making english bitter

[bear62]

I just wanted to ask about fermentation.As i've said i am brewing an English bitter by Coopers.The problem i have is that it's still bubbling 10 days after i mix up the brew.The temp has been pretty constant.The air lock has had crap in it so i cleaned it out.I was wondering is this abnormal to ferment over 10 or so days?

[warra48]

Which yeast did you use?

What was your OG?
What is your current SG?

The slow bubbling will continue for quite some time. It is usually dissolved CO2 slowly coming out of solution.
Airlocks are not an indicator of how fermentation is progressing. They are designed purely to keep anything falling into your beer.
In fact, I don't use an airlock. I cover my fermenter with clingwrap, and use the rubber seal from the lid like a large rubber band to hold it in place.

The only reliable method of checking is to use your hydrometer to check on progress.
I take a sample using a sanitised turkey baster. That way I extract clear beer from near the top.
You might need to draw your sample from your tap, but you will get some crud coming through first. Discard the crap, and test the next sample.

As an aside, I usually bottle ales somewhere after a period of between 2 to 3 weeks in the fermenter.

[Anna]

Thought I'd bump this one as I plan to do a Coopers Bitter this weekend. I've read in a couple of posts to pitch 2 kit yeasts with this and also that it only takes 500 LDM. Would I be correct in thinking that the 2 yeasts are needed if you use 1kg LDM?

[jello]

Seeing as I'm inexperienced, I cannot definitively say why the brew is still bubbling away after 10 days. Also, Bear didn't provide much information to work on, but here's the only two things I could think of.

1. The yeast took longer than expected to start working.
2. The brew is infected.

I'm yet to have an infected brew, but from all my reading to date, assume that there is still a fermentation process. Possibly an aggressive wild yeast fermentation?

[Anna]

Sorry Jeff - I think I've confused you. Don't know why I "bumped" an old post - I should have started a new thread I guess. I think Bear's question was already answered. I just wanted to know whether to use 1 or 2 kit yeasts with Coopers Bitter. Anna

[jello]

Sorry Jeff - I think I've confused you.

Easy to do with all the pinkillers i'm on.

I should just refrain from posting until i've recovered from shoulder surgery.

I've read lots of places which suggest using 2x yeast. I probably would.

[Bum]

Anna, are you making the discontinued Coopers Bitter, Coopers Australian Bitter or Coopers English Bitter (which is the one from the original post)? 3 different tins from the same mob. If you can be more specific people will be able to give you more useful advice. Maybe a link (if possible) to the thread where you saw the advice to use 2 yeast sachets would help people better understand why this might have been suggested (as it isn't really all that usual for a kit beer - excluding toucans).

In answer to one of your questions - yes, if the beer does indeed need 2 yeasts for 500g it will still need it for 1kg of malt.

[Anna]

Thanks Bum. ACtually I haven't bought it yet. I didn't realise there were 3 different types - depends on what Coles has I suppose. God knows what page I read the post on - I've been surfing the forum all day ('cause there's not much work today). Sorry I can't be more specific. Think I'll just use 1kg LDM and chuck 2 packets in and hope for the best. Have a good weekend! Anna

[Anna]

OK - I ended up with the Coopers English Bitter. I've also got 1kg LDM and 350 gm Yellowbox Honey. Whadya reckon?? Maybe just 200 gm of the honey? Or how about 500 gm of the LDM and 200 gsm of the honey (for a lighter beer)? Any suggestions? Anna

[HBG1968]

On a side note, the Morgans English bitter features a Premium Ale yeast, which is 15g.
There is also a recipe from Coopers for an English Bitter.
ie:-

• Thomas Coopers Sparkling Ale
  Thomas Coopers Dark Liquid Malt 1.5kg
  12g Goldings Hops
  Premium Ale yeast 15g
  Mix to 24 litres

[Anna]

Thanks HBG. I did the English Bitter on Sunday and thought I'd throw the honey in for good measure! Don't know if it will go or not, but here's to experimentation! So it ended up:

Coopers English Bitter can
500 gm LDM
300 gm Yellowbox honey
Kit yeast
Filled to 20 litres
SG was 1036.

I bought some Goldings pellets today and plan to dry hop about 15 gm after fermentation has settled down. Do you think that would be enough - or too much?

[Throsby]

I too have a lazy can of Coopers English Bitter floating around so am putting one down in the next few weeks.

Other ingredients in the house include Hallertau hops and a fair bit of light malt (liquid and dry). There may be some maltodextrin in the mix too.

I figure throwing much of it into a fermenter will make something drinkable at the very least.

Is there any reason Hallertau and English should never meet?

[Anna]

Hi Throsby! I was beginning to think all the forumites had died or something! Well, I reckon if I've put honey in my English Bitter there's no reason you can't put Hallertau in yours! I must say it smells yummy thru the airlock at the moment - can't wait to see the look on OH's face when he has his first drink! (I never tell him what he's going to get next). Like I said, I'm going to dump some Goldings in when fermentation settles down as well. I dry hopped 15 gm of POR into my Coopers Real Ale yesterday too. Nothing like going against the grain. Hope it tastes as good as it smells...

Let us know how your English Bitter turns out.

[jello]

The way I see it, and being an amateur, there's nothing that can't be tried. If there is.....well I don't mind learning the hard way.

[Throsby]

That's how I see it. May as well try something out. Could find out something a bit left-of-centre through experimenting.


I've been around Anna - just been a bit busy to brew much lately. Looking forward to putting a few down in quick succession before the summer heat gets really full-on!

[Anna]

LOL! Yeah, I'm collecting soft drink bottles at the moment so I can freeze enough to keep my brews cool - 40 deg. come Monday! Good to see you're still checking in anyway Throsby...

Funny thing about my Real Ale brew - like I said, I dry hopped with 15 gm of POR the other day (I thought fermentation had finished - it had been brewing for 10 days and all bubbling had stopped), and lo and behold, it's bubbling like crazy again! Wonder if this is normal with dry hopping? Hadn't tried it before. Anyone?? And yes... I will check the SG tonight (trouble is, the fermenter is in the bath, which means I can't get to the tap easily, so I'll have to lift it out to check...)

[jello]

(trouble is, the fermenter is in the bath, which means I can't get to the tap easily, so I'll have to lift it out to check...)

Why can't your husband do that for you? Make him do it...or no beer!

[Anna]

hahahahah! You're assuming my husband comes home from work in a good mood! Actually, I might try Warra's "turkey baster" idea and take the sample from the top of the fermenter.

[drsmurto]

I'm sure I have posted this before but this is what a few frozen bottles and a dead fridge gets used for in my tin shed.

I can easily get the temp down below 20C in the height of an Adelaide heatwave.

Note the fermenter is sitting on some bricks for 2 reasons.
1. The hump at the back where the motor is doesn't allow me to close the door if the fermenter is sitting on the floor of the fridge.
2. I can take SG samples easily!

[Anna]

Now it's obvious why you're a doctor and I'm not! Bit more difficult in the bath however, 'cause there's cold water half-way up the fermenter, and if I put the fermenter on bricks.... well, it wouldn't be in the cold water any more!

Turkey baster - or OH in a good mood (ie. AFTER 4-5 HBs)