What Exactly Is This?

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akorpija

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Okay, here comes the biggest rookie question... I'm just not QUITE seeing this.

Now, as far as I understand, if you buy a kit (like a Coopers Aussie Pale Ale kit), the syrup = wort.

So it has the hops, malt, etc...

But why do they call it "beer"? They call it a can of beer, to which you add fermentables like sugar, etc... and then add yeast. But it's not beer!


Anyway, the question really is, I'm looking at this:

http://www.thebrewshop.com.au/robust-porte...ecipe-pack.html


And the first thing it says it includes is "1 x Cascade Chocolate Porter"


Now, my question is, what? What is that? Some syrup, but WHAT is it? And if it's wort, then why all the rest? Wouldn't it already include all the necessaries (unless you're trying to make it taste better?)?

Or, are they telling me I get 1 X bottle of Cascade Chocolate Porter for me to drink while I brew up the rest.


So, what is it?

And am I right to say the can of gunk you get from Coopers (as aforementioned) is wort?

They call it a "beer pack", is that it? What exactly IS a beer pack?




Thanks in advance for the replies. I'll accept bashing as well. Just a bit confused on this syrup business hah
 
Haha well I'll give it a shot. Firstly my understanding is that tin of goo is not wort. Once you mix it up with fermentables which are sugars and water up to 20 odd litres. This is now wort. Once the yeast is added and does its job and turns it alcoholic it is now beer. When you buy the tins that are coopers 'lager' or 'Aussie pale ale' or 'chocolate porter' these are the style of beer. The tins are pre flavoured and pre bittered so all you have to add is sugars and yeast. If you buy a tin of coopers liquid malt extract, these are not pre done so you have to boil it up with hops to add your own bittering and flavouring, then add fermentables and yeast to make beer. I think what you see as a beer pack is a pack you buy that has the tin of goo and fermentables all included and so is a pack to make beer. Clear as mud. I hope I'm right there and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong lads Chris
 
Once upon a time, long long ago in a decade best remembered for purple cars and burnt orange bean bags...
Coopers used to sell Brewery Wort in supermarkets, big box with about 23L of the same wort as they fermented at Coopers brewery. Then along came the Oil Crisis and the cost of shipping went through the roof so someone invented Concentrated Brewery Wort, i.e. took most of the water out, they also figured they could leave out some of the fermentables and the home brewer could reconstitute the wort (nearly the same) at home by adding the balance of the fermentables and water the kit was born.
You raise some interesting questions; a kit starts as wort, gets evaporated down to syrup, and then rehydrated. I suppose if a freeze dried strawberry is still a strawberry then its still wort.
But a packet Cake mix definitely isnt a Cake until after you bake it

Dammed if I know, but I will tell you that the recipe you have linked to is full of shit.
Says it makes 20L at the start, instructions say 22L, if you use the ingredients provided your OG at 20L will be more like 1.072 (not counting the grain addition) round 1.065 at 22L
Listed ingredients say Cascade Kit, instructions say ESB kit very confusing, it looks like someone has copy pasted the wrong info for the recipe.
Mark
 
But why do they call it "beer"? They call it a can of beer, to which you add fermentables like sugar, etc... and then add yeast. But it's not beer!

They dont call it beer, they call it a beer kit, you buy beer at the bottlo.
And the first thing it says it includes is "1 x Cascade Chocolate Porter"

They call it a "beer pack", is that it? What exactly IS a beer pack?

A beer pack is a 'pack' of ingredients intended to make a certain style...the Cascade Chocolate Porter is the base for their recipe.

You said you'll accept some bashing so here goes: your looking for stuff in a home brew store, makes sense to me that they would sell stuff to 'make' beer.
Open your eyes just a little further, if this stuff is messing with your head you wana keep buying 'beer' thats been made for you.
 
You said you'll accept some bashing so here goes: your looking for stuff in a home brew store, makes sense to me that they would sell stuff to 'make' beer.
Open your eyes just a little further, if this stuff is messing with your head you wana keep buying 'beer' thats been made for you.

