Cooper English Ale too much sugar added!

[Pet-Dogg]

I've just started the Coopers English Ale using the Coopers Brew Enhancer 2 (Dextrose, Light Dry Malt, Maltodextrin). I realised after I'd added 1kg of the Beer Enhancer 2, the instructions say to use 500g, what a prat!

The opening gravity was 1.018, which I thought was low, then it occured to me.

Anyone know how this might turn out? Drinkable or not? I didn't really want to occupy my equipment if I'd be better to cut my losses, bin it and start again.

Thanks in advance if you can help.

Ad

[AceMcAce]

I don't really understand. You say that you've added too much sugar, but then your OG is 1.018, which is really really low. If you'd put too much in, I'd expect it to be much higher?

Anyhow, if you've used 1 kit and 1 kilo of brew enhancer, you should be just fine.

[ajclarkson]

Don't panic about the extra 500g, it will just make the beer a bit stronger, and add a little bit of body courtesy of the Dry Malt in there. I've brewed a Coopers IPA with 1KG Dry Malt and 300g Dextrose and it turned out just great. Your OG seems worryingly low though, at 1.018 you'd be looking at around a 2% beer, which can't be the case with the additional sugar, it should probably be up in the high 1.040's to 1.050 as a rough guess. I don't mean to sound at all patronising but it might be worth taking another measurement just to be sure?

[Ditch]

Pet Dogg; Keep calm. Carry on. Drink ye beer and throw away that f**ing Hydrometer. Either it's busted or else ye haven't got the vaguest idea how to use it. Either way, I never use one and I'm pissed every night, on great tasting beer!

[Ditch]

Hang about! After thought: How much water did ye use? Haven't filled the bucket to the brim, have ye ....?

[Pinto]

Hang about! After thought: How much water did ye use? Haven't filled the bucket to the brim, have ye ....?

Im getting the "mixed me pints n' litres up" feeling as well with that OG

[Pet-Dogg]

Cheers for the responses folks.

No just filled to 23 litres, not to the brim! I know exactly what you mean, it doesn't make a lot of sense to have such a low reading, I'll do another one to see if I got a duff one first time round.

I've done other Coopers' kits, most require 1kg of sugar. The English Bitter is just 500g. I know you can add more sugar for extra alcohol, but I've put double the qty in - not sure what I'm going to come out with.

Ditch - So if you don't bother with a Hydrometer, how do you know when the brew's finished and not stuck?

[Pinto]

Ditch - So if you don't bother with a Hydrometer, how do you know when the brew's finished and not stuck?

If he can still see the following morning, its a good brew

[Ditch]

Ditch - So if you don't bother with a Hydrometer, how do you know when the brew's finished and not stuck?

I get pissed on it!

Seriously, man; I've been doing so much of my gear, for so long, always the same way ....? It's like hitting ye finger with a hammer; It Always produces the same result. Doesn't need any gadget to assure ye of that. Right?

Had a few go askew, recently. Figured out the temperature dial on two of my heaters had got knocked adrift. Reset them. Perfect results again

Anyway; 23 Litres? I ~ like many here ~ go to 20. But, I still don't see how that can result in the absolute gnats piss it sounds like ye have there. Maybe someone here could send ye to this 'Hydrometer Calibration By Temperature' chart I believe exists. Or simply float the thing in tap water. I believe it's supposed to read 00.00. Not sure if temperature effects that though?

Fact is, see; I don't know how to use one of those things properly. The mathematics of it all scares me, because I'm no good at counting and sh!t. And, as I stick with my own, tried and tested, way? I really have no need to faff about testing every FV. That is why I don't bother with hydrometers

[Secue]

Ditch doesn't use a hydrometer? Why am I not surprised by that? I suppose if your making the same brew every single time then you probably wouldn't need one. But yeah, something isnt right here with that gravity reading...I, unlike ditch..wouldn't suggest 'ditching' (geddit?) the hydrometer useage...maybe test it like suggested, and get a new one if its not calibrated correctly. The kit instructions only calling for 500g sugar is a bit weird..i know its a bitter, but surely thats going to come out pretty weak if made as per directions...i'd have shoved extra fermentables in there anyway

Oh ditch mate, honourable mention for you in my latest video...it's out on 'home brew' wednesday

[Ditch]

Oh ditch mate, honourable mention for you in my latest video...

F**king roared with laughter, when I read that! 'The Legend' perpetuated; Haters will be clawing at their own skin!

[Pet-Dogg]

I did another reading that night. It was at 1.032, though the yeast had been added (not sure if that will affect it). I did try the hydrometer in water and it was zero. So I'm left guessing at to what the hell I've done.

Anyhow, I guess I'll see it though and gauge it at the end. I'm only kegging it so it's not like it's too much faff.

So Ditch; what's the main gain in filling to 20 litres? Concentration in flavour or alcohol. I've only done 2 brews before Coopers APA and Wherry, I did them both to 23 litres, they tasted great.

Also, on your brews which went askew, at what stage did you find out they hadn't worked (considering you don't use the hydrometer)?

[sparky Paul]

I did another reading that night. It was at 1.032, though the yeast had been added (not sure if that will affect it). I did try the hydrometer in water and it was zero. So I'm left guessing at to what the hell I've done.

I'm guessing it wasn't mixed properly when you took the initial reading. Given a little time, all the sticky stuff and sugar dissolves on it's own and the yeast gets to work...

...It'll all be fine by the sound of it.

[Ditch]

So Ditch; what's the main gain in filling to 20 litres?

Dunno, to be honest, mate. It's just the way I've always done it and I like what I get. I guess it's probably a bit like how many sugars ye like in ye tea? Only, being " Ditch ", I just have to like Black Strap Molasses in mine!

Also, on your brews which went askew, at what stage did you find out they hadn't worked (considering you don't use the hydrometer)?

When I sucked the syphon tube to decant them into their BK's. Only time I ever get to find out what my stuff'll be like.

But, see? Because I knew I'd done everything else as usual. And the other four had been fine, as usual. It had to be something mechanical, look. I hadn't changed my ways. Something non me had to have changed. Something(s) individual to those two FV's.

They all contained the same batch of kits (Buying six, I get a wholesale box of kits. Guaranteed the same bar code. Homogeneous as it comes). Water from same source. Through same hose. To same Jerry Can. Even That gets split between different FV's. Mixed with same stirrer. Same malt, just put into separate, weighed bags. Can you see anything else we might point the finger at?

So, I scrutinised those two heaters. Bingo! Reset them and drank nectar from their FV's next time Hydrometer (or silly air lock ) wouldn't have changed a damn thing, look.


Oh, and I reckon Sparky Paul's nailed it for ye there too! Spotted that one little detail we'd missed. See?

It's usually some issue of minutiae, see? Find it and be happy.

[Pet-Dogg]

This tasted great by the way. Pretty strong, but great! Cheers for the advice lads.