Coopers Australian Pale Ale

[the_yobbo]

G'day,

I'm a little concerned with the first brew I've put down in quite some time. Its a Coopers Australian Pale Ale which I mixed together Saturday week ago.

I followed the standard can recipe, using Coopers Enhancer #2, and the can packet yeast. I did however rehydrate the yeast breifly in a cup of 30 degree water (hope that wasn't too hot).

A SG reading of 1.043 before placing it in the 21 degree thermostate fridge (I followed the coopers website recommendation for some reason on that temperature).

Signs of fermentation didn't start till about 48 hours after pitching.

The fermentor was still bubbling (slowly) as of last night when I took my latest hydrometer reading. Recent readings have been as follows.
Day 7: 1.016
Day 8: 1.013
Day 9: 1.012
Day 10: 1.012

According to the packaging, a FG of 1.08 is expected.

What do I do? Keep waiting or do I move on to the next step?

I've also noticed on reading through these forums something about chilling the wort after fermentation. Can someone link where this process is described/discussed. At this stage I'll be bottling directly after fermentation, but if I read how to/why to chill the beer first for a day or two, then will probably do that.

Thanks in Advance.

Murray (the concerned and impatient)

 

[Yeldarb]

Sounds like you have done everything perfectly and it looks good to me.

You could bottle that now. I would give it a bit more time though. I used to ferment (2 weeks), then rack to a secondary (1 week), then bottle. I have since found simply leaving in the primary for a bit longer (3 weeks should be no problem) always ends up in better tasting clearer beer without the hassle of moving it around.

I now leave everything in the primary for a minimum of 2 weeks and then either bottle it if it looks nice and clear (and the readings are steady) or leave it for another week to clear up.

Sorry...missed the bit about chilling the wort. I wouldn't bother at the moment...if you are impatient (as you state) you will find it takes longer for the beer to "gas up" in the bottle after you "crash chill"...well that is my experience anyway.

 

[Supra-Jim]

FG of 1012 shouldn't be a concern, you have a consistant reading for 2 days. If you're not in a hurry, get a sterilized mixing spoon and give it a swirl (or just give the fermenter a good rock). raise the temp to 23 for 2 days and see if you get another few points.

My memory is not working well today, but i believe BE2 has some non-fermentables in it. Also the desired FG of 1008 i think is based on 1 kg of sugar, not BE2. So this may explain you higher FG.

CHilling for a few days will help some (but not all of the yeast to drop out of suspension). This will assist you in getting a clearer beer, you will still have enough yeast left in suspension to adequately carbonate, though it may take a little longer than normal.

Next time, try re-culturing up the yeast from a few stubbies of Coopers Pale Ale. Very simple process and you will make a major improvement in your beer:

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...;showarticle=40

I would also brew it at about 19deg rather than 21, but thats my preference.

Cheers SJ

 

[manticle]

G'day,

I'm a little concerned with the first brew I've put down in quite some time. Its a Coopers Australian Pale Ale which I mixed together Saturday week ago.

I followed the standard can recipe, using Coopers Enhancer #2, and the can packet yeast. I did however rehydrate the yeast breifly in a cup of 30 degree water (hope that wasn't too hot).

A SG reading of 1.043 before placing it in the 21 degree thermostate fridge (I followed the coopers website recommendation for some reason on that temperature).

Signs of fermentation didn't start till about 48 hours after pitching.

The fermentor was still bubbling (slowly) as of last night when I took my latest hydrometer reading. Recent readings have been as follows.
Day 7: 1.016
Day 8: 1.013
Day 9: 1.012
Day 10: 1.012

According to the packaging, a FG of 1.08 is expected.

What do I do? Keep waiting or do I move on to the next step?

I've also noticed on reading through these forums something about chilling the wort after fermentation. Can someone link where this process is described/discussed. At this stage I'll be bottling directly after fermentation, but if I read how to/why to chill the beer first for a day or two, then will probably do that.

Thanks in Advance.

Murray (the concerned and impatient)

There's never any harm in leaving a brew for a bit longer. Not only will you ensure fermentation has finished but you will give the yeast a chance to clean up his room. He's a messy little bugger and leaves behind all sorts of funny flavours.

