Using Two Cans

[keef12345]

I have seen a few recipes on the forums and saw a few posts on the use of using two kit cans.

Are the cans added to 23 ltre batch or is it double the liquid.

What does using two tins do to the batch?

Using combinations of different tins seems confusing....Did not want to try something and get a dud.

 

[Tyred]

Basic toucan is two kits to make up 23 litres of wort. The two kits mean that it is mainly all malt used in the brew.

This brew will also have a higher bitterness than a normal brew, but that will depend on the kits used. The reasoning for using different kits is to get one that has a relatively lower bitterness and one the has a moderate bitterness so that the combination of the two will not leave you with something so bitter that it will be difficult to drink. From the various threads that I have seen on here, most people use both kit yeasts to ferment with.

I made up a toucan using coopers real ale and coopers stout with 500g malt extract. I used US56 (I think) dry yeast. It's quite drinkable, but a little bitter for my taste after 3 months. I'll keep having a bottle every month or so to see how the taste changes over that period.

Searching for toucan or twocan may also lead to a large amount of information. I recall a thread called 'Battle of the toucans' or something like that, that seemed to have some more information about bitterness levels and general information about the brews.

 

[Kleiny]

keef just run a search im sure that there are plenty of 2 can recipes on here

give one a go

thats why we home brew to experiment

 

[Fourstar]

If you dont want that extra bitterness you could go all liquid K&K equivalent with a can of your favourite kit and some LME. I believe the Morgans brand is 1.5KG so you will probably be hitting approx 50% ABV if you attenuate correctly and best of all... NO CANE SUGAR!

i doubt you could screw up mixing two cans together. It might be an interesting kind of brew and you could brew in 'almost' any style. E.g. wheat+pilsner could yield a weizen (even thou it would be not true to style as it would be less than 50% wheat)

Or

Mix a porter and pale ale may yield interesting amber ale! Choose your yeast separately and it will be English or American! :beerbang:

A few options are there for you but you would have ALLOT more control if you went unhoped LME chose your own hops and a small amount of specialty grain (some choc malt or crystal etc) and start doing partials by steeping! Best step i ever made to steer away from kits. Best end result you'll get besides going AG. Nothings easier than dunking grain like a tea bag or 'mini mashing' in a 5L pot.

Cheers!

 

[Grasshopper]

The advice on this thread is good. Basically the second can stands in for sugar or added malt (as compared to original instructions). I tried a toucan using Coopers Stout + Coopers Bitter. Lets just say it was a much too bitter. Quite weird. Next time I'll add a "weaker" can as the second one.

 

[OzBeer_MD]

Hmmm I should read this forum before experimenting. In an effort to try and get a slightly higher Alcohol content from my new keg setup, I just put down my first twocan tonight. Two cans of coopers bavarian larger with 1Kg of Coopers Brew Enhancer 1. I only used one of the yeast sachets. OG is 1.071. Any tips for this newbie now she's underway?

Doc_D

 

[recharge]

Hmmm I should read this forum before experimenting. In an effort to try and get a slightly higher Alcohol content from my new keg setup, I just put down my first twocan tonight. Two cans of coopers bavarian larger with 1Kg of Coopers Brew Enhancer 1. I only used one of the yeast sachets. OG is 1.071. Any tips for this newbie now she's underway?

Doc_D

At the very least id go chuck the other yeast in there

 

[clarkey7]

You shouldn't muck with it too much, but I think you'd better pitch the second lot of yeast immediately.

All those fermentables might be a bit much on 1 X Coopers dry yeast sachet.

Also - wouldn't recommend drving anywhere after downing a tallie of the stuff. It's going to have some kick.

PB

 

[The King of Spain]

Hmmm I should read this forum before experimenting. In an effort to try and get a slightly higher Alcohol content from my new keg setup, I just put down my first twocan tonight. Two cans of coopers bavarian larger with 1Kg of Coopers Brew Enhancer 1. I only used one of the yeast sachets. OG is 1.071. Any tips for this newbie now she's underway?

Doc_D

Not my thing, but if easy is your way, for the next one try some Dry Malt Extract (DME), some "proper" yeast and isohops (liquid hops) to save on a boil - all available from AHB sponsers.

 

[microbe]

Hmmm I should read this forum before experimenting. In an effort to try and get a slightly higher Alcohol content from my new keg setup, I just put down my first twocan tonight. Two cans of coopers bavarian larger with 1Kg of Coopers Brew Enhancer 1. I only used one of the yeast sachets. OG is 1.071. Any tips for this newbie now she's underway?

