The Supermarket Challenge

[tgilbert]

It will take a while as I won't go high in temp and it will need conditioning for 3 weeks or more. So in 5 weeks or more, I would have an answer. Thread will probably have died off by then but I reckon my commercial beer drinking mates will think it's better than their piss. Anyway, will only tie up one of my 3 fermenters for the next 2 weeks while I see what happens.

Don't underestimate this thread, Maurice. It's been running at least warm for several months now and new people coming along and joining in regularly. I have my Bi-Lo Lager in the fridge fermenting at 20 degrees now, with 1kg of Brew Enhancer No 1 and the basic yeast - a total of $13.00 worth of ingredients. I don't expect miracles but I do think it will be quite drinkable. Haven't made a brew I've not enjoyed in almost a year now.

And don't forget that Coles also sell the Cascade tins, which are commercial-grade worts by any measure.

To be honest though, the brew that's impressed me most from the challenge so far is Cooper's Cerveza. It's quick, easy and very drinkable within weeks. A great little no-fuss beer. But I am looking forward to the Euro Lager in about three months from now (it's bottled).

Happy brewing. Tony

 

[soupbones]

Hi and welcome the to discussion. What's a 'dietic rest'? And what is the difference (in a cold lager brew) between racking and cold conditioning? I brewed mine for three weeks in the fridge, then decanted it to plastic cubes to condition for another three weeks. I've now bottled it and I am wondering if it's OK to carbonate on the shelf or should it go back into the fridge? I am hoping not to drink this one until our family camping trip in November. Should be real good by then.

By the way, why do you call supermarket kits 'cheap and nasty beer'? Some of what they sell in Coles (e.g. Cascade kits) is also on the shelf in my local HBS (for 25% more) and the results from most Coles cans so far have been at least as good as I get from Morgans and other HBS cans. If you really want cheap and nasty, my local Coles had a few cans of Bi-Lo Lager last week and I grabbed one for $6.50 to see what it tastes like. Will let you know.

Happy brewing, Tony

A diacetyl rest ( bad spelling last time, sorry ) is done toward the end of the fermentation, to let the yeast absorb the diacetly, which can add some off buttery like flavours to your beer. Racking is a brew term meaning that you drain your wort into a second fermenter, usually for the purose of a secondary fermentation, and to assist in the clearing of the wort of yeast in suspension. Cold conditioning is a process where you let the finished brew coold down to a temp which makes any active yeast dormant and it drops out of suspension. It also helps stabilise the beer, specially lagers and eliminate chill haze.


I call them cheap and nasty because when you compare the cost and the quality of the finished product of a kit beer form the supermarket compared to a well made extract beer or even an all grain brew (by the way I don't brew all grain) then these ways of brewing make the supermarket kits look cheap and nasty. Thats not to say you can't get a good drinkable beer from a supermarket kit beer. Some kits in my opinion make a pretty average beer sometimes. Some make a great beer as well, and turn out suprisingly good. Of course most of these kit beers cost around the $20 mark (including sugars) to make a finished product. Extracts and all grain can cost more, and if you count the equipment as well it can cost considerably more. But of course you get a much better result.

 

[mauriceatron]

Don't underestimate this thread, Maurice. It's been running at least warm for several months now and new people coming along and joining in regularly. I have my Bi-Lo Lager in the fridge fermenting at 20 degrees now, with 1kg of Brew Enhancer No 1 and the basic yeast - a total of $13.00 worth of ingredients. I don't expect miracles but I do think it will be quite drinkable. Haven't made a brew I've not enjoyed in almost a year now.

Yeah Tony, I've never tried to produce the cheapest drinkable beer but I remember my original Coopers Lager which came with the brew kit was quite all right. I knew Coles & Woolies had their house brand beer kits but didn't know Bi-Lo did. Woolies however is the best option for my supermarket shopping.

Anyway, it's a great thread!

Cheers
Mauriceatron

 

[QldKev]

I always though a diacetyl rest was only needed when you used a lager yeast?

QldKev

 

[soupbones]

Far as I know, it can be used for any yeast. But considering most people don't bother racking ales anyway, there is probably no point.

 

[l7edwards]

Just had my first Coopers European lager - its been bottled for at 2 weeks and now lagering

Recipe was - Euro lager kit, BE2, 12g Saaz, 15g B-Saaz (cold infused at 2 1/2 weeks), kit yeast fermented at around 14* to 17*

It tastes great, by far one of the best supermarket kits i've done in terms of being so drinkable very early. Will definitly do this one again with more malt and different hop combos - maybe some hersbrucker or nelson sauvin

All in all it appears a great base kit

 

[peterkinden]

Morning,

I picked up 2 of the Cascade kits for $4ea on clearance at my local safeway in Newmarket. I also picked up 2 of their home brand ones for shits and giggles for $2ea. I figure the home brand one will end up costing under the $10 mark all up.

None of them were even close to their use by date. Had a year left.

Apparently they were undergoing new planogram for the shelves.

I went to a few other stores to pick up some more but with no luck. Other than one store had packs of 100 caps on for 99 cents. picked up 10 bags.

Bargain!

