STRENGTH OF MY BEER

[mancer62]

I MUST ADMIT TO BEING A BIT DISAPPOINTED IN THE HYDROMETER READINGS AND FINAL STRENGTH OF MY COOPERS DARK ALE. OG 1038 FG 1014 GIVING ACCORDING TO THE CALCULATOR ON THIS SITE A FINAL ALCOHOL OF 3.2% WHICH IS I FEEL RATHER LOW (DON'T YOU THINK?) ALSO WILL PRIMING WITH APPROX 110G OF SUGAR BEFORE I BARREL MAKE IT A BIT STRONGER AND IF SO WHAT CAN I EXPECT MY FINAL % TO BE APPROX? I HAVE ALSO HEARD SOME SAY PRIMING WILL MAKE IT AROUND .5% HIGHER WHILE OTHERS SAY THE CHANGE IS NEGLIGABLE. :

 

[calumscott]

Shhhhhhhh!!!! No need to shout, we're all still here.

Coopers kits IIRC are all a bit, erm, girlie in the strength department. Good tasty beer but just a little weak on the alcohol front. I seem to recall they ask for around 800g of extra sugars for a 1 can kit. Most ask for at least a full kilo.

Priming at that rate will add 0.2% assuming it completely ferments (which it will).

Chalk it up to experience, enjoy the beer when it's ready but go with an extra half kilo of spraymalt next time you brew it.

 

[graysalchemy]

Shhhhhhhh!!!! No need to shout, we're all still here.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[LeedsBrewer]

Also your OG may have been higher but if the wort wasn't stirred enough and all the sugars dissolved properly then your OG reading would've been off. If the sugars are in there then the yeast will have found them and your beer will be a slightly higher %ABV

 

[Vossy1]

Moved to this section by me as more relevant
Shouting when posting means using capital letters, use lower case for posting :thumb:

 

[mancer62]

I apologise for using the caps sorry! Good to know that perhaps the og reading is probably lower than it actual is. So for this product Coopers Dark Ale along with priming with say 110g what would you say my final % is likely to be around? Also I used 1kg enhancer with this product are you saying next time use 1.5kg or instead of 1kg brew sugar use 1.5kg. yes?

 

[ScottM]

viewtopic.php?f=30&t=34254

:)

 

[calumscott]

I apologise for using the caps sorry! Good to know that perhaps the og reading is probably lower than it actual is. So for this product Coopers Dark Ale along with priming with say 110g what would you say my final % is likely to be around? Also I used 1kg enhancer with this product are you saying next time use 1.5kg or instead of 1kg brew sugar use 1.5kg. yes?

Kit + a kilo of enhancer should actually have given an OG of 1.038 according to Beersmith...

...coopers usually give you and expected FG. Were you anywhere close with 1.014? I would have expected 1.008 or thereabouts.

How long has it been going for?

 

[mancer62]

fg stopped at 1014 i brewed on 10th jan 2013 and it has been 1014 since the 17th i have stirred it several times put heat belt on still nothing sits at 1014

 

[calumscott]

OK, that's as far as it's going to go then!

There is a stuck brew how to but to be honest I wouldn't bother. Get it bottled and get another one on!

:

 

[mancer62]

So what would you expect my true final % to be? I also just bought a pippet to tell me strength of wine after its been made will this work with beer too?

 

[calumscott]

3.2% + 0.2% for the priming sugar.

A nice easy drinking 3.4% session beer. :thumb:

 

[eggman]

Shhhhhhhh!!!! No need to shout, we're all still here.
I seem to recall they ask for around 800g of extra sugars for a 1 can kit. Most ask for at least a full kilo.

IIRC the Coopers kits are 1.7kg as opposed to most 1 can kits which are only 1.5kg, so that's why they only ask for 800g. But you're definitely right they are on the weak side and could do with at least 1kg of fermentables

So what would you expect my true final % to be? I also just bought a pippet to tell me strength of wine after its been made will this work with beer too?

Depending which temp you took your reading at it might be fractionally out, I would say 3.3% add on about 0.2% for priming so i'd say about 3.5%, as Calum said that's a good session beer strength
:

 

[ChrisRedWills]

i always use 1.5kg of dme (spray malt ) ect with coopers kits & I normally brew at 20 ltrs instead of 23 that's gives me on average 5.5 % give or take :

 

[billy994]

my coopers dark ale that will be kegged tomorrow came out at 1010 giving me 4.2% ABV...i used 500g brewing sugar and 500g DME with a nottingham yeast...and brewed to 20 litres