Have I cocked up my beer kit?

[SANGER_A2]

Just finished setting up my third beer kit. It's a coopers stout. When i looked on the website I was sure it recommended 500g of light malt extract to add, which I dutifully bought and added. However, when I measured the sg it was just 1030. Even calibrating to the maximum temperature it could be at using on online calculator only gives me and sg of 1034. I decided to try to bring it up by adding 500g of cane sugar, but the sg didn't change. I checked out the coopers website and it said to use 1kg of Coopers Brew Enhancer. I'm wondering if I was looking at the Irish stout originally that has now vanished from the site. Is my beer going to be stupidly weak now?

I've read about it fermenting like crazy and have used a blow off tube by the way!

 

[simon12]

If adding the sugar didn't increase the gravity it most likely just hadn't dissolved or the hydrometer is faulty. You added 1kg of fermentables so it should be fine.

 

[Mickeywheelspin]

Brew enhancer is 50/50 malt extract and brewing sugar so you've ended up doing pretty much what they recommend - no need to worry!

Strange your SG didn't change... assume you mixed it in?

 

[clibit]

Yes it'll be fine. Most brew enhancers are a mix of dried extract and sugar. So you're very close to doing what it says in the instructions, and your real OG will be fine the same as the kit is intended to have, or very very close. Worry not.

 

[SANGER_A2]

If adding the sugar didn't increase the gravity it most likely just hadn't dissolved or the hydrometer is faulty. You added 1kg of fermentables so it should be fine.

I dissolved it in a pint of boiling water and stirred the mix. I assumed it would have increased the sg too!

 

[SANGER_A2]

Thanks for the reassurance guys! I was panicking. I've also got the coopers bitter kit. That does recommend 500g of light dry malt extract. Should I add 500g of cane sugar (or maybe brewing sugar) to that too?

 

[simon12]

I dissolved it in a pint of boiling water and stirred the mix. I assumed it would have increased the sg too!

It should have and I think you can rule out faulty sugar, so either you misread the hydrometer (I do this all the time) or theres something wrong with it (I found the wilko ones are not dishwasher safe it makes them dodgy).

 

[cornyandy]

Like the others I can't see that you have done anything wrong, did you use spray malt or liquid extract. I only ask because spray malt can be a devil to get properly dissolved I boil water and slowly add the extract trying to make sure every bit is dissolved before I add more.

 

[SANGER_A2]

Like the others I can't see that you have done anything wrong, did you use spray malt or liquid extract. I only ask because spray malt can be a devil to get properly dissolved I boil water and slowly add the extract trying to make sure every bit is dissolved before I add more.

I'm assuming spray malt as it was this powder. I mixed it with boiling water before mixing with the kit. It was a pain in the ass to get it to dissolve as it clumped. I will definitely pour it more slowly next time!

 

[SANGER_A2]

It should have and I think you can rule out faulty sugar, so either you misread the hydrometer (I do this all the time) or theres something wrong with it (I found the wilko ones are not dishwasher safe it makes them dodgy).

Good point. It's a young's hydrometer. It's new actually as I dropped my last one. I've not risked it in the dishwasher though! I'll test it tomorrow in water at 15c to check it's 1000.

 

[Covrich]

I'm assuming spray malt as it was this powder. I mixed it with boiling water before mixing with the kit. It was a pain in the ass to get it to dissolve as it clumped. I will definitely pour it more slowly next time!

Your link didn't really work but yes it sounds just like it.. Spray malt also known as dry malt extract and yes it can clump up like honeycomb a bit when in hot water, just got to keep stirring!!

Don't hear it often here but RDWHAHB:drink:

 

[LarryF]

Your link didn't really work but yes it sounds just like it.. Spray malt also known as dry malt extract and yes it can clump up like honeycomb a bit when in hot water, just got to keep stirring!!

Don't hear it often here but RDWHAHB:drink:

Use a whisk, it breaks up the clumps and helps aerate the wort.

 

[cornyandy]

I'm assuming spray malt as it was this powder. I mixed it with boiling water before mixing with the kit. It was a pain in the ass to get it to dissolve as it clumped. I will definitely pour it more slowly next time!

It sounds as though you have got it dissolved ok in the end from what you have said. I just wondered as if you don't have it fully dissolved it will affect your SG. I find that to dissolve it properly I need to do the job over the heat. and be ready to crush the plastic like lumps up with a wooden spoon.

 

[SANGER_A2]

Use a whisk, it breaks up the clumps and helps aerate the wort.

Great idea. But oh god another thing to sterilise! 😁

 

[SANGER_A2]

Your link didn't really work but yes it sounds just like it.. Spray malt also known as dry malt extract and yes it can clump up like honeycomb a bit when in hot water, just got to keep stirring!!

Don't hear it often here but RDWHAHB:drink:

Sorry, the Coopers website was doing some funny stuff with redirects and anchors! This is what I bought.