The chilling you are referring to is known as crash chilling or cold conditioning. If you refrigerate your fermenter after primary ferment and before bottling, a lot of of impurities will drop out (mainly yeast in solution) giving you a clearer end product. It's not necessary but it works and I like doing it.

Don't be concerned and don't be impatient.

 

[Bribie G]

Welcome to the forum Murray, I would say that the fermentation is finished. The 1008 referred to would be presumably if you were using the 'default' of a kilo of sugar which of course is fully fermentable and lowers the final gravity quite a bit as it all gets turned into alcohol that is lighter than water. As you used BE2 which contains some light dried malt extract and some maltodextrin then that would probably account for the 'extra' 4 points as you won't get the same attenuation as just sugar or dextrose.

The Coopers kit yeast is, as far as I know, Mauri 514 and usually goes off like a rocket. Did you get your kit from a LHBS or a big supermarket? Yeast may have been a bit old and maybe sitting over the summer?

I was desperate for some yeast last month for an old ale (all grain) couldn't get to a LHBS or wait for an order from CraftBrewer so I chucked in 2 packs of Coopers and it was done and dusted in 5 days and into the bottle. Nice drop :icon_cheers:

 

[buttersd70]

If it was made with just dextrose, then 1008 would be likely. In the BE kits, there are unfermentable/less fermentable sugars as well....so 1010-1012 fg is more likely.

As long as the gravity is constant over 3 consecutive readings, and is not massively higher than expected, then it is done. Give it a few more days to be sure, then bottle away.


With chilling, short story is, you crash chill to force the yeast to drop out quicker. FOr longer version......there are literally hundreds of threads about it, and a search button up top right of the screen.

edit: soundly beaten.

 

[the_yobbo]

Ah, lovely, was starting to think I'd done something wrong since I'm sure I had read somewhere that fermentation should take somewhere between 4-8 days.

Also, I thought that leaving the brew in the fermentor for too long (a couple of days after completion of primary fementation) creates off flavours due to the yeast going off/dying.

Obviously reading too many difference sources, information overload.

I got the 1008 FG reading off the Enchancer #1 packet, so perhaps the APA extract has something in it to increase the FG.

I'll delay bottling to this weekend, so if it finishes fermenting by tonight, I'll give a 2 day crash chill a shot.

 

[geoffi]

I got the 1008 FG reading off the Enchancer #1 packet, so perhaps the APA extract has something in it to increase the FG.

No, not the kit goo. It's your enhancer #2. It contains maltodextrin, which will bump up the FG and give the beer more body.

 

[manticle]

Ah, lovely, was starting to think I'd done something wrong since I'm sure I had read somewhere that fermentation should take somewhere between 4-8 days.

Also, I thought that leaving the brew in the fermentor for too long (a couple of days after completion of primary fementation) creates off flavours due to the yeast going off/dying.

You can but supposedly it takes a fair wack of time. Many people here pitch brews directly onto the yeast cake from previous brews and get a few brews (several weeks fermenting each time) without any hitches. Yeast autolysis can happen but it's not a growly monster waiting under the bed ready to snatch your brew if you leave it a minute too long.

In the words of Palmer:


"As a final note on this subject, I should mention that by brewing with healthy yeast in a well-prepared wort, many experienced brewers, myself included, have been able to leave a beer in the primary fermenter for several months without any evidence of autolysis. Autolysis is not inevitable, but it is lurking

 

[Hefty]

Also, I thought that leaving the brew in the fermentor for too long (a couple of days after completion of primary fementation) creates off flavours due to the yeast going off/dying.

Unless your yeast have been cultured and fermented in less than desirable conditions (eg poor cell count or high temps during fermentation) then a few days won't hurt. As Manticle pointed out, it will allow the yeast to re-consume some of the flavours (diacetyl, etc) that they put out in the first stage of the fermentation cycle.

Autolosis (yeast consuming itself/dying and causing off flavours) takes considerably longer amount of time, especially in optimum fermentation conditions.

RDWHAHB
and then
HABAHAGD! :icon_cheers:
Jono.

Edit: D'oh, beaten too!