Bring 2 gal of water to a boil for 5 minutes to precipitate out any chlorine. Bottle water may be used to eliminate the pre-boil step.  Remove pot from the heat and mix in the Coopers Unhopped Malt Extract, dry malt extract or sugar called for in the recipe.   For further discussion on the use of Coopers Unhopped Malt Extract vs. dry malt extract vs. sugar with Coopers Beer Kits please refer to Understanding Brewing Sugars.  Reapply heat and slowly bring wort (pronounced "wert") to a soft boil.

Gently boil for 15-20 minutes and remove from heat.  Mix in the contents of your Coopers beer kit, making sure all syrup is dissolved in solution.  Re-apply heat and gently boil for 5 more minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and cool the wort while it is still in the pot. Putting it in a cold water bath will usually cool your wort to around 100°F in an hour or so.   Add to 3 gallons of pre-boiled, chilled water already in your fermenter.   Chilled drinking water may be used instead of pre-boiling tap water.  Mix contents of fermenter well.  Using a sanitized turkey baster, or "wine thief" remove enough wort to take and record hydrometer reading.  Depending upon the amount of Coopers Unhopped Malt Extract, dry malt extract, or sugar you use, and the amount of wort you have, your reading will be anywhere between 1.038 and 1.050.

Add ("pitch" in brewing parlance) 7-15 grams of Coopers Ale Yeast, or yeast called for in recipe,  when temperature is <75°F.  Fermentation should commence within 12-16 hours.

Fermentation will be active and violent.  If you are fermenting in a glass fermenter, you will want to put a "blow-off hose" on the fermenter.  This will allow for a controlled expulsion of the foaming that occurs early in fermentation.   Fermentation will take 3-10 days. When fermentation is done and you are ready to bottle refer to our INSTRUCTIONS ON BOTTLING.

For more in depth discussions on beer making we suggest contacting your local homebrew expert.

Return to Home Page