn't enough to have the same starting gravity?[/quote]
Ok ok you are right - you must be right - lets face it your figures prove that you are right so you must be right :clap:[/quote]

I give up, addition and comparing figures clearly isn't your strong point.[/quote]

No need to be personal. I've agreed with you so that's an end to it.
Happy brew days :

 

[ScottM]

No need to be personal. I've agreed with you so that's an end to it.
Happy brew days :

Agreed, I apologise.... knee jerk reaction to sarcasm when it really doesn't matter :)

As long as it tastes good, and doesn't mame, that's all that matters