First go

[tripmeup]

 I am not being smart here but as a noob, still a bit in the dark

Are they not drinkable? So should I ditch them? wait for them to explode or what?? :blank:

[DEMPSEY]

2 drops in a 500ml bottle will produce a higher carbonation level in the beer. They should be ok as a beer bottle is usually strong enough to take the pressure. Big issue would be when you go to open one and it is warm and so ends up being a gusher. People do collect old beer bottles to 're use ok.

[tripmeup]

Soo..

Reporting back as I now have drank a few bottles of this (I was patient ) and it is okay without being anything special...probably a bit bland if I was to try to define it..but perfectably refreshing and drinkable, so all good!!

I am now ready to go agian and have the Coopers Classic Old Dark Ale kit ..
Can someone help me with a couple of questions pls..

So am going to use auto thermostat and heater to ensure its kept around 14 degrees for fermentation..sound ok?
I am replacing the Coopers sugar with 1kg of Spraymalt Wheat...

I have 1 kg of Colorado Crystal that I was thinking of incorporating into it too..what are the amounts to be used and how much water do I boil what amount of grammes in??

I also have a 1kg bag of Barley Malt chocolate if that would add anything or be better used than the Colorado?

Could I also then add a hop bag in when fermenting..thoughts?

Sure I will also have some more questions

thanks in advance

[LordEoin]

'a bit bland' is a good result. It means you did everything right.
next time replace the sugar with DME. try adding some hops or steep some grain. This'll add some freshness and extra flavor to your baseline beer.

For the dark ale:
- ferment at ~18°C
- Spraymalt>sugar. 1kg is fine.
- 250g crystal should be fine. put it in a zip-lock bag and smash it up with a beer bottle. bring a liter of water to about 65°C. steep off the heat for ~20 minutes, strain through a sieve&cloth, [boil for a few minutes to kill any nasties]. You can also cold steep in the fridge overnight.
- Chocolate is up to you. i hate the stuff. but add it (sparingly) if you want.
- if you have a hop bag, go for it. EKG would probably be good. or go mad with some fruity shit from wherever. it's your beer. do what you like. You could easily turn this kit into a decent black IPA fairly easily. cascade and galaxy spring to mind. Dryhop after fermentation is completed, for about 3 days. one hop 'teabag' thing is barely noticeable, so buying a 100g pack generally makes more sense. store in the freezer and watch your collection of freezer flowers grow slowly and uncontrollably.

[tripmeup]

Thanks a mill for the reply...Good to know I managed to get it relatively right on first go

Few more questions please..

So going forward when ordering new kits, as a general rule, DME would be a better choice than the Coopers Brew Enhancer 1/2/3 for adding a bit more something?

Is 250g crystal to 1 litre of water a good general ratio to use regardless of the type of kit?
If using some barley malt chocolate, is it the same steps as above i.e. smash the grains in a bag and steep etc?

Regarding the hops, when you say after fermentation, I presume you mean to add a bag (or 2) to the vessel after consistent SG readings and leave for a few days and then remove prior to bottling?

"..store in the freezer and watch your collection of freezer flowers grow slowly and uncontrollably".......Not sure what you mean by this as a noob but a guess would be that you keep adding to your collection with different type of hops ??


thanks again

[LordEoin]

So going forward when ordering new kits, as a general rule, DME would be a better choice than the Coopers Brew Enhancer 1/2/3 for adding a bit more something?
Yes

Is 250g crystal to 1 litre of water a good general ratio to use regardless of the type of kit?
roughly, yes. The amount of water is irrelevant, you're gonna be using 23l anyway. i forgot to tell you to boil it afterwards. good opportunity to add some hops.

If using some barley malt chocolate, is it the same steps as above i.e. smash the grains in a bag and steep etc?
Yup. crack, steep, strain, boil

Regarding the hops, when you say after fermentation, I presume you mean to add a bag (or 2) to the vessel after consistent SG readings and leave for a few days and then remove prior to bottling?
yes

"..store in the freezer and watch your collection of freezer flowers grow slowly and uncontrollably".......Not sure what you mean by this as a noob but a guess would be that you keep adding to your collection with different type of hops ??
Yes. the bits of bags of hops have a habit or lingering in the freezer until you use/dump them.

have a read off this i made ages ago. it should still be relevant
https://www.nationalhomebrewclub.ie/forum/kit-brewing/guide-to-fermentables-(sugars)/msg6929/#msg6929

[La brewski]

I reuse bottles from friends and me I have a bench capper that was about 25 to 30 Euro works fine and to save a little few bobs I use the sachets of sugar u get free in deli.s or garages for coffee to carb the bottles works fine for me just weigh one first different brands vary