Doc_D

Drink with care - using this calculator it's going to come out at around 8%. I don't think that you'll need more yeast but don't take that as gospel. Hope it's a good one.

Cheers,

microbe

 

[OzBeer_MD]

Thanks for the quick responses guys, I just went a pitched the second satchet. Positive pressure on the airlock both before and after. Will see how it goes. I didnt want to experiment with any Morgans or Fresh worts, so I went to the Supermarket and grabbed the 2 cans. Wasnt aware that the idea was to use two DIFFERENT kits.

I have only been brewing since late September, bought the fermenter kit from the Local HBS, did the included Coopers Pilsner OK (for a first timer) and got the Keg setup that my wife bought me as a birthday present, going along. (I have skipped bottling - straight to the modified fridge) Have since tried the Brewcraft 'Crown Larger' kit, too young/green for my liking, and am currently drinking the St Peters Aussie Pale Ale (Fresh Wort) , turned out quite nice, but all of these beers have been around 3.3 - 3.5% ABV (by my calculations and lack of slured speech) So thought while the Blue Mountain larger is conditioning in Keg#2 and the St Peters 'Larger' is in the secondary that I'd get experimental with increased fermentables.

Thanks again for the advice.

Doc_D

 

[Hutch]

it's going to come out at around 8%. I don't think that you'll need more yeast but don't take that as gospel. Hope it's a good one.

Definitely pitch he second yeast - the higher OG requires a far greater pitching-rate, which is just not possible from one 7gm packet. Even 2 sachets is underpitching.
Also, if the final gravity ends up a little high (which it might do) you can always give it a good shake to rouse the yeast to help get the final points down.

 

[sid]

I have only been brewing since late September, bought the fermenter kit from the Local HBS, did the included Coopers Pilsner OK (for a first timer) and got the Keg setup that my wife bought me as a birthday present, going along. (I have skipped bottling - straight to the modified fridge) Have since tried the Brewcraft 'Crown Larger' kit, too young/green for my liking, and am currently drinking the St Peters Aussie Pale Ale (Fresh Wort) , turned out quite nice, but all of these beers have been around 3.3 - 3.5% ABV (by my calculations and lack of slured speech) So thought while the Blue Mountain larger is conditioning in Keg#2 and the St Peters 'Larger' is in the secondary that I'd get experimental with increased fermentables.

Thanks again for the advice.

Doc_D

Hey ya Doc_D.

watch those coverter packs that the brewcraft store sell's, If your using them, thats what's giving you the low 3.5% alchohol, I had the same happen to me when i started. If you want to use converter's throw in a bit more dextrose (.5kg) and the % alchohol will be better. Can use some malt extract as well to bump up the alchohol and give more body to the beer.
Then you'll happy to know, slurred speech will return along with a funny homebrew grin.

 

[RobboMC]

Thanks for the quick responses guys, I just went a pitched the second satchet. Positive pressure on the airlock both before and after. Will see how it goes. I didnt want to experiment with any Morgans or Fresh worts, so I went to the Supermarket and grabbed the 2 cans. Wasnt aware that the idea was to use two DIFFERENT kits.


Doc_D

Check out this link:

http://www.coopers.com.au/homebrew/makeBee...d=7&bid=115

Coopers actually have this recipe on their HB web site, although with dry malt instead of Brew Enhancer.
They state to pitch both yeast sachets. You may find it's a bit too bitter,
this is just my idea, but perhaps add another 500g of dry malt dissolved in BOILING water
so it's all clean and cooled BEFORE adding, with maybe an extra litre or two of BOILED AND COOLED water.

This will bring up the malt content too offset some of that bitterness as well as thin out the bitterness that's there.
Unfortunately there's not much malt in Enhancer 1, if any.

Make sure it ferments right out, it's gonna take a while depending on your temperature.

It may have been somewhat of an accident, but you're going to get one heck of a beer when this is done.
1071 is a perfect OG for Bock, right on the style guideline.
May take some months in bottles to be at it's best.

Bavarian is one of the few kits that comes with true lager yeast, so get it as cold as you can manage
in this heat. I did one in June at 13 deg now worries, I just wasn't game to add the second can.

Let us know how it comes out, I make a Bock each winter and this might be something to try if it works.

