# Light Dry Malt, Brew Enhancer, Or Both?



## Juzdu (29/10/12)

So my first ever home brew is bubbling away, day 4 of the most basic of recipes...a Thomas Coopers Wheat Ale kit with 1kg of Dextrose and the yeast from under the lid (the recipe provided by Aussie Brew Makers in the "Deluxe II" kit I bought).

Now, I realise there's a myriad of ways to do this better, but after much research i've decided I want to take the full journey along the homebrew road...I mean after all, how will I know what "that homebrew taste" is if I don't get to experience it for myself?

So, with that in mind, i'd like my 2nd brew to be from the exact same kit, the TC Wheat Ale...but this time using, as the can suggests, 500gm of Light Dry Malt (which I assume is DME no?) and 300gm of Dextrose. However, while looking at these ingredients on the Coopers website, I notice they have a 1kg "Coopers Brew Enhancer 2", which contains the DME, Dextrose, and Maltodextrin all in the one kit. What I can't find is a recipe on their site that suggests using the Brew Enhancer, which leaves me wondering, is it something you add to the recipe the Wheat beer kit suggests, or do you use it instead of the DME/Dextrose?

So what I mean is, should my next recipe be:

TC Wheat Beer
1kg Brew Enhancer 2

or

TC Wheat Beer
500gm Light DME
300gm Dextrose
1kg Brew Enhancer 2


I'm thinking it must be the first one, otherwise i'll end up with 1.8kg of fermentables in my brew...but I want to check before making the purpose, perhaps that much fermentables is ok when a lot of it is DME rather than just dextrose? Apparantly the brew enhancer 2 is 50% dextrose, 25% for both light DME and maltodextin. So recipe 2 above would end up having 750gm DME, 800gm dextrose and 250gm maltodextrin.


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## bum (29/10/12)

Juzdu said:


> So what I mean is, should my next recipe be:
> 
> TC Wheat Beer
> 1kg Brew Enhancer 2
> ...


It looks to me like it is the word "enhancer" that is throwing you off here. It isn't something you add to any brew to "enhance" it. It is, as you correctly guess, just a box of fermentables. The enhancement is seen when you use it instead of a kilo of plain dex or table sugar (as many kit brewers do).

You could certainly brew the second recipe if you wanted a pretty boring headbanger but the first recipe looks much better to me.

Good luck with it.

[EDIT: actually, the very first one you mention might be better still, not sure that beer needs the maltodextrin found in the BE2. Up to you, won't be a huge difference]


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## Juzdu (29/10/12)

Ok thanks for that, it certainly didn't seem right that you'd add both, but it's frustrating (for newbies) that Coopers don't make that clear.

I will buy 1kg of LDME and 1kg of dextrose, should last me through my next two brews.


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## Black Devil Dog (29/10/12)

I just tried my T.C Wheat for the first time tonight and I quite liked it, slightly under carbed but that's easily fixed.

My recipe was as simple as it gets, I just added 1 kg of dry wheat malt, used the yeast under the lid, the can of goop and that's it.

I'll do it again and maybe experiment some more, it does have a sweetness to it that the addition of hops could help balance, but if you want a simple recipe that will result in a very drinkable beer, maybe give it a try.
The "homebrew" taste that I have experienced is when I used 1kg of dextrose, these days I only use malt extract with 150-250 g dextrose max.


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## wyane (30/10/12)

Maltodextrin (corn syrup) in a wheat beer? Nah! I made this kit as per can instructions last summer but with safbrew wb-06 yeast and it was lovely.
If you wanna tweak it, try some wheat malt with your LDM and dextrose.


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## verysupple (30/10/12)

I agree wiht wyane, I wouldn't put maltodextrin in that beer as there shouldn't be too much body anyway and the maltodextrin ONLY adds body but no flavour or aroma.


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## yum beer (30/10/12)

I have used the various coopers enhancers and sugars in kit brews and in my opinion,

the best result is usually just using LDM and dextrose in around a 3:1 ratio..ie 750gm LDM 250 gm dextrose.

The malt will give a much smoother flavour and the small amount of dex will boost your alc% a little while helping the brew to thin out.


This ratio works well for most lagers,pils,wheats..beers that are lighter bodied. If you get into ales then just go LDm and no dex.



Your best option (down the track perhaps) for the wheat tin is to use 1.5kg tin of Pale Extract.


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