Recipe For Beginner

[panpac]

I have just bottled my first brew and can't wait to try it in a couple weeks. I used the Coopers Lager kit and followed instructions to the letter.
I'm a keep it simple guy and would probably just keep trying different kits until I find one I like and stick to it.

But reading through the forums I am wondering if there is anything I can add to the kit recipes that will enhance my beer? I read a lot about malt etc.

Can someone give me a basic recipe using kit & any additions?

 

[Bribie G]

The best move I can suggest is, for the next brew, use a Coopers Lager kit again, but instead of a kilo of sugar, use a kilo of Coopers Brew Enhancer 2. This contains dextrose (glucose), light dried malt extract and some maltodextrin which gives better foaming and 'body' to the brew. Also you could get a hop 'tea bag', simmer that in a little water and tip that into the fermenter as well to give added hop flavour and aroma. For your first few brews the main deal is to make sure you get used to throughly sanitizing everything, and also get some good temperature control going, so that the beer ferments below 20 degrees if you can.

Welcome to the obsession

 

[Ol'Wobbly]

If you're into dark beers and enjoy the taste of malt, get a Tuohey's Special Dark Ale kit and add 100g of dark malt to it (available from your home brew shop). Also, I always add 250g dried corn syrup to every kit I brew (dark or amber). It gives it a lovely, long-lasting head.

The AG guys on this forum will probably turn their toffy noses up at this thread, but hey, you gotta start somewhere.

 

[panpac]

Thanks guys - not really into dark beers so I think I'll stick with the lager ( and try and improve it ) using BribieG's advice. I am sure in time I will be more adventurous but I would prefer to get to a point where I can brew a "decent" beer that can be enjoyed by myself and mates.
Sorry to all AG guys - be gentle - I'm learning ha ha

 

[panpac]

Once more thing - all my newly brewed bottles are being stored in a dark cool spot except for 2 bottles which I put in my beer fridge after 2 days. What should I expect from them once they are ready to open?

 

[petesbrew]

There's a few things you can add for a tasty brew, and still keep things relatively simple

1. The kit you like
2. The additional brew enhancer/malt extract.
3. 150-200g grain for steeping. If you can make a plunger coffee, you can steep grain.
4. A Hop teabag, or loose pellets.
5. A decent dried yeast.

Sorry for such a short answer, gotta get back to work now!
Have a seach around here for hop & grain guides... there's a pdf somewhere.
Your hB shop should help you out too.

 

[petesbrew]

Once more thing - all my newly brewed bottles are being stored in a dark cool spot except for 2 bottles which I put in my beer fridge after 2 days. What should I expect from them once they are ready to open?

Those 2 in the fridge will probably pour flat as the coldness from the fridge has probably stopped the yeast from working. Pull them back out, put with the others, and they should come back to life and carbonate.

 

[Josh]

Can someone give me a basic recipe using kit & any additions?

20L
Coopers Canadian Blonde
500g Dry Malt Extract
500g Dextrose

20g Cascade Hops into the fermenter when you add the water.

US-05 yeast. Fermented around 20C

Nice light Pale Ale with a gentle citrus aroma.

 

[mxd]

not too sure where you are, but if you get a good LHBS they should be able to help you out, maybe send you to fresh worts or different ingredients to add.

 

[benno1973]

Check out the Kits and Extract articles for some good advice.

 

[manticle]

[quote name='Ol'Wobbly' post='591871' date='Feb 3 2010, 02:26 PM']The AG guys on this forum will probably turn their toffy noses up at this thread, but hey, you gotta start somewhere.[/quote]

Nice assumption and good bit of reverse snobbery there chieftain. Most of the AG guys who make the effort to reply in the kits and extracts section usually go out of their way to help beginners. Many of them brewed kits, some not so long ago and some of them still do.

@panpac: adding dried malt extract will give your beer some extra body, flavour and a bit of residual sweetness. You can sub out some of your regular sugar or dextrose to add this in. Add in about 25% more weight to keep the alcohol content roughly similar.

Steeping a hop bag or making a hop tea with some pellets and adding that in will also give things a lift.

Both malt and hops will help with forming and holding a good head too as will the maltodextrin suggested by ol'wobbly.

Get hops that suit the style.

A different yeast to the kit yeast can often help too - fermentis have a good range.

These are probably the easiest things you can add to a kit to give them a lift but there's a whole lot more. The above won't cost too much either.


Ferment cooler and longer and be patient with the brew and you'll also notice an improvement.

 

[Clownfish]

As I mentioned in the topic I started last week, I have found that using honey instead of destrose for the Coopers Lager, Draught and Real Ale produces a very nice beer. Try a specific type of honey (eg red gum) rather than the mixed types. I add only about 500 g and still get about 5% alcohol. Simple and cheap.

 

[petesbrew]

Also in the honey/jam/vegemite aisle at out local Woolies, you can find 1Kg tins of saunders liquid malt extract.
I've used this before with successful results. Handy too if you can't get to a hb shop.

 

[Mickthe]

Some great advice there,

I only just started brewing too and the best thing i did (without really good temp control) was to brew an ale because i can achieve 20c for ferment and it makes a huge difference, and the addition of dry hop/teabag because the aroma and taste you get makes it real beer and not something you can pick as a homebrew right off.

My first good beer was a pale ale, just Tin + BE2 + 250g LDME + Cascade teabag + US-05 yeast. EASY AS!!

Also i stopped using carb drops for priming as it leads to overpriming in most beer styles.

Good luck.

Mick.

 

[petesbrew]

Ultra rough guide to a hop teabag choice
Based on a typical draught or Pale Ale kit & kilo

Goldings/Fuggles/Willamette teabag + S-04 yeast for an english pale ale
Cascade/Amarillo teabag + S-05 yeast for american pale ale

 

[panpac]

Well 2 weeks is up tomorrow!!! Going to stick a few in the fridge tonight and crack the first one tomorrow afternoon. I know I should use a clean chilled glass - anything else?
Will let you know my success or failure.

 

[Hatchy]

The main thing to remember is to enjoy the beer. Have you got anything in yr fermenter at the moment?

 

[panpac]

Won't be any problem enjoying the beer - even if it tastes like crap ( its the principle ).

Yes i have my second brew in ( Coopers Draught ) - went in last Sunday but fermenter temp has stayed about 28 degrees all week due to hot weather in Adelaide. I'm still going to bottle it with fingers crossed.

 

[panpac]

well i waited the minimum 2 weeks ( exactly ) and cracked a few on Saturday ( Coopers Lager kit ). Put them in the fridge the night before and had plenty of chilled glasses. I must say I was pleasantly surprised. Poured well - nice foamy head - clear - plenty of bubbles. A mate explained the taste as "a bit green" but other than that it was easy to drink and enjoyable. I am going to keep half and try every few weeks.
For a first up effort it was good and hopefully it will improve with age.

 

[zabond]

congrats on your sucsess,but you have to get your ferm temps down or you will end up with that "homebrew twang" if you cant control temps around 18* in a fridge freeze some water bottles and put them around ferm under tarp/blanket ect,plenty of good tips in here for keeping temps down,the second most important thing for good results is TEMP CONTROL first being sanitization