First time. What sugar ?

[andrew.thebatman]

Hello

Today i finally did it and bought a kit ( Coopers Pale Ale ) and all the equipment. The only thing i did not buy was the sugar as the chap in the shop said normal kitchen sugar would be fine, Is this the case ? I would like to keep things nice and simple, and cheap to start with so not too fussy about the taste of the finished product ( as long as its drinkable and alcoholic )

Reading the instructions, it says to just add everything to the water, but should i rehydrate the yeast first ?

The instructions also say.....
" Important: If the wort is not at ideal temperature but within the range of 18oC-32oC add the yeast.
At this point the wort is vulnerable and prompt addition of the yeast is more important than ideal temperature".

Does this mean i do not aerate the wort ?

Thanks

Andrew

[EliteEvil]

Kitchen sugar works but doesn't produce the world's best beer. I wouldn't bother rehydrating the yeast; a lot of people don't bother after years and years of homebrewing (I never have, always seems like another opportunity to introduce infection).

Stirring the kit into solution will probably introduce oxygen, especially if you chuck the water in from a reasonable height (I chuck it in from about sink height and always have loads of foam by the end of mixing).

[mickhew]

Andrew aeration of the wort is essential at the beginning, you want to get oxygen into the wort, to help the yeast work. ONLY at the beginning though, when you bottle or barrel you need to avoid splashing, at this get air into the beer, which can oxidize it at that stage.
Rehydrating is the best way (always listen to Chris-x's replies, he knows the science bit), personally I don't, as I am seriously limited on time.

[boingy]

Just chuck the dry yeast in. It will do just fine.

[EoinMag]

Don't use pure kitchen sugar it'll produce crappy beer. If you're happy with being stuck in the 70's and choking down crappy homebrew then fire away and add kitchen sugar, but these days it's more standard to add Beer kit enhancer or Spraymalt instead of kitchen sugar.

[At. Ailbhe's Brewery]

Don't use pure kitchen sugar it'll produce crappy beer. If you're happy with being stuck in the 70's and choking down crappy homebrew then fire away and add kitchen sugar, but these days it's more standard to add Beer kit enhancer or Spraymalt instead of kitchen sugar.

+1 to that.

1kg of light spraymalt for the Aussie IPA works a charm. It's a great beer. Serve it ice cold.

Had a bottle of the commercial stuff at the weekend and I have to say I prefer me own. The commercial stuff was far too fizzy for my liking, and tasted of nothing really.

[dunc]

Thats a cracking summer kit you got. It'd be a shame to spoil a good kit with kitchen sugar. I always use beer kit enhancer with that brew and it turns out excellent chilled - I have to say I prefer my own to the commercial version an all.

I always rehydrate the yeast in a sanitised jug myself.

[EoinMag]

I have to disagree on the kits being better than the original Coopers Pale Ale, the kits just don't have that beautiful bang of POR hops that the original CPA has.
I did a few of these kits last year for a party and where they were really good, they weren't up to the original, AND I recultured yeast from a Coopers original bottle to make the beer too.

[At. Ailbhe's Brewery]

AND I recultured yeast from a Coopers original bottle to make the beer too.

Whoah! If you were a mechanic you'd be building your own Lamborghinis! That's very impressive, as in, I am impressed.

Re: the yeast, I've done both - re-hydrated and just plain sprinkled - and I've seen no difference to be honest. Re-hydrating does make it easier to mix into the wort though.

[Manx Guy]

Hi,

You bought a great kit! I've bottled some of this about 2 weeks ago- can't wait to get stuck in!

I'd follow the advice already given - rehydrate the yeast if you have the time- I do it, but its not essential - I use cooled boiled water at ~25C.

If you can get a Kilo of Dried Light Malt Extract (LDME) or failing that a kilo of Beer Kit Enhancer (BKE) which is 50% Light Dried Malt & Dextrose then use that!
Some further advice is to bottle this as its lovely served chilled and has good carbonation this way too!
Don't worry, in 3-4 weeks you will be enjoying a nice refreshing glass of your homemade summer ale!

Cheers!

Guy

[EoinMag]

AND I recultured yeast from a Coopers original bottle to make the beer too.

Whoah! If you were a mechanic you'd be building your own Lamborghinis! That's very impressive, as in, I am impressed.

Re: the yeast, I've done both - re-hydrated and just plain sprinkled - and I've seen no difference to be honest. Re-hydrating does make it easier to mix into the wort though.

I've moved on from kits now to partial mashes almost at the all grain level, but my mash tun isn't big enough for my 75l boiler, I have found that rehydrating makes the brew take off a lot faster, although the last few brews I've used some of the slurry from the brew before. Previously I'd have said sprinkle, now I'd say rehydrate, but sprinkling is not all that different just slower to take off.

Culturing yeast isn't that hard, just take the dregs from 3-4 bottles and put them in a small brew of extract and let it do it's thing, when it's brewing at high krausen pitch it on the wort. Easy enough.

[andrew.thebatman]

Thanks for all the replies

Ill pitch the yeast first as the osmotic shock thing that Chris-x1 says makes sense !

I Also think ill go with 500g of spray malt and 500g of dextrose as Manx Guy suggested ( I would just buy a BKH but the shop had sold out and i know i can get the ingredients separately )

I understand the need to aerate the wort but the instructions say......

" Important: If the wort is not at ideal temperature but within the range of 18oC-32oC add the yeast.
At this point the wort is vulnerable and prompt addition of the yeast is more important than ideal temperature"

Vulnerable to what ?

Thanks again

Andrew

[EliteEvil]

Infections.

[EoinMag]

Thanks for all the replies

Ill pitch the yeast first as the osmotic shock thing that Chris-x1 says makes sense !

I Also think ill go with 500g of spray malt and 500g of dextrose as Manx Guy suggested ( I would just buy a BKH but the shop had sold out and i know i can get the ingredients separately )

I understand the need to aerate the wort but the instructions say......

" Important: If the wort is not at ideal temperature but within the range of 18oC-32oC add the yeast.
At this point the wort is vulnerable and prompt addition of the yeast is more important than ideal temperature"

Vulnerable to what ?

Thanks again

Andrew

vulnerable to another infection that is not your planned brewing yeast infection

[andrew.thebatman]

Thanks everybody !!

Think i have figured it all out now, just need to build myself a warm cupboard to keep it in.

more newbie questions coming soon no doubt though ( i did/will search first )

Once again..... Thanks everybody.

Andrew