2nd Brew - Coopers IPA Kit - Please Help!!

[Wauny]

Hi,

Having been reading posts on the forum for the past few weeks, this is my 1st post, so 'Hi there'

I'm about to start my second brew, Coopers IPA, as it comes highly recommended from forum members. However, I'm slightly confused by the instructions supplied. Also, this is my 1st single can kit (my first homebrew was a Woodforde's Headcracker two can kit), and am slightly unsure how to mix the additional ingredients in when I start things off (I'm using 1kg DME after reading good things about it here).

How I understand the kit instructions, I dissolve the can contents and presumably the DME in 2 litres of boiling water, put this in the fermenter and make up to 20 litres by adding 18 litres cold water to achieve a temperature 21C-27C. Is this correct?

What then confuses me is that the instructions then say to top up to 23 litres to get temperature within the range 21C-27C, then add the yeast (presumably by sprinkling onto the wort?)

I had thought of adding some hops at the start too, having read on the forum how to do this - was going to follow DaaB's suggestion of boiling up 10-15g in the can rinsings, then cooling, straining the cooled hops and adding the liquid to the wort (did I understand this correctly too??)

Apologies for all these questions and sounding like a newbie (which I am ), but this seems a very helpful and friendly place to ask questions, and I'm desperate to get brew number 2 underway while the weather is cooler.

Cheers,
Shaun

[ade1865]

So there's no need to bring the DME to the boil? good that'll save some time. So I can just mix the powder straight into the fermenter with the luke warm wort in it?

[Wauny]

Thanks so much for the instructions DaaB, far easier to follow than the Coopers blurb! Although the kit recommends 500g DME + 300g sugar, I was planning for 1kg of DME only, as previously discussed on the forum. Is this okay to do? What differences in flavour etc will this give the beer compared to using the DME/sugar combination?

[Wauny]

You read my mind I'll start this off tonight and let you know how it goes.

With regards to adding the hops, should I boil up 10-15g with the can rinsing, allow to cool (add more hops at this stage?), seive and add liquid to the fermenter as part of the 20 litres?

Regarding volumes and the fermenter markings, is it better to accurately measure out liquid volumes, or go by the markings on the fermenter?

Thanks,
Shaun

[Wauny]

Yep, that does make sense. I was right about this forum being very useful.

Any suggestions on the liquid volume/fermenter markings question?

And finally (for now ), I've read seemingly conflicting opinions on the use of the Coopers yeast and Safeale 04. Some previous posts in other threads suggest that there is insufficient Coopers yeast for complete fermentation. Or have I misinterpreted this?

[Russ]

Hi Shaun

I've recently done this kit (+1kg of spaymalt) and used the Coopers yeast supplied- had no problems, fermented out to 1010 (OG 1042 so around 4.3% abv). Personally I'd use the kit yeast and save the Safale 04 in the unlikley event you need it.
Regarding your FV markings -I wouldn't trust them. With mine I measure carefully set volumes of water and re-mark with a marker pen on the outside of the vessel. Personally I make a mark every 4 pints. It only needs to be done once then you know where you stand.

Cheers

[Wauny]

Thanks to all for the advice. Didn't get chance to start it off last night, hope to this evening. Will update on how it goes.

Shaun

[fivetide]

It might just be me, but I found that even carefully pouring in exact amounts of liquid and marking off a scale on the outside of large fermentation buckets isn't very accurate for future use. The buckets bend with volume and sit differently on different surfaces. To be more exact (although obviously I'm trusting in the measuring jug aswell as untold metaphysical restraints) I now measure it into the fermenter litre by litre, by jug, each time from another spare tapped FV holding plenty of Campden treated liquer. This technique also has the handy side-effect of helping with aerating the wort.

[Hoppkins]

Just FYI Wauny my coopers IPA tasted its best after 6 weeks. Sounds a lot but it makes A LOT of difference.

After 1 week it wasnt great
2-3 week it was developing some nice flavours and after 5-6 it was very very nice with some nice hop flavours.

[Wauny]

I will try to resist......

[steve_flack]

If you have some accurate scales

I don't....mine always say I'm heavier than I want to be

[Wauny]

Finally started it off, didn't extra hop due to circunstances at time of kicking it off. OG of 1.042, is this about right?

Shaun

[Wauny]

Had a sneak peak this morning, suffice to say it's fermenting like the clappers

[Wauny]

Checked the gravity of this last night as the it appears to have virtually stopped fermenting after 4 days. Hydrometer reading was 1.014 (SG was 1.042). Should I expect any further drop in gravity? Had a cheeky sip whilst taking the reading - despite being very young, the brew is shaping up nicely!

[Wauny]

I bottled this (with sugar) Saturday after 1 week in primary, FG of 1.010. Now storing at around 20degC. Is this around the correct temperature for bottle conditioning and clearing? How long should I expect it to take to clear? Thanks.