I can't really find a good example ATM, but I'm just picking at the fact they call it "beer", which they do. This is the best example I can use right now: http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=4161

"Name: CraftBrewer Cider - (Twin Pack 2 x12gm)"

But, you see, it's not actually cider. I'm just saying, it's like much of the time they leave out what it ACTUALLY is, until you read into all the details, which MANY home brew websites don't provide for many of their products. I'd like to say I'm being pedantic, but come on, like that first link, you're not getting Porter, you're getting some goo, which has been described quite well by the two others, but then you never really know what's exactly IN it, do you? It doesn't say on the side of my cans.

Also, you can buy beer at home brew stores (matter-of-fact). So, you can assume that all things sold at home brew shops are "stuff to 'make' beer", but that's not always true!
 
Thanks for the answers guys.

@crd0902, i JUST left Busselton (close enough to Bunbury) 2 months ago and came over to Cairns!
 
Okay, here comes the biggest rookie question... I'm just not QUITE seeing this.

Now, as far as I understand, if you buy a kit (like a Coopers Aussie Pale Ale kit), the syrup = wort.

So it has the hops, malt, etc...

But why do they call it "beer"? They call it a can of beer, to which you add fermentables like sugar, etc... and then add yeast. But it's not beer!


Anyway, the question really is, I'm looking at this:

http://www.thebrewshop.com.au/robust-porte...ecipe-pack.html


And the first thing it says it includes is "1 x Cascade Chocolate Porter"


Now, my question is, what? What is that? Some syrup, but WHAT is it? And if it's wort, then why all the rest? Wouldn't it already include all the necessaries (unless you're trying to make it taste better?)?

Or, are they telling me I get 1 X bottle of Cascade Chocolate Porter for me to drink while I brew up the rest.


So, what is it?

And am I right to say the can of gunk you get from Coopers (as aforementioned) is wort?

They call it a "beer pack", is that it? What exactly IS a beer pack?




Thanks in advance for the replies. I'll accept bashing as well. Just a bit confused on this syrup business hah

haha, please tell me you poured some goo into a glass and drank it like beer, that would be even funnier that your post.

your problem is, you are looking at a can of gunk that says "Chocolate Porter" 1.7kg Concentrated malt and hop extract. How do you expect this to be beer in the first place?

It's not exactly hard to gather that this tin of goo makes the said "chocolate porter" when the instructions on the back are followed.

If this is too hard for you to comprehend then I would reccommend just keep buying beer from a bottle shop instead of looking at those tins.

Im not meaning any offence to you or any other newbie brewers, it's just that this post must seem quite funny to other brewers.

It appears that Common Sense may not be all that Common....

Cheers Jake
 
Anyhow, have you put down your first brew yet, I wont call it beer, that may confuse things,
how did it go, what was it? Give us something we can give you some helpfull advice on.
 
Well here goes:

You can buy cans of straight malt - called extract
The can you get in a 'kit' contains hop extracts and malt extract - let's call that hopped extract
Most suppliers of hopped extract include a sachet of dried yeast with this can - call this a 'beer kit'

YOU mix up the hopped extract with some sugar, brew enhancer or more extract and water and it's about 23 litres.
THIS is called wort.

Now you add the yeast and let it ferment for a week or more, I will name this 'fermented beer' or 'green' beer.
Someone else may have a better name for it.

You add a SMALL amount of sugar to create carbonation, put it in a bottle or keg; and let it sit for another week.
Now you have warm brown liquid in a bottle or keg. The Poms might call this beer as they drink it this way sometimes.

Then you put in in the fridge for a day or so. Only now IMHO do you have BEER!

Makes me realise just haw much lingo we take for granted when someone enw comes along.
 
Its not called beer until your airlock stops bubbling.
 
I think this guy's gonna fit in well around these parts.
 
This can of GOO your all referring to is actually called GOOP :D
 
The result of posting on an internet forum after a frontal lobotomy sure is interesting!
 
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