Kit & kilo = low ABV?

[ChefKing]

Been thinking about my next brew I will put down... Gunna be a coopers real ale or draught.

Though each time I enter into the excel beer designer like so:

Coopers real ale 1.7kg
LDME 1kg

My ABV is around 4.1%

Trying to get a beer around the 5% mark.

Had this box of BE1 sitting around, thought I might just drop it in with 500gms LDME... Or should I just go 1.5kg LDME?

(For the life of me on excel beer designer v4.2 I can't find where I enter the BE1)

Will be like a coopers Unreal ale, but I am just looking for previous first hand experience.

Anyhow has anyone ever done something similar to this recipe? Results?

 

[Gigantorus]

ChefKing,

Ian's spreadhseet doesn't have the BE1 & 2 facility. Just enter the raw ingredients into the spreadsheet. BE1 is simply dextrose and maltodextrin - not sure of the percentage.
Maybe throw in 1kg LDME and do a steep of 200grams or 300grams of crystal or Carapils grain?
Cheers,
Pete

 

[MHB]

If you are happy enough with the flavour from the Kit and 1kg of DME, just add some dextrose if you want to up the alcohol content
500g of Dextrose should add ~0.008 (0.0078 if you want to be picky) to your OG and give you about the same FG (it all makes alcohol) so it adds about 1% (1.04%) to your ABV.

LDME is only about 63% fermentable so 500g would not get you what you want (about 0.655%) and 1kg will take you a bit over.
Mark

 

[swiftyb]

I was wondering the same thing actually - have a coopers kit fermenting at the moment;

OG - 1.045
FG - 1.020 (or so it seems to be setting down at)

I had kind of hoped for ~%5 ABV, guess it just wont get there?

 

[manticle]

What was in the kit?

Unlikely it's finishing at 1020 unless you used heaps of malt extract or maltodextrin or somesuch.

 

[Gigantorus]

This is Coopers Unreal Ale recipe, and not a bad one either. It uses:
. 1.7kg Coopers Real Ale
. 1kg Coopers Brew Enhancer 1
. 500g Coopers Light Dry Malt

and comes in at 4.6% abv.

Cheers,

Pete

 

[swiftyb]

The kit was the standard coopers one - i think its Coopers Original Ale? with brew enhancer #1...

What was in the kit?

Unlikely it's finishing at 1020 unless you used heaps of malt extract or maltodextrin or somesuch.

I'm worried if i bottle it - there will still be a bit to go and i'll end up with a bottle explosion. Will measure it again tonight.

 

[manticle]

Don't bottle it at 1020.

 

[mongey]

This is Coopers Unreal Ale recipe, and not a bad one either. It uses:
. 1.7kg Coopers Real Ale
. 1kg Coopers Brew Enhancer 1
. 500g Coopers Light Dry Malt

and comes in at 4.6% abv.

Cheers,

Pete

did you use the kit yeast ? last beer I had to use the kit yeast as the supplier forgot to send my us05 and I didint realzie till I was ready to pitch and being a sunday couldnt go buy a pack. In my 20 or so brews i had never used a kit yeast before

similiar femrentables it got stuck at 1020 . I had to massage and drag it down to 1012 where it eventually stopped it .

first and last itme I use kit yeast .drinking it now and its tasty enough but it was a PITA

 

[Gigantorus]

did you use the kit yeast ? last beer I had to use the kit yeast as the supplier forgot to send my us05 and I didint realzie till I was ready to pitch and being a sunday couldnt go buy a pack. In my 20 or so brews i had never used a kit yeast before

similiar femrentables it got stuck at 1020 . I had to massage and drag it down to 1012 where it eventually stopped it .

first and last itme I use kit yeast .drinking it now and its tasty enough but it was a PITA

Mongey,

I tend to buy better yeast these days, as it simply makes a better beer. I generally use the SAFALE US05. It makes a world of difference. Though I will generally throw the can yeast in as well just to get rid of it. It's probably worth rehydrating the can yeast to see if it has any life in it still as well (that's if you have to use it that is).

Other angle if you find yourself without the "right" yeast - just strain the wort into a sanitised cube or 20litre container (or something you can seal - even the FV) and hold it at around 20C overnight, then go and buy the right yeast the next day and then pour back into a sanitised FV and pitch the good yeast. Have done this once and all worked nicely and got a good beer. Have also learnt from this and now always have a couple of spare yeasts in the fridge (would rather have an older US05 then have to use can yeast).

Cheers,
Pete