Reducing Wort Volume...

[Fireman Sam]

Morning All,

First a shout to the guys at Grain & Grape for their help so far... :icon_chickcheers:

I'm starting my second batch now (first was the fresh wort kit that came with the gear that is now bottled), and have purchased the following from G&G:

Coopers International Mexican Cerveza
50/50 500g Dried LME & 500g Dextrose
Hallertau Hops

If any one can help with the following I'd really appreciate it....

1. I'm looking for a crisp beer with this one, hence G&G recommending the above, however I've read/heard/know that this style can be a little watery, so I was wondering if I reduce the volume from 23L to say 19L will this help or will it bugger everything else up, like my sugar mix etc ? Will I need to reduce the amount of sugars I put in the primary ?

2. Wifey was kind enough to pick all the above up from G&G for me (isn't she nice ), but we can't remember when to add the hops. Should I 'dry hop' (pretty sure I've used the right term there) as the last thing to go into the primary fermenter ?

Thanks to you all...

Cheers
:icon_cheers:

 

[zabond]

reducing the water vol will up your ac% eg your recipe 23 ltrs=5% 19 ltrs=5.9% as for watery feel a mex cerv is this style so I don't think reducing the vol will have a very noticable affect you can improve mouth feel by adding steeped grains eg:carahell or carabohiem for dry hopping add to ferm after a couple of days or when you rack,try to keep temps below 20 and if possable ditch the can yeast and use us05

 

[Pennywise]

Try steeping a couple of hundred grams of carapils, it's a dextrin malt so will help with body and also head retention. You could steep other grains but that would change the colour and put it out of style (not that thats a bad thing). With the hops I'd say chuck em' in at flameout or about 3-4 days into fermentation.

 

[michaelcocks]

Morning All,

First a shout to the guys at Grain & Grape for their help so far... :icon_chickcheers:

I'm starting my second batch now (first was the fresh wort kit that came with the gear that is now bottled), and have purchased the following from G&G:

Coopers International Mexican Cerveza
50/50 500g Dried LME & 500g Dextrose
Hallertau Hops

If any one can help with the following I'd really appreciate it....

1. I'm looking for a crisp beer with this one, hence G&G recommending the above, however I've read/heard/know that this style can be a little watery, so I was wondering if I reduce the volume from 23L to say 19L will this help or will it bugger everything else up, like my sugar mix etc ? Will I need to reduce the amount of sugars I put in the primary ?

2. Wifey was kind enough to pick all the above up from G&G for me (isn't she nice ), but we can't remember when to add the hops. Should I 'dry hop' (pretty sure I've used the right term there) as the last thing to go into the primary fermenter ?

Thanks to you all...

Cheers
:icon_cheers:

Coopers Mexican Cervaza is very bland - not much mouth feel or flavour (that's preety much the Mexican style - If you ever had Corona you know they have to put a lime in it to give it any flavour) - some would say "watery" -
Yes reducing the volume will make it feel less "watery"
Steep hallertau hops for 10-15 mins in boiling water should add some hop falvour
It will certainly be a "clean" beer - There not much there to give any flavour ..

Happy Brewing

Michael :icon_cheers:

 

[Fireman Sam]

Thanks very much for your feedback so far guys....

I might take you up on a couple of pointers:

How about I add 40gm of Amerillo as well as the 40gm of Hallertau ? I see Amerillo is a match for crisp beers, and has a fruity flavouring ?

And I already had reservations about using the kit yeast, so might switch that for Safale US05 ?

Cheers !

 

[Gavo]

Congrats on getting into the HB game you will find it well worth the effort.

You will find ditching the kit yeast a good step forward to producing a better beer. US-05 will be a good step up for this beer as it will give a good clean ferment. As already said try to keep the ferment temp down, and for this beer and yeast I would be aiming at 18 degrees C.

Happy brewing.

Gavo.

 

[Nick JD]

You will find ditching the kit yeast a good step forward to producing a better beer.

You will also find ditching the Coopers Kit a good step forward too. I suggest replacing it with 2kg of Light Dried Malt Extract and some real hops.

It's simple. All you need to do is bring 4L of water and 400g of dried malt to the boil and chuck in say, 20g of 10%AA hops for an hour ... then use this bittered solution instead of your 2L of boiling water to dissolve all your ingredients (sieve the hops out), then top up with cold water and add yeast. It's no more effort than K&K really and best of all you get to name your beer because you created the recipe.

Just as easy as K&K but you have 50 hop varieties to choose from, instead of a can with fake "hops" squirted into it.

+1 about the yeast. The most influential ingredient in your beer is your yeast. It's only a small ingredient, but it turns a sugar solution into beer - so is paramount to flavour.

 

[Fireman Sam]

Again... thanks heaps. I'll run with this can for the moment, and will give the LDME a run next time Nick JD !

 

[RobboMC]

If you want easy to make non-watery beer try a Muntons kit.
They proudly claim on the side if the can that there is no barley sugar in the cans.
No other kit makers print this claim. Yes they are expensive,
but you usually get what you (don't) pay for in life.

Make the kit with only added dry malt extract and no dextrose and you will get beer that is definately not watery.

PS I do NOT work for Muntons, but I love their kits. The Yorkshire Bitter is particularly good when made to 20 litres.