Homebrew - Coopers Pilsener

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dingo
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Homebrew - Coopers Pilsener

Post by dingo »

I just put on a new brew yesterday, which I'm hoping will be nice and ripe for Euro 2012.

Its a Pilsener. I've never made one of these before. The instructions said they recommend using dry malt extract, but all I had was Coopers Brew Enhancer 2. Also, I mixed in a cup full of caster sugar, on the advice of the homebrew shop guy. I also used bottled water mostly, apart from 2 litres of tap water. I know there's probably some chlorine in that water, but I'm hoping the boiling released it all.

After 24 hours, it has started bubbling away nicely at 22 degrees celsius. Although, over the last hour or so its slowed down, I think. I'm not sure about that so will watch it for a few minutes. Apparently, the pilsener yeast will ferment at 13 degrees and its recommended to keep it at the low end of the 21-27 degree scale. Since I'm brewing it in my bedroom, room temperature of 22 degree is about best I can do. I don't want to move it now out to the shed, where it'll definitely be colder, but I can't guarantee it wont drop below 13 degrees, and not ferment at all!

I've to wash my coopers PET bottles now soon. It was horrible the last time when I was looking to bottle my corona style beer, coz I left the previous sediment in the bottle, and it got caked in. Took me hours to clean them out. I've had to rinse out each bottle now after I drink it, just to save the hassle of washing them. I might splash out in the summer and buy a box of 750ml swing tops. That way, I can probably wash them in the dishwasher! :)


Looking forward to tasting the pilsener anyway. I never made it before, and rarely drank it, but i've read good reviews online of that brew, so hopefully it will see me through Euro 2012 in style!! :lol:
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pimptastic
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Re: Homebrew - Coopers Pilsener

Post by pimptastic »

Electric Blanket FTW!
eoinzy
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Re: Homebrew - Coopers Pilsener

Post by eoinzy »

ye i might have to invest in one of those.

Just checked the brew there. It seems to have stopped bubbling,which is a bummer. Also, the whole room smells like egg. I read in the instructions that there might be an egg smell, so that doesn't worry me.Its more the lack of bubbling after a day!
eoinzy
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Re: Homebrew - Coopers Pilsener

Post by eoinzy »

I actually just got around to washing the bottles tonight. Took me 3 hours!!! I also washed 10 Grolsch 450ml swing tops to add into the mix too, along with the Coopers brown PET bottles.

Gonna bottle tomorrow definitely. I forgot to get carbonation drops so the missus is bringing some over tomorrow, since she lives beside the homebrew shop. Was looking at alternatives to the carbonation drops actually. I read that you can use regular sugar, or caster sugar, or if you're making an ale, then you can use brown sugar for priming.

Can't find any definitive answers regarding best sugars to prime pilseners with though.
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pimptastic
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Re: Homebrew - Coopers Pilsener

Post by pimptastic »

I have never used the drops, always just sugar. Best though was at the home brewery centre. They filter and carbonate for you prior to bottling. You end up with next to no sediment.

http://www.tastybrew.com/calculators/priming.html
eoinzy
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Re: Homebrew - Coopers Pilsener

Post by eoinzy »

Ye I heard about that place when I was living there. Its the homebrew equivalent to the teddy bear factory. You just pick what u want inside it, and they do the rest. Seems like a sweet deal. Takes all the non-fun parts out of homebrewing!

In the end, I had 5 carbonation drops left so threw them into 5 grolsch bottles. These are glass so i didn't want to over prime them. The other plastic bottles I put in a flat teaspoon of white sugar. I'm hoping white sugar goes well with pilsener.

Also, it was a pain in the ass trying to bottle them. I bloody sprained my wrist playing 5-a-side. The effort of trying to open and close the tap at the bottom with one hand! I'd say nearly every bottle was close to overflowing! They're done now anyway. Might crack open a few bottles for the euros now in 2 weeks. I suspect they wont be fully done fermenting but fuck it, they'll still be alcoholic!
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