Cheap extract ?

[Micko71]

Hey guys. Is there a website or hbs that sells the cheapest cans of syrup ? I'm just hoping to find somewhere cheaper than I have. $24 a can of muntons pils. Is that normal ?

Any help appreciated.

Micko.

 

[paulyman]

Hi mate,

The Coopers online store is pretty good at about $12 a can, especially when they have their regular free shipping deals.

 

[manticle]

Don't always go for the cheapest. That said, 24 for a single can sounds like a rip.

 

[Spiesy]

That does sound quite expensive. PM sent.

 

[manticle]

Grain and grape has briess lme at 13.50 for 1.5 kg, bulk prices available for liquid and dry.
Where on earth is 1 tin $24 and what volume are we talking about?

 

[Micko71]

I'd better not say but its just south of Syd. Im in Sylvania nsw. I found them for $19 for m pils but was just hoping u guys might have an online setup u all use or something. How would any of the coopers go with a dry hop ? I've done 3 coopers draught and fiddled with yeast but it's just not 'there'. I've just started brewing again after 15 years and remember nothing ! Also I'm kegging. Where do I post about adding hops to coopers cans ? Any info greatly appreciated gents.

Cheers. Micko.

 

[wereprawn]

Kits and Extracts or Hops section would be the place to post. Kits work with dry hopping just as well as any way of brewing mate. Plenty of good info on here about hopping. Have a squiz on the search function and if you have any questions, someone will be willing to offer some advice. Cheers.

 

[Micko71]

Thanks mate. Cheers.

 

[Matplat]

Craftbrewer sells dried extract for $5.50 per kg when you buy 20kg... totes amaze innit.

 

[Pogierob]

$24 must include shipping, if not......

That does sound quite expensive. PM sent.

 

[Micko71]

Craftbrewer sells dried extract for $5.50 per kg when you buy 20kg... totes amaze innit.

Is it the same as what's in a can ? Or do I need to add a heap of other stuff?
Cheers !

 

[Spiesy]

Is it the same as what's in a can ? Or do I need to add a heap of other stuff?
Cheers !

Depends what "can" you're talking about.

Similar to the yeast argument, you won't find some of the liquid variations in a dried format. I.e. Weyermann's Bavarian Pilsner is made using their premium malts in a stepped infusion mash. I don't think that would translate well to a dried version.

 

[manticle]

Mick- you can buy hopped cans (prebittered) to which you add water and usually some kind of sugar, blend or booster like dextrose, malt extract etc.

You can also buy liquid or dried malt extract to which you need to add your own hops and boil for bittering. While $24 is a rip in either case unless you are buying larger volume or premium liquid like weyermann, it's best to be clear about what you're after. A can isn't always a can.

 

[Micko71]

Ok. So is dried just 'plain' like plain yoghurt and u add the flavours ? Or could you just add ur sugar as usual and dry hop it to lift it a bit ? Sorry total newb.

 

[ekul]

At that price you should investigate fresh wort kits. Better quality and by the sounds of it cheaper. Or go all grain

 

[manticle]

Ok. So is dried just 'plain' like plain yoghurt and u add the flavours ? Or could you just add ur sugar as usual and dry hop it to lift it a bit ? Sorry total newb.

Very simply: Beer = malted barley (plus sometimes other sugars), with added water, bittered and flavoured with hops and fermented into an alcoholic beverage with yeast.

Malt sugars originally are extracted from grain (generally barley sometimes wheat and other grains too). When you buy a tin, the extraction has been done and the resulting liquid condensed into a syrup.

Dried malt is similar but all the water has been evaporated out (dehydrated).

Your regular tins of coopers pale, muntons dry stout, tooheys draught, etc have also had bittering hops added so you can simply add water to full volume as well as some extra sugar (malt is a type of sugar so don't just think of plain white sugar). You can also pimp these out with extra hops and other things.

You can also buy unhopped extract - to make beer from these you need to add hops as well as water. The dried stuff mentioned will be unhopped but there are liquid tins, similar to the hopped ones. You need to make sure you know which you have.

Hops fulfil 3 main functions in beer (although there are other effects) - they add bitterness to counteract the sweetness of the malt sugar, they add flavour (think of that citrus/floral character in a little creatures pale) and they add aroma. They also act as a preservative and help head retention. In order to extract bitterness, you need to boil the hops, preferably with some malt. A longer boil, generally speaking, provides more bitterness. Different hop varieties and crops have different bittering potential. A shorter boil may provide some bitterness but will also provide aromatic compounds that make the beer taste and smell a certain way.

Dry hopping by itself will not offer enough bitterness to balance a beer and the type of bitterness contributed is very different to that achieved by boiling.

Until the above is a bit clearer, stick with kits and dry hopping but read as much as you can about grain and extract brewing so you can start to give different things a go.

www.howtobrew.com is a good beginners reference. Not everything is gospel/100% true but it's a good rundown.

 

[Blind Dog]

Can you get to peakhurst? ESB (aka the brewshop; Google esb brewing) is on Henry Lawson drive (limited parking at rear) have always been really helpful to me and anyone else who has been in the store whilst I was there (even drove to their warehouse to swap a CO2 bottle when I ran out just before Xmas, which was above and beyond in my book). Good range, good prices (a lot less than $24 for a can!) and good advice. No affiliation, just a happy camper. Barleyman is also just up the road and another great retailer, but is more all grain focused.

If you're just getting back into it, check out howtobrew.com - John Palmer has uploaded a free version of his book 'how to brew' there, which has heaps of info on extract brewing.

Welcome back to brewing!

 

[Micko71]

Bloody legend. That's what I was after. Thanks so much manticle. Peace

 

[Micko71]

And thanks blind dog. I'll get there at some stage. And check out the produce. Lol. Thanks everyone. I just bought a bag of saaz and a hop bag and all my next few will be dry hopped. Loving this stuff. Already addicted. Bought a china temp controller today. Looking for a fridge to house 2 fermenters AND I've got 4 kegs full of beer. Just too much fun. . Cheers. Micko.

 

[manticle]

Hi mate,
Everybody has different preferences and it will be up to you to work out where yours are.
Different hops have different characters and some are more suited to dry hopping than others. I do not enjoy the character of saaz added dry and many others who've tried it would agree.
Depends on what you are brewing and what commercial beers you like too. For us style, try cascade or citra. For uk style, try styrian goldings or challenger. German style I usually wouldn't but a bit of spalt can be ok. Belgian - styrian goldings again.

Saaz can be quite grassy dry hopped.