Second Brew. Coopers Real Ale + Extras.

[Tramorak]

Just about to start my second brew, which will be a Coopers kit (Bitter or Real Ale, not sure as it is not next to me right now).

I have bought 1Kg of Spraymalt to replace the sugar and some Asda Smart Price Water (Mainly for the bottles) and now need your advice.

My thoughts have been...

1. Use the Spraymalt - Better body I believe (But lower Alcohol)
2. Use 50/50 Spraymalt/Glucose - Add body but preserve the alcohol content somewhat
3. Use all spraymalt but add some sugar. (Around 250g was suggested somewhere)
4. Go with spraymalt but drop the water down to about 20/21l

Any tips on these ideas or any others?

Anyone had any issues with the packaged Yeast in Coopers kits?

Any tips for the Spraymalt as I understand it has a habit of clumping?

Anything else to add?

As I said it will only be my second brew and my first time with a Coopers kit, also first time moving away from exact instructions.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Dave.

[RichardG]

Personally, I'd use spray malt then add extra glucose; I'd go with your 250g suggestion.

[stevezx7r]

I would be tempted to go for 750g SM and 250g glucose. I would want the extra body which the SM supplies but your right in thinking that it would drop the ABV (not by much though).

Coopers yeast tends to be very good, so no problems here.

All malt based products tend to clump together (try adding 11kg of crushed grain with one hand while simultaniously stirring it to stop it clumping ). The best advice I can give here is make sure the water is warm - not hot or cold. If you have a large pan you could heat a few litres of water in that, add the SM a little at a time crushing any clumps as they occur.

[nik_g]

I agree with stevezx7r - heat a few litres of water in a pan until lukewarm, then add the spray malt slowly whilst constantly stirring. Any big lumps can be squashed/smeared against the side of the pan to help dissolve them. I then bring to the boil for 15 mins to sterilise - probably not 100% necessary if it's a freshly opened bag of spray malt, but then again not really any extra bother so why take the risk.

In my first kit, I added spray malt to hot (just out the kettle) water in the FV - trying to get rid of the clumps took ages so I can definitely recommend avoiding this! (honestly, it would have been quicker stirring some stones in boiling water and waiting for erosion to get rid of them) The last couple of times I've used the method above and had no trouble.

Good luck with it!

[Tramorak]

Well, after asking for advice I went ahead and ignored most of it and set about my second brew, a Coopers Real Ale kit.

Started with the kit, and 1Kg of Light spraymalt (all they had in stock at the LHBS).



Kit in boiling water softening the extract. (I assure you the bowl is not as dirty as it looks )

Then added 1Kg of Spraymalt and 250g of glucose to a pan of lukewarm water.



There were two of us, so clumping was not too much of an issue. Definitely need a bigger pan though

Brought it up to the boil for a short while as suggested above.

Added extract, sprayalt mixture and water to the FV and gave a good stir around for aeration.



Pitched the yeast and added the fish tank heater, before placing it under the dining room table to keep it out of direct sunlight. This being a coopers kit, I took some precautions.



Strting to bubble up already (withing 5 hours) so I decided it was time to celebrate, unfortunately I have none of my own ready yet




so.....




(All mobile phone pics so apologies i they are not the greatest.)

Dave.

[Tramorak]

24 hours in the FV and I suspect I am in trouble with SWMBO.



Have removed the heater to avoid killing our electricity supply.

What is the general consensus about what to do in this situation?

1. Clean the exterior and allow it to run it's course

2. Scoop off a little yeast head to allow space to "breath"

3. Other

All help appreciated. Certainly more interesting than a 2 can Muntons kit.

Dave.

[Ditch]

" In trouble with SWMBO " I could've told ye that, the moment the picture of the FV unfurled. I thought then; " That's not going to hold her, when she blows! ".

Just wipe the 'spew' off the outside is what I do. I only really do That because it looks so goddamn untidy otherwise. And it crusts on and then simply must be wrong?

Not sure how the Coopers Real Ale will compare with the Coopers Stout. I have Real Ale here right now. But I'm saving it for the planned and coming " Coopers Fest ", to be held here, at my place, probably to mark the end of the hay harvest.

I foresee much, half drunken, laying around of Irishmen!

[brysie]

ditch? can i come? please?

[Ditch]

Brysie; If ye can turn, hump, stack, load, unload, hump and stack 1000's of bales of rush heavy Leitrim hay under a (We pray! ) scorching summer sun ~ despite the vile " Clags " * leaving ye skin self shredded to the flesh? Take that flight!

I lost my entire harvest, last "Summer", because I simply couldn't get it in in time Caused me nightmares ever since.

Anyway; Thread Drift Alert!!! Apologies to Tramorak. Let us know how she bl ... Goes, Trammers!


* Horse Flies. Bites of these b*stards leave ye tearing at ye own flesh! Bite's nothing. Hours later .....

[lollypopp]

Well! see you when you get back brysie, if indeed you do come back, that sounds like hard labour, and it would all be done on a large hangover, still brysie, see you about Chrisrmas time! he he!

[Tramorak]

The FV seems to have settled down so I took a reading.

From OG 1049 - 1011, which if my calculations are correct gives me something in the region of 5% ABV.

Not wishing to waste a sample I had a swift taster and all I can say is wow.

It is somewhat cloudy (but it is straight out of the FV) and a little pale, but that is probably due to the Light spraymalt, which was all they had in stock.



The taste is really good. No residual sweetness a nice bitter finish with a good hop twang. I have got to say I am very impressed by the taste and looking forward to it getting better as long as I can leave it alone.

All being well I will get it bottled up tomorrow. Thanks for all the help.

Dave.

[Ditch]

Looking and sounding good, Dave! Steady as she goes .....

[rikpo]

Bottled my Real Ale 2 days ago.
Didn't bother tasting it, but I wish I had now.
It look quite clear already though not 100%.
Bank holiday next weekend so I'll give it a try then, got my Nog and Stout to keep me going in the mean time.

Rikpo.