Yeast, wort and other mishaps....

[gregv12345]

Hey folks,

I just did a Coopers APA kit which I intend to bottle and leave for the spring and summer. Had a few entirely self infiicted problems with this one.

I completely miscalculated the temperature of the liquor as I tried to use a mixture of boiled and filtered water. In the end it was way too hot and I had to wait ages for the wort to cool enough to pitch the yeast. In the end I pitched the yeast at about 35 degrees which is hotter than coopers instruct!

In the meatime I was in the process of re-hydrating the yeast when I managed to upset the bowl contining the yeast, most of it ended up on the floor!

So I added the remaining rehydrated yeast, plus a spare packet of dry Cooopers yeast to the fv at the same time. So there's more yeast than intended but I guess that is not a major issue. Anyway it's fermenting like a goodun at about 20 degrees or so and I've got high hopes this will come out ok.

Anyone managed to mess up like this? And what did it end up like?

After a day I bunged a hop tea bag in there as I like pale ones to taste plenty hoppy, I'll remove it after a couple of days if I can find it!

[Ditch]

I had to wait ages for the wort to cool enough to pitch the yeast. In the end I pitched the yeast at about 35 degrees which is hotter than coopers instruct!

Murder, isn't it? That waiting. 35? Yep. Been there. Done that. Coopers.

Relax, Greg. Mine came out fine. As will yours. Coopers kits and nye on indestructible!

[boingy]

If it is fermenting then you've got away with it.
Maybe mix in a tad more patience next time!

[gregv12345]

Seems the wort has survived the long wait to reach (near) pitching temperature. in just over a week gravity has dropped from about 1041 to about 1005 which is amlower fg than i was hoping for but it loks and smells great. Here's hoping it tastes as good as it looks. I'll bottle it later in the week and report back on any samples I take.

On another note, my last brew was a Coopers Old ale, I batch primed 40 pints with 120g of black treacle and then bottled half of it. It's fantastic out of the pressure barrel, but it's too fizzy out of the bottle, and too sharp also (presumably a result of the fizz).

My solution for next time is to reduce the amount of treacle I batch prime with initially to say 80g, then bottle half of it, then add another 20g of black treacle to the pb. Does that sound reasonable?

Any comments or alternative suggestions gratefully received.

[Beer O'Clock]

Seems the wort has survived the long wait to reach (near) pitching temperature. in just over a week gravity has dropped from about 1041 to about 1005 which is amlower fg than i was hoping for but it loks and smells great. Here's hoping it tastes as good as it looks. I'll bottle it later in the week and report back on any samples I take.

On another note, my last brew was a Coopers Old ale, I batch primed 40 pints with 120g of black treacle and then bottled half of it. It's fantastic out of the pressure barrel, but it's too fizzy out of the bottle, and too sharp also (presumably a result of the fizz).

My solution for next time is to reduce the amount of treacle I batch prime with initially to say 80g, then bottle half of it, then add another 20g of black treacle to the pb. Does that sound reasonable?

Any comments or alternative suggestions gratefully received.

errrr....................don't waste your money on treacle .

[Ditch]

errrr....................don't waste your money on treacle .

Tend to agree with this sentiment. I can't help feeling that any beer made with the inclusion of treacle would actually taste Better without it.

Now, Golden Syrup ....? There's a concept!

[Marshbrewer]

Now, Golden Syrup ....? There's a concept!

I've used Golden Syrup in a brewferm Belgian triple kit, as it states to add 400g or so of sugar, or 'candi sugar' for more authentic results. I checked, and found out that Candi sugar wasn't the name of a 1970's porn star but an inverted sugar which you could make yourself, but there was no way I was messing with that, so I knew that Golden Syrup was a partially inverted sugar, so asked on another forum if I could use that and it's quite common apparently. I bottled it about a week ago and it already smells and tastes fantastic. Another bonus is that the ASDA Smartprice golden syrup comes in an almost exactly right amount for a 9L Bruferm brew (as you have to add more candi sugar than normal sugar, and more golden syrup than candi sugar to allow for the liquid).

Thinking about it though, Candi Sugar is a pretty good pornstar name, as is Golden Syrup. In fact, 'Candi Sugar and Golden Syrup do the Belgian Triple' almost writes itself....

[Beer O'Clock]

While I don't have a problem with including some Treacle/Golden Syrup in the brewing process (if you want), I can't see any benefit when all you are doing in carbonating. The small quantities used will have no perceptable impact on the flavour.

[boingy]

Golden Syrup works well and is pretty cheap if you use the supermarket "value" stuff.

Treacle is a different matter. It's powerful stuff and very easy to overdo.

[Ditch]

Thinking about it though, Candi Sugar is a pretty good pornstar name, as is Golden Syrup. In fact, 'Candi Sugar and Golden Syrup do the Belgian Triple' almost writes itself....

Ye mad c***! That was f**kin' priceless!

[Ditch]

Treacle is a different matter. It's powerful stuff and very easy to overdo.

My thoughts exactly, Boingy. And, just so we have the full set on board here; Black Strap Molasses. Not something 'middle of the road' between them. Definitely jambed hard up there against Treacle.

Almightily powerful tasting stuff which could wreck five gallons at the drop of a tea spoon.

[gti1x]

Black Strap Molasses. Not something 'middle of the road' between them..

Unless of course it's the third star in the "belgian trippel"