Recommended 3rd Brew?

[Aus_Rider_22]

Hey fellas. What's happening?

Just after some recommendations or advice in regards to what I should brew next. I know it's up to me but I am stuck at the moment and after some comments.

I am only up to my 3rd brew. The first was a Tooheys "Draught" kit recipe which has turned out ordinary. Has a very cidery taste to it. Perhaps this is from me stuffing up and putting too much sugar in as well. Drinkable when cold but not that impressive at all. My second was a Coopers Mexican Cerveza that I bottled 3 days ago. It tasted alot better after having a taste at my final gravity reading than the Tooheys does after conditioning! Looking forward to trying it!

I am sticking to K&K for the time being. I have looked through the recipe DB and have seen only a few K&K. At the moment I am throwing up between a Coopers Euro Lager, Coopers Pale Ale or a recipe from CountryBrewer that mimics Heineken or Beck's.

Beck's Style Homebrew Recipe

Includes:

1 x X-TRACT Lager

1 x 12g Hallertau Finishing Hop





$37.50




Heineken Style Homebrew Recipe

Includes:

1 x Wal's Lager

1kg Ultra Brew

1 x 12g Tettnanger Finishing Hop (Infusion Method)

​

​

$30.90

I am guessing the yeasts provided with the CountryBrewer kits will be better and result in a better beer?

If you were in my position what would you do? Also, if I was to go with a Coopers can, what yeasts should I buy to improve them?

Cheers and thanks for reading! :icon_cheers: :icon_cheers: :icon_cheers:

 

[Pennywise]

One of the simplest brews with the Coopers Pale Ale goo

Coopers PA
1kg LDME
100-200g crystal
20-30 Amarillo pellets @ flameout or dry hopped in the fermenter after a few days
yeast US-05

I knmow you said you wanted to stick to straight K&K but steeping grains really does improve a brew, and it's very easy to do. Go on, you know you want to

 

[felten]

I haven't brewed much but this is one I have done and its a cracker, its also dead easy
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...&recipe=502 (drs's golden ale, extract version)

anyway just my 2c

 

[RobboMC]

Coopers Pale Ale
and use 1/2 kg of dry malt as well as the usual brew enhancer 2,
kit yeast is ok as you are still learning.

Move to better yeast when you feel ready to boil up your own hops.

Maybe get a finishing hop tea bag and start your hop journey

 

[Aus_Rider_22]

I have been researching adding grains and am planning to do it soon.

It does sound tempting as what I am reading seems to indicate it will improve the beer substancially.

The LHBS will have the crystals and amarillo pellets?

Cheers mate.

 

[Pennywise]

If they don't, go somewhere else. Make sure they have their hops/yeast in the fridge.

 

[buttersd70]

If you were in my position what would you do?

Use the search function, mayhaps?

(that's a good workd. Mayhaps......not nearly used enough in the modern lexicon, imo)

 

[robbo5253]

Ausrider,

A simple one that I have found reasonable is

Coopers Pale Ale Tin
Brew Enhancer 2
US-05 Yeast
Give it two weeks in the fermenter and put it in the fridge for the last two days( if you have room)
Keg/Bottle and away you go.

Cheers

Robbo

 

[DTM]

+1 for Dr's Golden ale. One of my favourites and easy as.
I'm drinking one right now actually

Also, have you considered a toucan if you want to stick to just kits?

 

[mwd]

Another vote for Dr Smurto's Golden Ale.

Wonderful stuff tastes better than the commercial brand.

Do need a bit of wheat in it though + Sparkling Ale can ( Magic our Morris ).

Edit: Spelling + If its a simple K&K Lager agree 100% with Bum cannot go past Morgans Blue Mtn.


VVVVVVV

 

[bum]

or a recipe from CountryBrewer that mimics Heineken or Beck's.

By all means try these but don't be surprised if they don't seem much like the originals. Might turn out to be something you like but they probably won't be too close in the clone stakes.

Lots of good suggestions in here so far. Spoiled for choice, mate.

Oh, I've never brewed it but pretty much every k&k brewer who has done it raves about Morgan's Blue Mountain Lager. Might be worth doing a search for that one to check it out.

 

[Georgedgerton]

At this stage the most important thing is to get some of the basic brewing techniques down pat. If your still using sugar etc then get away from that and work on getting a good clean finish. Pay particular attention to using good yeast and keeping the fermentation temperature under control. Once you start getting good, clean and consistent brews then start experimenting a little and keep accurate records of every brew you make. I have kept an accurate log since 1998 and it's very interesting and helpful to look back over you past efforts.

 

[Pennywise]

:icon_offtopic: I don't like looking at my log from when I first started brewing. I just look at it and shake my head. 26 deg ferment, bottleing after 5 days (at least I knew to get stable SG readings), trying to clone VB, boiling grain, fermenting lager yeast at 26 deg
You get the picture
Aus Rider, at least you've come to the right place first. I had plenty of un-learning to do when I first discovered HB forums.

 

[Aus_Rider_22]

Also, have you considered a toucan if you want to stick to just kits?

What's the advantage of using the extra can?

Cheers.

 

[marlow_coates]

The extra can gives more body as you are using malt rather than sugar, and will double your bitterness.

Good for a low bittered can, but also works a treat with others too.

Search for toucan in the google search function and there are a heap of good threads on which ones go well.

Marlow

 

[Aus_Rider_22]

Thanks for the explanation.

Well after telling mum to keep an eye out for Coopers cans whenever she goes into Big W she spotted them on special. She ended up getting a Coopers Real Ale tin, some more carb drops and crown seals. Was a pleasant surprise!

I was thinking bout this as my next brew now.