 

[OzBeer_MD]

Check out this link:

http://www.coopers.com.au/homebrew/makeBee...d=7&bid=115

Coopers actually have this recipe on their HB web site, although with dry malt instead of Brew Enhancer.
They state to pitch both yeast sachets. You may find it's a bit too bitter,
this is just my idea, but perhaps add another 500g of dry malt dissolved in BOILING water
so it's all clean and cooled BEFORE adding, with maybe an extra litre or two of BOILED AND COOLED water.

This will bring up the malt content too offset some of that bitterness as well as thin out the bitterness that's there.
Unfortunately there's not much malt in Enhancer 1, if any.

Make sure it ferments right out, it's gonna take a while depending on your temperature.

It may have been somewhat of an accident, but you're going to get one heck of a beer when this is done.
1071 is a perfect OG for Bock, right on the style guideline.
May take some months in bottles to be at it's best.

Bavarian is one of the few kits that comes with true lager yeast, so get it as cold as you can manage
in this heat. I did one in June at 13 deg now worries, I just wasn't game to add the second can.

Let us know how it comes out, I make a Bock each winter and this might be something to try if it works.

Thanks for the link Robbo, maybe there is hope I had to go out tonight with the family and dont have any malt to add now, but when I read your post on the way out the door, I grabbed a pretty large Gel pack (one of these big Willow ones the size of an esky lid) from the freezer and whached it on the lid of the fermenter under the towel that I keep over it. The Bock OG is good news, wasn't used to seeing the hydrometer sticking out of the tube that far but hey this is an experiment in 'more fermentables'.

The air lock is very busy and when I came home the house smelled of eggs.

How did your 'onecan' Bavarian turn out?

Doc_D

 

[KGB]

Thanks for the quick responses guys, I just went a pitched the second satchet. Positive pressure on the airlock both before and after. Will see how it goes. I didnt want to experiment with any Morgans or Fresh worts, so I went to the Supermarket and grabbed the 2 cans. Wasnt aware that the idea was to use two DIFFERENT kits.

Doc_D

Nothing wrong with a double up of the same can, like someone posted earlier, its all about experimentation. A common toucan is to grab two cans of whatever cheap goop is on special at the supermarket and throw them in. It usually makes a quick, drinkabe beer with as little effort as possible.
I'm just finishing off a keg of toucan made using two brigalow lager kits (Big W) and 500g dex that I had already opened and wanted to use up. Quite a decent drop IMO considering the effort and cost.

 

[OzBeer_MD]

Apologies for hijacking this thread. I'm thinking of racking this coopers bavarian Larger 'toucan' to the secondary tomorrow. I am out of finings, and i think that by looking at the crud on the bottom of the fermenter that I should grab some and add them with a few teaspoons of sugar when doing the transfer. The air lock activity seemed to stop a few days ago but boy she was angry on days 2 and 3

 

[OzBeer_MD]

, if the final gravity ends up a little high (which it might do) you can always give it a good shake to rouse the yeast to help get the final points down.

I'm planning to give this bavarian toucan a short stint in the secondary, just took a reading, 1.017. I'm thinking of just racking it with the finings. Any thoughts? Should I shake it up or be happy with 7.4% ABV?

Bracing myself for razor blade bitterness, I tasted the hydrometer sample and was pleasantly surprised, strong, but I imagine drinkable in small quantities. (or does more bitterness come after chilling and 24 hours at 40psi?)

Any thoughts / comments appreciated.

Doc_D
I think I like this home brewin
(Must do a signature at some point)

 

[Fatgodzilla]

I'm planning to give this bavarian toucan a short stint in the secondary, just took a reading, 1.017. I'm thinking of just racking it with the finings. Any thoughts? Should I shake it up or be happy with 7.4% ABV?

Bracing myself for razor blade bitterness, I tasted the hydrometer sample and was pleasantly surprised, strong, but I imagine drinkable in small quantities. (or does more bitterness come after chilling and 24 hours at 40psi?)

Any thoughts / comments appreciated.

Doc_D
I think I like this home brewin
(Must do a signature at some point)

I haven't kegged a toucan but made a few. Never found one I liked. But all were heaps better after a long rest. It's summer - how ya gonna keg a beer and drink in small quantities ?

 

[OzBeer_MD]

I haven't kegged a toucan but made a few. Never found one I liked. But all were heaps better after a long rest. It's summer - how ya gonna keg a beer and drink in small quantities ?

Very good question. Even though my fridge is only setup for 2 corny kegs, i bought a third yesterday. I suspect that 'toucan' might be out on its own for a while.