Taste Test: Coopers Australian Lager

This was my first attempt at beer making, and it was very successful. I bought the Coopers DIY beer kit that came with an Australian Lager malt extract.

I made it up as per instructions and sampled a little when bottling. It says that it makes 40pints, but I got 37 pints out of it, but I stopped bottling when the sediment was being picked up by the siphon.

After 2 weeks in the bottle I started drinking and sharing with friend and family and to my surprise everyone seemed to enjoy it. In fact if anything it was me that was more critical on it's taste, I found it a little too yeasty in flavor, but as the weeks past and the more I sampled, the less this was noticeable and it matured into a very, very enjoyable drink.

Two months after bottling, needless to say, they had all gone and they were most enjoyable. I probably wouldn't do anything different apart from maybe leaving it longer before drinking. I would highly recommend and will be making again in the future.

I hope you like the review and video, please feel free to like and comment etc

Sterilizing Home Brew Equipment

One of the great things about home brewing is that much of the equipment can be re-used. But it is important that you do not re-use equipment that does not have germs on them, as this may ruin your next batch of home-brew.

Basically I have found there are 2 main trends of thought on how keeping germs off your equipment can be done, these are either by Sanitizing or Sterilizing. (even though British I have gone with the American spelling!).

When I first started with this hobby I didn't know there was a difference, but there is, not only in the results but the processes involved, but ultimately both seem to achieve the desired results!

Sterilizing is my favored method, when you sterilize you remove all germs, so no risk of germs remain on the equipment. This does not mean the equipment can't become contaminated but for me I like to know things are as clean as they can be. I use VWP, (other brands are available), and I clean the equipment with the solution, leave 10mins and rinse. Once dried the next batch can be made and ready to go.

Alternatively you can sanitize, now this also gets rid of the majority of germs, and will leave your equipment in great condition to use. Most mums sanitize milk bottles for their babies so it's all good and works well. Some sanitizing brands can be made up, or sprayed on then wiped clean and used to brew with straight away. So I can see the appeal and as it takes less time to do and works well.

As previously mentioned I sterilize my things, but I do this immediately after use, then before my next use I wipe them with a soft cloth and warm water. It may be seen as overkill but I like to know my equipment is in good shape for my concoctions!

Which ever one you do it doesn;t really matter, just keep it clean! I hope this has helped any new brewers out there and keep brewing people! ;)

Making the Coopers DIY Beer kit from start to finish

As my previous posts have shown, the Coopers DIY beer kit is a great kit to get to start your beer, cider or ale brewing adventure.

So, I have put together a little video that shows the process from beginning to bottling, at which point after bottling and conditioning for a couple of weeks is ready to drink.

The reason I did this is to show how easy it is, and at this point of writing this I have actually sampled it and would recommend the Australian lager kit all day long!

So if you're new to brewing, or thinking of starting a new hobby, then check it out and see how easy it is!

Thanks for reading and or watching and please comment etc.

Cheers!

What is a PET bottle?

When I started into the home brewing scene I came across the term PET bottle. I didn't understand what it was and how come a home brew plastic bottle always seemed to be a PET bottle.

I also noticed that these plastic bottles were fairly pricey, if I wanted a dozen branded plastic bottles it would cost me well in excess of £5, and then if bought online I would have to factor in delivery.

So I did a little research on what a PET bottle is and found that PET stands for polyethylene terephthalate (...easy for you to say!!), and they are sometimes referred to a PETE bottles too. Basically it is a type of plastic that lends itself well to being recycled, and because it can take quite a lot of pressure make it great for fizzy drinks, beer and even champagne bottling.

I also discovered that the green or brown plastic bottles are often more desirable as they filter UV rays (sun light) preserving your better. This is also often the case with the glass bottles too. And often the coloured bottles will control a premium price when compared to clear plastic bottles.

As mentioned before PET bottles are great for fizzy drinks, and can often be bought far more cheaply with branded fizzy drinks in them. Simply use then sanitize the bottle and re-used for your brew. I find the green plastic lemonade type bottle ideal.

I have also used bottled water bottles to house my brews in, and these can be bought very cheaply, they are still PET bottles and are great but often clear, which I don't find makes a difference as I condition my home brew in a dark room (brick built shed) concealed in a cardboard box, so there's very little chance of getting sunlight in to them etc.

The reason I like to use PET bottles is sometimes, depending on your brew, the pressure can build up so much in the bottle it explodes. If your using a glass bottle this can be more dangerous and the clean up job more hassle, so I PET bottle most brews or wines that I carbonate.

As for the prices of the branded 'beer' bottles it just seems to me to be a bit of a rip off, but if you can pick them up do so as they generally are good quality and can be used time after time.  :)