Tasting Coopers Kit (sour taste)

[NadoHawk]

So I used an expired Coopers Draught Kit (tossed out the yeast when it failed to proof and replaced it with US-04), but I still went with their suggestion to use corn sugar and it tastes almost as bad as my Mr. Beer Kit days, much different compared to my all-malt Dunkleweizen I brewed previously.

The beer is drinkable, but it's closer to the much cheaper beers (which I guess is what I was going for when getting this kit in the first place) than the beers I think homebrew should taste like.

Basically I have a taste of slightly harsh alcohol (it actually tastes closer to a cheap, sour wine than a beer), which is only muddled by the fact it has a low ABV.

Was the use of corn sugar the culprit or could it have fermented at too high a temperature (we were hit by a freak heat wave that still won't go away and is keeping me from brewing right now)? I'm pretty sure there was no issue of contamination on this batch.

 

[badlee]

If you used the full 1kg as per instructions, then the answer could well be yes.
That taste should dissipate with time, but it will still be thin and flabby.
Next time try using some DME or LME insted and you will get a different creature altogether.

 

[NadoHawk]

Thanks...I already took all my bottles out of the fridge to condition for several weeks to a couple months at garage temperature.

I have three more Coopers kits (in addition to another all-malt Dunkleweizen I plan to brew Saturday when the heat wave dissipates)...two have Briess Pilesen LME awaiting them so I am not worried about them but would like to brew them during winter, but I have the Australian Pale Ale which calls for a combination of DME (I have two pounds), corn sugar, and maltodextrin (I have 8 oz)...should I just forget the the corn sugar and go with 1.7 pounds DME and .5 pounds maltodextrin? Mind you I am brewing 5 gallons instead of the recommended 6.

 

[BigFloyd]

2.2 lbs is a lot of sugar in a 5 gallon batch. If you can cut that back to 8oz and make up the difference in DME, that would give your beer more body, flavor and mouthfeel. You can then split that 1/2lb of malto between two batches.

Can you keep the beer temp in the mid-60's during ferment? If you can, that will help tremendously.

 

[unionrdr]

It sounds too me like the ferment temp was def too high. cut it down to mid-60's. And a pound of sugar is fine. I do 5.6lbs of grains with 3lbs of plain light DME in my IPA's with a pound of demerara sugar. works out fine. So a pound of sugar with 1-2 pounds of plain light DME would be fine,for example.

 

[flars]

So I used an expired Coopers Draught Kit (tossed out the yeast when it failed to proof and replaced it with US-04), but I still went with their suggestion to use corn sugar and it tastes almost as bad as my Mr. Beer Kit days, much different compared to my all-malt Dunkleweizen I brewed previously.

The beer is drinkable, but it's closer to the much cheaper beers (which I guess is what I was going for when getting this kit in the first place) than the beers I think homebrew should taste like.

Basically I have a taste of slightly harsh alcohol (it actually tastes closer to a cheap, sour wine than a beer), which is only muddled by the fact it has a low ABV.

Was the use of corn sugar the culprit or could it have fermented at too high a temperature (we were hit by a freak heat wave that still won't go away and is keeping me from brewing right now)? I'm pretty sure there was no issue of contamination on this batch.

How long was your boil?

 

[NadoHawk]

How long was your boil?

Not long (just enough to dissolve the corn sugar), but since my kit was nearly a year past it's date, it's SRM was completely off...it's a dark brown though not nearly as dark as a dark beer would be.

 

[NadoHawk]

Update: time does indeed heal brewing woes...It's still not a great brew, but it's drinkable and pairs well with dinner. Not a beer to be drunk by itself though.