Wrong OG on Coopers lager??

[Muske]

Hey Guys, i'm new to brewing and this forum so sorry if i'v been a ****** by making a new thread. Anywho, I followed the instructions on my coopers lager ingredients kit and my OG is 1.033...Is this right coz I have nooooo idea, haha.

P.S. Can someone please explain to me the whole deal with OG and FG, what it is, what it should be, why do we take these readings...etc.

I know I sound like a total newb but I'm clueless.

Cheers

 

[Ogri]

Assuming you've got the required volume of wort in your fermenter and followed the directions for the adding of malt extracts/sugars (fermentables) then you should have spot on, or very close to, the OG that the kit states. (probably 1.040 to 1.044 with a Cooper's kit at 23 litres/6 US Gallons).

Sometimes it's difficult to get the extract to mix evenly with the top up water, even with some pretty serious mixing, and when you take a sample to measure OG you can get a "thinner" (lower density/reading) sample. During the fermentation the exothermic action of the brew will ensure it gets fully mixed and, if you've pitched enough healthy yeast, you should get good attenuation so all of the available, fermentable, sugars will be converted to alcohol and CO2.

You will be able to figure out the percentage of Alcohol By Volume of your brew by using the actual OG and measured FG.

(OG-FG) X 131.25 = ABV

 

[Vespa]

Your gravity readings are a measure of the dissolved sugars in your wort. At any moment in time, you can measure specific gravity (SG). Your first measurement of SG is called your Original Gravity (OG) Water is 1.000 typically, so your wort with its sugars will be higher. As the yeast converts the sugars to alcohol and CO2, this number will drop. When it stops dropping, fermentation is complete. An SG measurement at this time is your Final Gravity (FG). Knowing these numbers and comparing them to the recipe will tell you if your fermentation and brew process was successful and you can calculate your Alcohol By Volume and calories.

 

[scorpien222]

Hey Guys, i'm new to brewing and this forum so sorry if i'v been a ****** by making a new thread. Anywho, I followed the instructions on my coopers lager ingredients kit and my OG is 1.033...Is this right coz I have nooooo idea, haha.

P.S. Can someone please explain to me the whole deal with OG and FG, what it is, what it should be, why do we take these readings...etc.

I know I sound like a total newb but I'm clueless.

Cheers

I am assuming you haven't done much reading on your new hobby I would recommend looking at John palmers how to brew this will give you a much much better idea of the process of brewing even if you are just planning on staying with kits it's a good idea to know why you are doing what your kit is telling you too.

Here is the link http://www.howtobrew.com/intro.html

 

[cooldood]

I am a big Coopers fan but the lager kit is NOT their best. Ferment it as cool as you can get it and you will have a much better beer. Also after bottling let it condition for 2 months and you will be much happier.

 

[Muske]

Thankyou all for your responses. Im feeling a bit better about it now. And cooldood how cold do you reckon is good??

 

[unionrdr]

From my own experiences with Cooper's OS lager,it's best fermented between 65-68F. Below 63-64F,Cooper's ale yeast gets sluggish. so I've found that 65F is a good low range temp. And 4-5 weeks in the PET bottles provided with the accompaning carb drops was when it was at it's peak.
The OS lager can is also a good base for creating other beers as well. I spent a couple of years doing that. I've got a dark PM lager I made with a Cooper's Heritage Lager can as a base. It's been in bottles 2 days now.