How to make great tasting beer at home.

[nectarineblue]

should one use distilled water?

[Landonuccio]

youtube.com/watch?v=7FJBlrHtRR­E

[HRHooChicken]

doesnt it need to be airtight?

[shanahan06]

@HRHooChicken I thought so also, however come to think of it there are methods of open fermentation which would obviously ignore any airtight requirements of brewing so maybe its not so important. I believe being airtight is just to further reduce any chance of external contamination.

[HRHooChicken]

@shanahan06 Well after i got my first beer kit / homebrewing book i found that the best beer is brewed without an airtight fermenter. You're right, airlocks are just to stop contamination and to stop the alcohol turning to vinegar once it's stopped fermenting. My plan = put an airlock on after 3 days! my airlock gets filled up with foam after about 12 hours into the ferment lol :L

[shanahan06]

@HRHooChicken Yea i've seen videos of that happening to people, i've never had it happen to me though. Usually my carboy gets about a 6cm foam head on it but never looks close to overflowing. The truth about brewing as far as I'm concerned is that there are predetermined steps if you are trying to recreate but in original brews nothing should be considered a concrete rule. Humans have been brewing beer long before sterilisers and airlocks were invented.

[laktosmiffo]

Is this the entire instructions on the dvd that comes with the kit? In that case, it's not detailed enough I think..

Anyway I'm getting the micro brew kit for christmas for sure though. Can barely wait to be drinking my very own brew! Cooper's has so many configurations and here in Sweden a can of Cooper's costs around 15 dollars, perhaps 20 with all the brewing sugar, carbonation drops and all that, which I think is quite reasonable. In the wise words of Craig - Cheers and beers!

[MattExzy]

@laktosmiffo I'd say the DVD would be more comprehensive. I got my first Coopers home brew kit three years ago (with the old-school airlock) in time for Christmas. Made many-a-great brews!

[Chumley87]

I just made my first batch of Ale from this kit. It was a Fathers Day gift. It's not about saving money. It's about doing some thing that you enjoy. There are plenty of great beers on the market. I wanted this to give it a try and I can't wait to do it again. "AND" the beer is great! Thanks Craig for the video.

[Homebrewisgreat]

Does the beer in the tap from the hydrometer reading at the beginning not get infected from sitting in the tap all that time.....open to the air.... that is also a fairly crappy dvd..........

[chestercheeseface]

@Homebrewisgreat micro-organisms fortunately can't defy the laws of gravity so can't move up into the tap (unless there is an upward air current + your really unlucky). Even if there was an infection it wouldn't be sufficient enough to actually do anything. When you bottle your going to have billions of yeast cells in your bottles which compared to a few 100 micro-organisms won't do much harm because of the fierce competition of the yeast would "choke out" the other micro-organisms. =)

[Homebrewisgreat]

Does the beer in the tap from the hydrometer reading at the beginning not get infected from sitting in the tap all that time.....open to the air....

[mikecat23]

I think the old kit is better. Dont like the net top on the bucket

[BatspindaVL]

@mikecat23 I don't think it's better, you are used to it.

This bucket is kinda neat because you can see through,

i also have the old kit, and i am not going to buy the new one at all.

They are both the same, but the new kit is kinda confusing if you

are new to home brew.

[chamblizi]

How to get a great beer:

1) Go to store

2) Buy

3) Don't be a Cheep ass

[Himdarling44]

@chamblizi Sometimes its not about the money. Sometimes its about the thrill and excitement of creating your own home brew...........ah who am I kidding. I do it cause I can't find Coopers in any of the stores within a hundred miles, and cause I am Cheep ass. Cheers!!

[chamblizi]

@Himdarling44 lol i just want beer i dont give a fuck what it is long as it taste good lol

[Dougyster]

@chamblizi Dear Sir: With no disrespect, have you ever tried to make beer yourself? Everyone I know that has, will not buy a commercial beer unless they run out of hand made beer. Homemade beer is so much better in taste and quality that you will also have to agree. Try it once yourself sir. Good luck..Dougyster

[chamblizi]

@Dougyster no not really but ether way i know beer is crap that is sold in stores cause its not fresh its been setting up losing its taste and perfection

[Homebrewisgreat]

@chamblizi ..............well after so many failed coopers beer batches I don't have a lot of faith in this kit....I wish I knew what it was supposed to taste like because all I've ever gotten out of it was disgusting pond water.........

[chamblizi]

@Homebrewisgreat thats why we buy beer already made and if you need to keep your beer same temerature what you do is put a brand new fishtank thermostat in it lol

[Homebrewisgreat]

@chamblizi ..............well after so many failed coopers beer batches I don't have a lot of faith in this kit....I wish I knew what it was supposed to taste like because all I've ever gotten out of it was disgusting pond water.........maybeit was the ferment temps of 72 degrees C

[amosyboy1]

@chamblizi a cheep ass? please explain to me how making your own is cheep... it requires time skill and knowledge you might just go to the store to buy a beer but that to me makes you a dumb ass, have you ever brewed? your know the difference in taste and quality when you do and i highly doubt your go to the store to buy a beer again...

[mechreports1]

@amosyboy1 agreed but i think the guy ment like hooch making like putting hooch and this together but yeh i agree if its a quality kit and you make enough brewing is very rewarding as you can give it as gifts to family and friends

[amosyboy1]

@mechreports1 im brewing all the time i got 5 kits always on the go <3 i never run out of beer now haha so i usually give it away to friends

[xmonks]

Just after Christmas I noticed that there was this newer design fermentor from Coopers, and decided to do my first homebrew. I just taste tested today after bottling 2 weeks ago, and it was pretty damn good. Coopers lager kit came in the pack (with the ale yeast of course) as well as brew enhancer 1 (i think its just light malt?) and I ended up with 4.7% abv

[vipersblood]

Please try to market these new Kits here in Vancouver, BC, Canada. thru Save-On-Foods Overweightea Food GroupThey used to have the older kits, I managed to get two before they stopped carrying them. Save-On-Foods still sell the Coopers Wort Concentrate, Yeast packets and priming sugars but that is it. If you can't market the kits to OWFG then pretty much anywhere else locally would be Awesome! Feel free to send me a message if you do. :-D Keep up the great beers & DIY Kits!

[roddsteel18]

awesome kit, i want one