Coopers European Lager - getting it right every time

[rosie]

It would be good to know what the perfect specific gravity to place flavour additions post initial busy fermentation was, could it be 50% of initial SSG?

 

[Pensive]

Yeah, I was originally going to just do coopers euro with BE2 and see how it went.

I've almost collected enough Grolsch bottles for 2 brews now so I think I'll start off with be2 only on the first brew and then add malt and hops on the second.

Btw here is my stc-1000 box :)

 

[Pensive]

Sorry gents missed your two posts !!

I think it makes the most sense to be able to taste it if possible - bit of a dark art otherwise.

 

[Pensive]

Brew day!

Kit plus BE2, filled to 20litres.

I'll take the OG again once it's @13 degrees but it was 1.030 @18.

Fingers crossed!

 

[Pensive]

Sorry for double post but

I'm pitching the yeast @ 18 degrees, but breweing at 13.

Should i use the SG from 18 degrees before pitch, or 13 degrees after pitch, to calculate ABV accurately?

It's taken a good 6 to 8 hours to drop to 13 degrees, I'll be popping out ina minute (12 hours after pitch) to take another SG reading.

Trouble is, 13 degrees was reached while Mr Pensive was a-snoozing.

 

[GavH]

Before. If you wait til after, the yeast will have started to do its thing and the SG will be affected.

 

[Pensive]

Blast. Due to immense amounts of foam I created using a hand blender to oxegenate the water I am 100% convinced i messed up the reading before the pitch. I must admit i was a bit overexcited and I have made a fair few first timer mistakes (like not removing the label fro the coopers can before heatig it in boiling water)

I've just taken a second reading this morning, there were a couple of foamy bits on the top already so the yeast is beginning to kick in.

Measure came out at 1.042, 12 hours after pitch, 13 degrees. This is more like what i expected so I am going to calculate what it should be from the sugars if possible.

 

[jphil123]

Blast. Due to immense amounts of foam I created using a hand blender to oxegenate the water I am 100% convinced i messed up the reading before the pitch. I must admit i was a bit overexcited and I have made a fair few first timer mistakes (like not removing the label fro the coopers can before heatig it in boiling water)

I've just taken a second reading this morning, there were a couple of foamy bits on the top already so the yeast is beginning to kick in.

Measure came out at 1.042, 12 hours after pitch, 13 degrees. This is more like what i expected so I am going to calculate what it should be from the sugars if possible.

Your hydrometer will probably tell you at what temperature it is accurate (plain water should read 1.000, at 20*C). Normally it is not accurate at 13*C. Perhaps you can adjust your sample measurement by cooling plain water to 13*C and see how far off the 1.000 it is. (Then let the water warm to room temperature to see if it actually returns to 1.000, so you can calibrate your readings).

 

[Pensive]

I jsut checked it in tap water @ 13 degrees - its bang on 1.000

at 21 degrees, its 0.998

 

[jphil123]

I jsut checked it in tap water @ 13 degrees - its bang on 1.000

at 21 degrees, its 0.998

Great, you got a 'lager-calibrated-hydrometer'! Perfect for your purposes.

 

[Pensive]

One week in - down from 1.042 to 1.024.

We're at around 2.3% and smelling lovely! Tastes really bitter though :)

 

[Pensive]

Bit of advice please!

Last Friday 21st Feb I took the SG and it was 1.014.

I expected another week in primary so I havent tested it since but i go out there today and test is again (26th) and its still 1.014.

It tastes pretty good, has a little carbonation in it, is fairly clear (but not perfectly clear) - what do i do?

I read this kit should FG out around 1.009 or even as low as 1.006. Should i repitch, should i muntons then repitch, or bottle to secondary now?

It's 3.6% at the moment, will be around 4.1 after priming and secondary. Thats almost a full percent down from where i expected.

Or should i sit it out? I cant imagine waiting is going to help any after 4 days without any change.

Help!! :)

thanks

Jon

 

[Markdon]

Give it a stir and chill out?

 

[Pensive]

I'll give that one a try

 

[Markdon]

What temp is it?

I wouldnt repitch or add anything to it, just give it time.

If i think mine is stuck i just give it a swirl.

 

[Pensive]

It's been a steady 13 degrees constantly.

How vigourous a swirl - do i want to stir up the bottom seidment or just give it a light swirl? I'm guessing the latter

 

[Markdon]

I always rack to a second sterilised fv for at least a week in the cold before bottling so if its stuck i give it a good swirl so its all mixed up, but i leave the lid on to stop too much oxygen getting to it. 13c is pretty cold so fermentation will take longer. It wont harm leaving it for a week or two and checking again.

 

[Pensive]

Given it a good swizzle, I didnt scoop the bottom sediment up but it was properly spun up without splashing too much oxygen into it - we'll see.

could this be due to the notoriously light pitch from coopers kits?

 

[IOMMick]

If it was me I'd try raising the temperature to 20c+ to get it going again - most of your fermentation is done already so hopefully there would be few off-tastes left to be generated.

I just had a trial bottle of the European Lager tonight which I bottled two weeks ago - smells horrible (as expected), but tastes pretty impressive for something this young

 

[Pensive]

Well I upped the temperature yesterday to 21 degrees after the previous good stir and i'll give it another 36 hours and test the gravity again. If there's no change I guess i'll need to look at other options but im sure it'll pick up again