Pete

 

[pokolbinguy]

Has anyone had any luck with the:

"Cascade Golden Harvest Lager"

I picked up the can of goo the other day as it was on special, thought I might be able to turn it into something decent.

Cheers, Pok

 

[peterkinden]

Pok -

That's the one i got on special.

Haven't put it on yet.

Still waiting for a free fermenter.

Pete

 

[pokolbinguy]

Pok -

That's the one i got on special.

Haven't put it on yet.

Still waiting for a free fermenter.

Pete

Any planned additions?

 

[petesbrew]

It's always worth checking out the sales shelves at the end of the aisles too. I picked up 3 cans of stout last year for $4.99 each.
Also have a relative working in a supermarket who scored me 5 cans of bilo draught for $1.50 each.

I'm not having too much luck with the bilo's, though.

 

[peterkinden]

Any planned additions?

Not too sure yet - Does anyone know what yeast comes with the kit? do i assume that being a supermarket kit it's going to have ale yeast?

Pete

 

[AlwayzLoozeCount]

Not too sure yet - Does anyone know what yeast comes with the kit? do i assume that being a supermarket kit it's going to have ale yeast?

Pete

I have done this kit a few times and it always turns out good. I think it comes with a bohemian lager yeast that takes a long time to get going. I know lots of people on this site would recomend chucking the yeast and getting a better quality one but personaly I have never had any problem with the supplied yeast apart from it taking a long time to ferment.
last time I made this kit up I used 500g light dry malt 500g dextrose and steeped a 12g teabag of cascade hops for about 10 mins in a mug of boiling water and chucked it in the fermentor, turned out very nice.

 

[RobboMC]

I am so pleased to hear other home brewers rave about how much better their own beer is than the commercial equivalents. I was starting to think that I was "drinking my own piss", so to speak. I have felt this way since about the third brew I made. Every now and then I don't plan properly and I have to buy commercial beer (and when we go out for dinner), but I really don't enjoy it the way I used to. Prefer my home brew any time.

And Stagga, I hope you've never made a mistake

Tony

Hi Tony,

Just before Xmas I went to on overnight party with some friends, one of which is a keen brewer, and an even keener drinker.
We rinsed our throats with Coopers Sparkling Ale ( commercial variety ) between different bottles of our respective home brews,
and this underlined for me that the difference IS real. By comparison, the commercial beer tasted unhopped, unmalted and watery.

Even only half decent home brew using kits and bits is better than mid-range commercial offerings. As long as you get past the 'dump and stir' stage and use malts instead of sugar, and even boil in some extra hops, you can make magnificent beer at home with a small investment of time.

Just to add: a HBS told me the supermarket level kits can be different from month to month, batch to batch and even can to can. They are not consistent, compared to the higher level more expensive kits sold by HBS. Of course he is in no way objective so I don't know if this is true or sales talk. I was buying an expensive kit anyway so he wasn't really upselling me.

 

[tgilbert]

Has anyone had any luck with the:

"Cascade Golden Harvest Lager"

I picked up the can of goo the other day as it was on special, thought I might be able to turn it into something decent.

Cheers, Pok

I'm half way through a keg of it at the moment. It started out very nice, but it's getting 'sharper' in taste as it goes along. I just used the standard yeast and a Brew Enhancer No 2. I'd probably use a hops bag next time.

Tony

 

[boingk]

Everyone musta picked this one up! I thought the $5+ saving was pretty good and had been meaning to try a few more from the Cascade range after doing several of their Porter offering which came out quite well. I'll probably put it together with 500g LDME, 250g Dex and 250g Maltodextrin as well as some Sazz. Either that, or go 1.5kg liquid amber malt and some Hallertau thats been lying around.

Cheers - boingk

 

[rh1an5]

i grabbed a can of "Cascade Golden Harvest Lager" made the wort, let it sit overnight to cool and pitched the yeast after re hydrating it last night, still waiting for any sign of fermentaion or air lock activity.

 

[boingk]

Final recipe...aiming for a darker and heavier ale, but with a clean finish and some rich roasty undertones as well as the Saaz shining through.

Cascade Golden Harvest tin,
1.5kg amber liquid malt,
150g chocolate grain,
12g Saaz teabag,
US-05 yeast.

Putting it down tonight - will let you know how it goes in a month or two!

 

[tgilbert]

i grabbed a can of "Cascade Golden Harvest Lager" made the wort, let it sit overnight to cool and pitched the yeast after re hydrating it last night, still waiting for any sign of fermentaion or air lock activity.

Are you getting droplets under the lid of the fermenter? If so, it's probably OK. I had a brew that wouldn't fart at all and I rang Coopers for help. They told me about the droplet test and that brew was fine. Seems to happen more with lagers than ales.

Tony

 

[rh1an5]

hey tony,
yes i have droplets, in fact i now have visible activity and airlock noise. It is posible it got a bit cold the night i pitched the yeast. all good now thought (batch4). the smame slow start happaend on my coopers gingerbeer(batch 3) as well from memory

cant say as much for my last batch(batch 2), need to crack one open and make sure they are ok they all look a lil strange looking inside

note: when making your 2nd ever batch of beer it may be advisable to not try every new technique you have heard/read about (using hops, using can of malt extract, warming wort on stove top, racking and god knows what else i did)