A Few Basic Questions

[gros21]

ok I I've tried searching best I can on
My iPhone.
What's is all this talk about ldme or ldm is that liquid dark malt extract?


Also when do u use light and dark malt extracts? I have some dry stuff in fridge.

Does it replace dex?

Thease coopers brew enhancers what's in each one and when would I use them?

And they do replace sugar don't they?

What is k&k I presume it's kit some thing.

Cheers sorry for the noob question iPhone does not like to search

 

[Tyred]

Answered more or less in order.

LME is liquid malt extract


I use light for lagers, pale ales, light and amber coloured beers. Dark malt extract for darker beers.


Yes, it replaces dex.


In the coopers brew enhancers it is a mix of dextrose, corn syrup (dried) and malt. From the coopers website
"
Coopers Brew Enhancer 1

Brew Enhancer 1 improves the body, mouthfeel and head retention of your favourite brew without altering the flavour.

Coopers Brew Enhancer 1 contains dextrose and maltodextrin. The dextrose will ferment out completely with no residual cidery flavours whilst the maltodextrin does not ferment thus improving the body, mouthfeel and head retention. Recommended for use with your lighter style beers such as Lager, Draught and Pilsener.


Coopers Brew Enhancer 2

Brew Enhancer 2 improves the flavour, body, mouthfeel and head retention of your favourite brew.

Coopers Brew Enhancer 2 contains dextrose, maltodextrin and Light Dry Malt. The dextrose will ferment out completely with no residual cidery flavours whilst the maltodextrin does not ferment thus improving the body, mouthfeel and head retention. The Light Dry Malt, being 100% pale malt, will further add to the body and increase the malt character of your favourite brew. Great for use with any beer styles where a fuller, maltier flavour is preferred
"

Yes, they can replace sugar.


K&K = Kit and kilo.


You can also check http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=8623l for a list of other acronyms.

 

[gros21]

Cheers mate. As a guide when would u use those enhancers? Eg. Would I use no 1 all the time? As lhbs has heaps of no 1. But I really never ask for his advice as he is a bit stuck in his ways.

Also how do I uses hops in a k&k? I've been told just throw them in fermentor or make up them up like a tea then add it just before I pitch the yeast.

Any one know how much alcholl American ale yeast will handle?

 

[Thunderlips]

What's is all this talk about ldme or ldm is that liquid dark malt extract?
Also when do u use light and dark malt extracts? I have some dry stuff in fridge.

You pretty much answered this one yourself
LDME is Light Dry Malt Extract.

Use the light stuff for light beers and the dark for the likes of stout.

As for the Coopers brew enhancers, I've not used them for years but they generally have
a mix of 50% LDME and 50% dextrose, or mixes of LDME and maltodextrin.

You can use 1kg of LDME if you want but I find the resulting beer too malty and over powering.

I reckon you should try the half LDME and half dextrose for starters.

If you like that then instead of buying the brew enhancers you can save a load of money by buying the
malt and dextrose in bulk. Most home brew stores sell them in 5kg bags and upwards.

K&K is just the kit and a kilo of sugar.
I read early on that it's not a good idea to use plain old white sugar since it makes the beer taste of cider.
I've never tried it though so can't say first hand.

If you want to try some good kits have a go at the 3kg jobs.
ESB and The Country Brewer both make good ones.
You don't need to add anything to them aside from the water and yeast.
I just kegged Country Brewers X-Tract Pale Ale and it's a ripper.
It is a little bit on the expensive side though.

 

[Thunderlips]

Any one know how much alcholl American ale yeast will handle?

American Ale = 10%

http://www.wyeastlab.com/hb_yeaststrain.cfm

 

[buttersd70]

coopers BE1 = 600g dextrose 400g maltodextrin
BE2 = 500g dextrose 250g maltodextrin and 250g LDME.

Beware of using to much malt in a kit that doesn't have the bitterness to support it (unless you are going to add more hops and add more bitterness. In which case, may as well go all malt, all the way). Malt will leave residual sweetness in the beer (which to a point is needed), wheras dextrose will not.

Most kits (not all, but many) are designed to have roughly the same kind of mix that is in the BE2, give or take. Most of the lighter kits can handle 250g malt without becoming too sweet, some can handle up to about 400g or so. The Morgans tins are more aggressively hopped, and would probably take more malt, but the lighter coopers ones, for example, such as the canadian, the pale ale, draught, cerveza, will not. The darker ones have more bitterness, and can handle more malt without additional hops.

EDIT: I agree with thunderlips that it is much cheaper to make you're own mixes up. I would start with 350g LDM + 650g dextrose for paler kits, 500g LDM + 500g dex for brown and darker IMO, and then just adjust it for your own taste preferences.

 

[Bribie G]

Butters comments about the bitterness of the various kits is spot on and, if you are adding extra malt either liquid or dry, it's a good idea to add some extra bittering hops.

To extract the bitterness from hops you need to boil them for up to an hour. The less you boil them, the less bittering and the more flavour and aroma they impart. The extreme situation is when you don't boil them at all and, like you say, just chuck them in the fermenter. There, they just act as 'finishing' hops and impart aroma and a little flavour, but hardly any extra bitterness.

Some hops make good bittering and some make for good aroma. Hops are a fascinating field and there's heaps of info on this forum.

For an absolute starting point, if making a kit, try boiling 20g of a basic hop such as Pride of Ringwood flowers or pellets in a litre of water for an hour and strain into the fermenter. If it's a bitter kit like a Morgans cut back to 15 g - and see if you like the result

Edit: If the local home brew shop suppliers are a bit limited there in Rocky you can get all the hops, yeasts and specialty grains etc from CraftBrewer - link at top of page. They're in Brisbane and post stuff overnight anywhere at normal courier / mail rates. If you get the home brew bug you'll be glad they are there