Total novice

[BIGBADBOOGALOO]

Hi folks
Please excuse my ignorance, i'm totally new to brewing my own lager (my tipple of choice). After years of my wife hearing my tales of my only attempt at home brew (14 years old.....very liberal parents), she went and purchased me a starter kit. My question is when is it ready to be bottled? I know it's a basic question and know it has something to do with the hydrometer. The last time I attempted brewing my own I wasn,t too fussy, but age (41) has blessed me with a more discerning palate . My local home brew shop is only around the corner but due to my stupid shift rota it,s always closed on my rest days. It's a lot easier to ask for advice online.
I'm attempting to brew Cooper's Australian lager. I'm going to start it tomorrow and fermentation will take place in my house (if the 1st batch works out allright I will purchase a heating mat and brew in my garage). When it's ready (????????) I will be bottling it in to 2 litre plastic bottles. Apologies again for the basic questions but everybody has to start somewhere
Any advice would be gratefully appreciated.........many thanks in advance!

[bungle666]

Ahhhh coopers lager is a good brew!! my advice is to add your chosen fermentable(s) 1Kg of of kit enhancer is best, but "short" brew the beer to 20L (Ie only fill the fermenter up to 20L instead of the 23L written on the can....)

this lager brews with an ale yeast, so temp is not as important, just keep it at room temperature while it ferments out!!

if you have a hydro then take a start reading, it will be finished if it has dropeed to around the 1.010 mark and has been there for a few days, this is the time to bottle the beer!!

make sure you have some STRONG bottles for lager to avoid bottle bombs and prime the bottles with a teaspoon of sugar each, or 200-250G of sugar if you bulk prime.

as its coopers they will be drinkable in a fortnight after bottling!!

good luck!!

Cheers

B..

[batey1963]

forget the heating mat and get yourself an aquarium heater. You won't regret it.

[BIGBADBOOGALOO]

cheers for the advice folks it's done......just playing the waiting game now.

[Geezah]

forget the heating mat and get yourself an aquarium heater. You won't regret it.

I have 2 50w aquarium heaters, 1 in each water bath.
Ideal for fermentation and for secondary when in the bottles or kegs.

[jack1921]

forget the heating mat and get yourself an aquarium heater. You won't regret it.

I have 2 50w aquarium heaters, 1 in each water bath.
Ideal for fermentation and for secondary when in the bottles or kegs.

Hi mate. good idea were did you get the bucket on the left from.and i have been into a few aqarium shops.cant get a 50 w heater,i live in wolverhampton myself. that is the most problems temp.thanx

[Simon7]

Hi mate. good idea were did you get the bucket on the left from.

They're called 'Trugs' and they're available at Argos http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/p ... ccessories

amongst other places (DIY shops etc)

[Geezah]

Hi Jack,
The yellow builders trub was from Wickes @ £6ish
The green box was from Focus @ £5 ... I'm gonna ditch the trub and get another green box so I can get another 2 demijohns on the go.

The heater I got off ebay.. a chinese seller and it was about £5 delivered.

Nice to see another local brewer, we'll have to swap a bottle or 2 and compare brews.

[simco999]

Yep - got my heater off ebay too.

My Coopers Ozzie lager is getting better after 6 weeks - it was a bit sharp after 2 weeks in the bottle.

[jack1921]

Hi Jack,
The yellow builders trub was from Wickes @ £6ish
The green box was from Focus @ £5 ... I'm gonna ditch the trub and get another green box so I can get another 2 demijohns on the go.

The heater I got off ebay.. a chinese seller and it was about £5 delivered.

Nice to see another local brewer, we'll have to swap a bottle or 2 and compare brews.

yer swap a few bottles ,ive looked on ebay,and found one have a look let me know if you think this a good one.item number 370344015205 thanks

[Curlie]

Confused!
The FVs in the pics don't have airlocks.
I have one on my first brew. Would the pressure not build up too high without an airlock?
Have a belt which is hard to control the temp. Love the "in a bucket of water with an aquarium heater in", method.
Brilliant but I've now wasted £18 on a belt heater

Curlie

[Geezah]

Hi Jack,
The yellow builders trub was from Wickes @ £6ish
The green box was from Focus @ £5 ... I'm gonna ditch the trub and get another green box so I can get another 2 demijohns on the go.

The heater I got off ebay.. a chinese seller and it was about £5 delivered.

Nice to see another local brewer, we'll have to swap a bottle or 2 and compare brews.

yer swap a few bottles ,ive looked on ebay,and found one have a look let me know if you think this a good one.item number 370344015205 thanks

Looks ok to me.
If it see's you only through this winter it will be money well spent. but it you get a few years out of it all the better.

I have a Wherry just bottled and my adapted Coopers APA just bottled, so if you wanna swap a couple before xmas let me know... I pass through Cannock most days on my way to work.
.....also will be bottling up some wine soon if you want a taster.


Curlie, I have never used an airlock on a brewing bucket.... just snap the lid on 3/4rs of the way around, the co2 produced from the yeast will protect the brew and the lid just keeps any airborn stuff out the brew.

[Curlie]

Hi Jack,
The yellow builders trub was from Wickes @ £6ish
The green box was from Focus @ £5 ... I'm gonna ditch the trub and get another green box so I can get another 2 demijohns on the go.

The heater I got off ebay.. a chinese seller and it was about £5 delivered.

Nice to see another local brewer, we'll have to swap a bottle or 2 and compare brews.

yer swap a few bottles ,ive looked on ebay,and found one have a look let me know if you think this a good one.item number 370344015205 thanks

Just ordered up this very same heater, £7.99 and P&P is free.
Got my Trug in B&Q for £5.45.
Coopers Stout, here I come.
BTW, mad thing is the shop that is selling above heater P&P free on ebay, charges £4.50 p&p if you order direct from them.

Curlie

[jack1921]

great ,i have ordered the same heater as well,to much trouble worrying about temp ,having to cheack all the time ,wont it be nice to set heater to say 22 degrees and not worry,home wrecker and coopers bitter here i come,

[Geezah]

Word of warning... dont trust what the heater is set to on the dial..... they are cheap ass heaters and the dial is 'a guide'
This is why I have a thermometer attached to my waterbath..... it tells me the ambient cupboard temps, and if I want to check the water bath temps I just drop it in the water for a few seconds.
If I wat to check the temps of my beer, i'll sanitise the thermometer and take a reading direct from the brew.
Once you have done this a few times you can leave the thermometer to read the ambient room/cupboard temps and stop worrying.
I'm seeing quite a drop in temps now the cold weather is here, so I plan to add insulated pannels to my brew cupboard this weekend to help keep it even more stable.