Coopers Real Ale
500g Coopers Light Malt Extract
1kg Brew Enhancer 2
Kit Yeast

Sound reasonable?

 

[Nick JD]

Sound reasonable?

Very reasonable.


For Brew Number 4, may I recommend something?

I wish someone had have told me this back when I was doing year after year of K&Ks: Buy your malt extract unhopped and use fresh hops. It's called "extract brewing" and IMO not only gives you almost infinate variety, it gives you beer that you will love to drink. And it's as simple as K&K, if slightly more expensive. We're talking a buck a liter or $25 (ish) for a brew.

Extract brewing automatically makes you do two great things:

1.) Buy good yeast (you don't get any with unhopped cans of malt).

2.) Use hops for flavour and aroma ... not just hop extract for bittering that comes in the can.

You know how you boil 2L of water and use it to dissolve your can of goo and your sugar/dextrose/dried malt? Instead of just using water, boil up 4L of water in a pot (with 300-500g of dried malt extract thrown in so the goodness comes out of the hops more easily) and throw in 15-20g of the hops of your choice in an old stocking. Boil them for 60 minutes, but before the 60 minutes is up - thrown in some more for 20 minutes, and maybe some more for 5 or 10 minutes (and then throw them in the fermenter too).

Your tastebuds will thank you for it. Brew your ales at 16-24 and your lagers colder than this and you'll be loving your beer.

And you get to make up your own names for your beers, because they are unique. They will taste better than beer from the shop.

Here's the world's simplist extract recipe if you feel up to it sometime (23L):

2.5kg of Light Dried Malt Extract (bout 7-8 bucks a kg).
20g of a high Alpha Acid Hop boiled in the 4L pot for 60 minutes.
20g of a low Alpha Acid Hop boiled in the pot for 5 minutes (and then thrown in the fermenter).
A good Ale yeast (like Fermentis Safale)
Ferment Between 18 and 22 degrees C.

 

[petesbrew]

Thanks for the explanation.

Well after telling mum to keep an eye out for Coopers cans whenever she goes into Big W she spotted them on special. She ended up getting a Coopers Real Ale tin, some more carb drops and crown seals. Was a pleasant surprise!

I was thinking bout this as my next brew now.

Coopers Real Ale
500g Coopers Light Malt Extract
1kg Brew Enhancer 2
Kit Yeast

Sound reasonable?

Nice and easy recipe. The Real kit isn't bad at all.

If you want to add something to what you've got...

150g Crystal (steep for 30min-1hr in a plunger)
10-20g Goldings (just throw it in to keep it simple)
replace yeast with Safale S-04.
Brew @ 18-20c for a couple of weeks.

 

[Aus_Rider_22]

Very reasonable.


For Brew Number 4, may I recommend something?

I wish someone had have told me this back when I was doing year after year of K&Ks: Buy your malt extract unhopped and use fresh hops. It's called "extract brewing" and IMO not only gives you almost infinate variety, it gives you beer that you will love to drink. And it's as simple as K&K, if slightly more expensive. We're talking a buck a liter or $25 (ish) for a brew.

Extract brewing automatically makes you do two great things:

1.) Buy good yeast (you don't get any with unhopped cans of malt).

2.) Use hops for flavour and aroma ... not just hop extract for bittering that comes in the can.

You know how you boil 2L of water and use it to dissolve your can of goo and your sugar/dextrose/dried malt? Instead of just using water, boil up 4L of water in a pot (with 300-500g of dried malt extract thrown in so the goodness comes out of the hops more easily) and throw in 15-20g of the hops of your choice in an old stocking. Boil them for 60 minutes, but before the 60 minutes is up - thrown in some more for 20 minutes, and maybe some more for 5 or 10 minutes (and then throw them in the fermenter too).

Wouldn't the old stocking contain bacteria? Will the boiling be sufficient to kill off any bad bacteria? By throw in some more do you mean add 15-20g each interval?

Your tastebuds will thank you for it. Brew your ales at 16-24 and your lagers colder than this and you'll be loving your beer.

And you get to make up your own names for your beers, because they are unique. They will taste better than beer from the shop.

Here's the world's simplist extract recipe if you feel up to it sometime (23L):

2.5kg of Light Dried Malt Extract (bout 7-8 bucks a kg).
20g of a high Alpha Acid Hop boiled in the 4L pot for 60 minutes.
20g of a low Alpha Acid Hop boiled in the pot for 5 minutes (and then thrown in the fermenter).
A good Ale yeast (like Fermentis Safale)
Ferment Between 18 and 22 degrees C.

So I don't need a 1.7kg can of goop?

Thanks I will definetly try experimenting with extract.

Nice and easy recipe. The Real kit isn't bad at all.

If you want to add something to what you've got...

150g Crystal (steep for 30min-1hr in a plunger)
10-20g Goldings (just throw it in to keep it simple)
replace yeast with Safale S-04.
Brew @ 18-20c for a couple of weeks.

Cheers, the only part I don't understand yet it steeping. Is it just boiling the crystal?

Thanks for the time.

 

[manticle]

The 'goop' is malt extract which has been pre-bittered with hops. What Nick is referring to is another level of brewing whereby you use unhopped extract (both liquid and dried of various types are available) and add your own hops. It will add an hour or so to your brewing but the results can be great.

Nothing wrong with what you're doing - any extra steps can be experimented with at various points to see if they work for you.

As for steeping - it's basically soaking cracked grain in hot water for 30 - 60 mins or cold water overnight. Strain the liquid into a pot and boil it for 20 -60 mins. Hops can be added at various points if desired.

Don't boil the grain itself. Hot water between 60 and 70 degrees (temperature maintained for duration of steep) is good practice for later (if you want to get into grain brewing).