Brewing Instructions

Bitter - 23 litres (6 Gallons)

Bright golden color with a strong head, pleasant blend of fruit and malt on the nose with generous mouthfeel and a moderately bitter finish. A good example of a Coopers Traditional Ale.

Ingredients

• Coopers Bitter Hopped (LME)
• 1 lb. extra light dried malt extract (DME)
• 1 lb. Corn Sugar
• Coopers Ale Yeast
• 8 oz. Corn sugar for priming before bottling

Method

1. Cover liquid malt extract (LME) can in hot water in a sink.  To soften the LME and make it easier later to remove the contents of the can. 
2. Place dry ingredients into a cleaned and sanitized 6.5 gal. or larger bucket fermenter and add 2 quarts of hot water.
3. Stir the mixture immediately until dissolved with a sanitized stirring spoon.         30 secs.
4. Empty the contents of the can in to the fermenter. Fill the can with ¾ full with hot water stir with a sanitized spoon and dissolve the residual LME in the can.
5. Top up with cold water to the 6 Gal. mark on the bucket.
6. Take a original gravity hydrometer reading a typical reading would be 1.042
7. Stir vigorously for 5 minutes to aerate the wort then sprinkle the yeast on the surface and seal and place a sanitized airlock filled ½ full of water into the grommeted hole on the top of the bucket.

! Please note sanitized is in bold lettering because the single most reason for bad tasting beer is poor cleaning and sanitization.

Fermenting

Ale yeast strains are generally the most reliable for home brewers, fermenting quickly and effectively. Ale yeast is supplied with this brew kit.

Although Ale yeast can ferment at very high temperatures (as high as 104°F), the closer the brew is to 70° F.  the cleaner the flavor and aroma will be.

The wort will begin to bubble from the airlock within 24 hours.

Once the bubbling slows (4-7 days) transfer the beer to a secondary fermentation vessel glass or plastic.  This will make your beer more clear.  Use a sanitized racking can and tubing. Be sure to transfer gently.  Run the beer down the side of the sanitized secondary vessel to avoid adding air to the beer.  Oxygen at this stage can cause oxidization and off flavors in your beer.

After 3-4 weeks the fermentation should be complete and you can proceed to bottling.  However it is not absolutely necessary to bottle at this time.  Your beer will condition and clarify if left longer.

Prior to bottling take a finished gravity reading. A typical reading would be 1.006

What is the alcohol content of your beer? 

1.042 = 5.7 Possible Alcohol by Volume (ABV)

1.006 = .90 Possible (ABV)

5.7% - .90% +.5% (Priming Sugar for Bottling) = 5.3% ABV

Bottling

The fermented wort needs to be primed so that secondary fermentation (producing the gas in the bottle) can take place.

1. Add 8 ounces of corn sugar to 1 cup boiling water and boil for 5 minutes.
2. Add mixture to a sanitized bottling bucket.  The bucket with the spigot.
3. Gently transfer the be one more time.
4. Gently stir to be sure the corn sugar is evenly mixed with the beer.
5. Attach the hose to the bottling spigot, and add a bottle filler to the end.
6. Fill the sanitized bottles.
7. Cap with sanitized caps.

Your beer can be consumed after 2 weeks.

Bottles may be stored (conditioned) for long periods of time (3 months or more). Conditioning should improve flavor, reduce the size of the bubbles and make the yeast sediment more compacted.