First Brew - Coopers Stout

[Ditch]

It's in the cupboard?! What cupboard? What else is in there with it? It stands to get soaked, mate! Have ye not read of the infamous Blow? That FV's due to erupt and spew a wall of foam any time now.

Ooh. This could get interesting .....

[scottmoss]

Put it in a heavy duty bin bag!

I didn't bother reading that it was a coopers stout in a cupboard!

[Cleggy]

Its a big cupboard under the stairs!

Hopefully it should be OK ...its sitting on a big tray I built specially after reading about the blow!

Even if it does escape its only onto quarry tiles and i don't think there's anything within reach.

[Cleggy]

Got home and checked the FV.
A lovely fluffy layer has formed and its already touching the lid.
But the smell..............

Just for the record.
200g Chocolate Malt
100g Roast Barley
Steeped for 30 mins at 65deg
Then 500g Extra Dark Spray Malt stirred in.

1 Split vanilla pod
60g Cocoa
Steeped for 30 mins at 65 deg
Then 500g Light brown muscavado sugar stirred in.

Both pots added to coopers stout can contents in FV and stirred well.
Water added from height to churn.

Temp down to 28 deg - OG 1.042 (1.044 corrected?)
7g Coopers Dry Yeast pitched directly into FV.
Lid on.

Now the wait begins!

[Ditch]

Got home and checked the FV.
A lovely fluffy layer has formed and its already touching the lid.

Does it remind ye of a malty coloured brain ....?

If not, that'll come next. Then she'll blow! Have a cloth handy for that part .....

[Cleggy]

Its not quite there yet but i'm sure it wont be long!

[Ditch]

Photo's!

[Cleggy]

Well its probably a good thing but she didn't blow!
Although I'm a bit disappointed if I'm honest
I'm looking to take my first hydrometer reading tomorrow night, 7 days after pitching.
Fingers crossed!

[Ditch]

Hmm ..... I was about to say how I'd never really heard of a Coopers that didn't blow. But, now I've looked again at what ye actually did there. It's more an " Extract Brew " based on a Coopers kit, isn't it? I mean, ye've slung all sorts of stuff in there.

Nothing wrong with that. Your choice. Only, two obvious differences; Ye added all sorts. Ye fermented at a hell of a high temperature (28 degrees?!) Surely I'm misunderstanding that??? Ye pitched at 28 ~ what did she ferment at?

What it is; I'm trying to figure out why she didn't blow. I mean, it's amusing to talk about and a wonder to behold, once or twice. But, believe me, having a great spew of foam erupting down the side of the FV's could get a bit f**king old!

If I could crack how to stop my variation of " Coopers Stout " blowing and spewing? I could live with that

[Cleggy]

Yes thats right - pitched at 28 degrees.
Its been fermenting at about 20-21 degrees.

Had the lid on my FV sealed, only used the 7g packet yeast that came with the kit.
Got a air lock in place but it hasnt bubbled, i think this is because my immersion heater drops in through a grommit and its not quite airtight.

It did come up to the lid, but didnt try and come out through the airlock or the grommit.

I'm sure there are some other things.

How much do you airate (sp) your water/wort?

[Ditch]

20 / 21 F sounds good to me, Cleggy. I go 21 / 22.

I have no idea what temp I pitch at. Pretty much tap / 'room'. (Read; 'Fu'king Cold'!) It's a wonder the chill doesn't kill the yeast. The 50 Watt fish tank heater gets turned on minutes before I pitch. I brew 20 Litres. (That's about 4 1/2 Gallons, yeah? I used to say 40 Ltrs. Just never took notice)

" Got a air lock in place but it hasnt bubbled, i think this is because my immersion heater drops in through a grommit and its not quite airtight. "


Hang about. There should only be One Grommet ~ if any ~ in a FV lid. Small issue. My (Youngs FV) lids have No grommet / hole. I just leave the lid unsnapped for an inch or three round where the flex of my fish tank heater drapes over the lip.

My ~ much explained and described, by me and others ~ " Ditch's Stout " always blows and spews through any available space.

Your own ..... 'Cleggy's Cooper Based Concoction' didn't.

Why not?

It'd be an advance in HB to crack the issue here!

[Cleggy]

I added a second hole in the lid for my heater cable to drop through, just put a second grommet in to try and keep it as air tight as possible.

I'm trying to think what i might have done different.

I boiled my water - cooled it and added half a campden.
I didn't massively aerate the wort though stirring, more through churning the water in from height.

500g Spray malt 500g Muscavado.

And then added all of that other stuff!

Hey as long as it tastes good who cares how we get there!

It was down to 1.014 last night from OG 1.044, that's six days in FV.

[Ditch]

I didn't massively aerate the wort though stirring, more through churning the water in from height.

I reckon that's it, mate! Everyone on here talks about thrashing the hell out of their wort for anything up to ten minutes or more. Some even fix their paddles to power drills.

I must admit, even as I pour my dry malt into one of my FV's, I've often thought of the posts I've seen here with people asking how to add the stuff. And, as I write my own reply in my head; I always hear myself saying, " I thrash that wort up like the prop' on the Ark Royal ..... ".

Sounds like Coopers yeast likes a well oxygenated wort and responds accordingly.

I think we may well have cracked that one

[Cleggy]

I think I'll have to do another one then to test out this theory!
Will be interesting to see if its different.

[dedken]

Ditch,

I've just done a version of your fabled stout and mine didn't blow either. It nearly did though... I made up the wort to the pre-warned 20L and gave it a jolly good thrashing with the paddle and with a motorised whisk. 21C. By the morning of day 2, she had a massive foamy head with pretty patterns and by the evening it was in full contact with the lid. Has subsided it little now, enough for me to add extra water and fermentables. I was still impressed with the eruption though, much more vigorous than any other one I've seen. If I had my camera with me I would post the photo's - maybe I'll do it tonight.