Coopers English Bitter as per the instructions

[twentyfootwilf]

I fancied doing something really radical and actually following the instructions recommended by Coopers for their English Bitter kit. I've used the kit many times as a base for some very nice beers but I wondered about doing it as recommended i.e. with 500g light DME and made to 23 litres. The trouble is that seems like it will turn out as a beer very low in alcohol. Can this be right, has anyone made it to this recipe and if so did it taste okay. There is a video on YouTube of someone making it with 1lb of DME (slightly less than 500g) and a small amount of sugar with what he says a very good result. Any thoughts?

[Wekslap]

I'm about to start making the same kit. Bit nervous cos is my first brew in twenty odd years. What I was wondering is what is the finished gravity supposed to be of this kit? Also if it is 4 or higher how could I make it at 3.5 to 3.8 ish for a nice quaffing strength beer as nowadays that's what i prefer?
Thanks
John

[Monkeybrew]

I would imagine that you are looking at an OG around 1.034 and an FG around 1.008. This kit is quite bitter (no pun), so you can expect an IBU of approximately 40.

I brewed an EB once to 23L with 1kg of light DME, and even with a 40g Goldings dry hop it was ok/average IMO.

Cheers

MB

[Wekslap]

Sorry for my ignorance but I am way out of touch. When I last brewed strength was termed as is 35 final gravity for a McEwan's scotch ale for example. What exactly is og fg and IBU? Excuse me but I'm a sort of born again newbie.

John

[twentyfootwilf]

The OG (original gravity) is the hydrometer reading of the brew prior to fermentation eg 1044. FG (final gravity) is the hydrometer reading at the end of fermentation and will be considerably lower (eg 1012) than OG as the sugars will have been turned to alcohol the difference between OG and FG will give you the alcohol content usually given as an abv (alcohol by volume) figure. Hope that helps. IBU is the figure which indicates how bitter the beer is.

[Monkeybrew]

Sorry that I didn't reply earlier, but I was in the cinema with my daughter! Wilf answered your questions anyway.

Here is a good formula for working out your final ABV %.

OG 1.034 - FG 1.008 ÷ 7.46 = ABV % (34 - 8 = 26) 26 ÷ 7.46 = 3.5% ABV, before you add any additional sugar for priming (carbonation).

The reason that I quoted an IBU figure, is because Coopers actually state the bitterness levels of all of their kits on their website, which is very handy when you start playing around with kits.

What might be called a balanced beer, is when your OG and Bitterness IBU figure is the same, i.e. 1.034 with an IBU of 34. The English Bitter brewed to instructions definitely errs towards hop bitterness as apposed to malt sweetness that is balanced by some bitterness.

The IBU figure is relative to the OG, because lets say that you decide to brew your EB to an OG of 1.050 by adding alot more dried malt extract, then the bitterness of the kit will still be the same, but because your OG and FG are naturally higher, more residual malt sugars will be left behind after fermentation is over, this will balance that bitterness the other way resulting in a maltier, fuller bodied beer.

Hope this makes some sense.

Cheers

MB

[Wekslap]

Thank you both for your helpful replies
How would make it to final gravity of between three and half say, to three and three quarters?

Thanks
John

[cwrw gwent]

Initially, I thought that the recommended 500 grams of extra fermentables seemed very low but I googled it and sure enough it's the correct amount. Only did this kit once and found it a bit bland. It needed more hop character.

[twentyfootwilf]

I know from experience the Coopers EB is a very good base kit to play around with. I just wanted to try it somewher close to how Coopers intended the standard kit to be, but that 500 g of dme alone does sound low but then a lot of pub session best bitters are only around the 3.7 to 3.8 abv mark. I will certainly be adding a late hop tea, probably styrian goldings or fuggles and I think I'll add to the tin 750g dme, 250g dex and 250g malto dextrin to aid head retention. I will also be using Gervin ale yeast to keep it more British. I'm sure it will have to be bloody awful stuff for me not to drink it. For the time being I'm just drinking an EB made with 3x1lb jars H&B malt extract and a1lb jar H&B molasses dry hopped with 40g EKG to 21litres and I can tell you it's not going to last long on account that it tastes lovely!

[Wekslap]

Thanks all of you experienced brewers.

So do I take it that if I add 500g light dry malt or a 1kg bke I will end up with around a 1035 to 1038 strength beer?

Thank you
John

PS also to check I've got the right kit. What is the minimum brewing equipment you would say I need to get started on my first brew? And do you need an airlock on the top of your fermenting bin?

[twentyfootwilf]

Hi Wekslap, you're about spot on with that taking into account the sugar for priming the bottles you'll get something around 3.8% to 4% abv. Actually sounds about what I'm after, I'm realyl going to have to stop drinking the loopy juice, I think I'm destroying my brain cells