Malt Extract + Brew Enhancer

[lano]

Hi all,

I am only a kit + Brew Enhancer brewer (very basic) but I want to try to take the next step and go to kits with hops / malt /etc.

I have put in a brew with Brew Enhancer 1 + Coopers Amber Malt Extract without knowing that Malt Extract can replace the sugar content. Have a stuffed it completely? Will I blow up bottles? What shoudl I do?

Cheers!

 

[manticle]

If you let it ferment out properly, you will not get bottle bombs. This means guaging the gravity it should finish at, letting it get there or very near there, leaving it for at least three days (I suggest at least a week) before bottling.

What was the exact recipe?

Many recipes will incorporate malt AND sugars like dextrose or sucrose - They do not have equivalent fermenatbility and both will provide different qualities to the brew (besides alcohol and CO2).

 

[enoch1973]

We need more information about the brew... if you've put the BE1 + the Liquid Amber Malt in the fermenter then you may like to look at some of the Morgans Hop bags you can get from you local brew shop... How long has it been in the fermenter?
If you're only using BE1 + Amber LME its going to be fairly bland... More info? What did you do?

 

[lano]

Thanks!

I was goimg to leaving at least a week. Dont know how to do the gravity thing. ill just leave it until it has stopped fermenting!

I was after an Amber Ale type brew. ingredients:

- Morgans Amber Ale
- Coopers Amber Malt Extact
- Brew Enhancer 1
- Cluster Hops

I will post and tell you how it goes!!!

Cheers

 

[keifer33]

You need to use a hydrometer to test the gravity of the beer. Without one your running blind and run the risk of thinking it finished fermenting but may be slow or just stalled and you could have some bottle bombs on your hands.

 

[lano]

Thanks!

I was goimg to leaving at least a week. Dont know how to do the gravity thing. ill just leave it until it has stopped fermenting!

I was after an Amber Ale type brew. ingredients:

- Morgans Amber Ale
- Coopers Amber Malt Extact
- Brew Enhancer 1
- Cluster Hops

I will post and tell you how it goes!!!

Cheers

Liquid Coopers Amber Malt Extact
Been in Brewer 3 days

 

[manticle]

How will you know it's stopped fermenting if you don't measure the gravity?

Go to hombrew shop.
Buy hydrometer
When you think the brew has finished or is close, pour a hydrometer tube's worth (good hydrometers should come with a plastic test tube - only buy one that does) and drink or throw away (at least taste so you develop an understanding - won't taste like your final product). Pour another tube's worth and float your hydrometer, heavy side down in the vessel. Spin to remove the bubbles, allow to settle for a few seconds then take a reading. If that reading has dropped a few days later, it's still fermenting. If it's the same it's either stalled (if the reading is higher than expected) or finished.

I'm saying leave for a week AFTER it's finished, not from beginning to end.

In regards to your recipe - what amounts of each ingredient?
How much water/final volume?

 

[enoch1973]

How long's it been in the fermenter?
How did you add the Cluster Hops?
Some hops are better than none... especially with BE1 + LME...

Thanks!

I was goimg to leaving at least a week. Dont know how to do the gravity thing. ill just leave it until it has stopped fermenting!

I was after an Amber Ale type brew. ingredients:

- Morgans Amber Ale
- Coopers Amber Malt Extact
- Brew Enhancer 1
- Cluster Hops

I will post and tell you how it goes!!!

Cheers

 

[lano]

been in fermenter 3 days

bought hops in "tea bag" thing!! - 10 mins in boiled watter - all in brewer

 

[manticle]

How much malt? How much water?
Promise me you'll buy a hydrometer and learn to use it correctly.

 

[lano]

Ok, I got a hydometer!

I dont know the exact reading, but it was not in the "green zone" for bottleing. Will it get to the "green zone"?

It stopped bubbling, but started up again for a day.

Cheers

 

[bum]

Ignore the green zone. The green zone doesn't mean anything.

Also ignore the bubbling. That doesn't really mean much either.

You need to know what the hydrometer is reading or there's not much point having it.

For 2 tins of goop and a box of BE1 I'd be thinking about anything from 1014 to 1010 depending on how well everything went. If your brew sits anywhere in that range for 3 readings in a row (24hrs apart each) you should be good to go - but your beer will benefit from waiting a little before you bottle anyway so don't be in too much of a rush if you can stand it.

 

[Pennywise]

What does the hydrometer read? Forget the "zones" are there, their f**kin' useless

 

[lano]

thanks heaps,

I think it was reading 1020. Buts all I was worried about is the "green zone".

Ill take another reading tonight and post it.

Cheers

 

[keifer33]

The 'green zone' only worked once for me when I used a tin of goo and bag of dextrose. As soon as you used things that don't totally ferment readings don't always get under the 1.010 to hit the green.

 

[lano]

ok, hydrometer reading 1022.

thats almost 3 days straight.

not bubbling anymore.

Good plan to leave it until Saturday, then bottle?

 

[kelbygreen]

I would not bottle yet even though you put double the amount of fermentables it should ferment down to roughly 1.015 what temp is it sitting at??? also if you pitched the kit yeast I would say there wasnt enough for the such high OG

 

[lano]

sitting at 22 degrees.

I just used the yeast in the kit.

What should i do?

 

[Hatchy]

Leave it. When in doubt leave it. Wait for a consistent reading 3 days in a row. Leaving it for a week after that won't hurt it but may make it better.

 

[DU99]

leave it..lagers run lower