Coopers Dark Ale

[mancer62]

: Does a starting gravity of 1038 for Coopers Dark Ale seem about right. I made it with Coopers Beer Enhancer. Would I be correct in thinking that if I prime with approx 100g of granulated sugar I can expect to end up with a brew around the 4.2% mark? This would compare favourably with the strength of a pint in a local pub or the average can from the supermarket yes?

 

[PD]

a starting gravity of 1038 would only give you a %abv of around 3.4 % ( you can ignore the effect of priming sugars )
That is a low abv.
I assume you made it from a Coopers kit...therefore there will be enough fermentables in the kit to give you around 4.2%. I would suggest you either didn't mix the wort sufficiently or you have read your hydrometer wrong or at the incorrect temperature.
Just ferment your brew out fully and it should be ok the yeasts will find all the available sugars

 

[mancer62]

: Thank you for your reply. Yes it was Coopers Dark Ale and Coopers Beer Enhancer I was thinking of adding extra sugar etc to try and get it to 4% at least But you say that the yeast will find the sugars from the kit and give me a higher alcohol % than my reading suggested. If this is the case I would be delighted. Have you made this Ale before with the ingredients I have used and what sort of % might I be looking at after priming? I have just purchased. Little thing called a vinometer to tell me alcohol strength of wine after its made would it also tell me beer strength too. Sorry to be a pain but I am learning. :

 

[PD]

Ive never used a vinometer so cannot comment.
Kits are made by manufacturers to a certain style and have enough sugars plus what they tell you to add, to make the required alcohol for that style of beer, whether its an ale an IPA or stout etc.
Ignore the bit of sugar used for priming...its alcohol production is minimal, its purpose is to make Co2.
I've made Coopers dark Ale twice now and have enjoyed every pint drunk its a fine kit ale. Both times the ABV has come out at 4.5% I always used half kilo beer enhancer plus half kilo spray malt instead of the extra sugar.

 

[mancer62]

So u reckon that me just using the coopers dark ale kit and 1kg coopers enhancer that my brew will be towards 4% to 4.5%? then? :