Canadian Blonde Head Issue

FOXHUNTER1

I brewed a coopers Canadian blonde kit a few weeks ago
It was bottled last Tuesday and I used carbonation drops in the bottles. last night I decided to try one.
It tasted very good but the head was non existent.
Is this down to it not being conditioned enough yet or the fact that it was not chilled before serving?
The OG was 1046 and the FG was 1006.
Thanks.

oblivious

That title is very misleading!:P

An yea it will need a good to weeks to fully carbonate

FOXHUNTER1

I knew I would get a fast response with the heading alright:D
thanks for the info.

wuben

could also be down to the detergent you wash your glass with sometimes can effect head. just bottled a canadian blonde myself last week ive never tasted it so looking forward to it!

ShoulderChip

Oh I thought this was something else.


I did not see the forum and thought the OP was having trouble getting head from a Canadian blonde

GY A1

hi
bottled mine a week a week ago,
tried a bottle last nite and no head either, seemed a little sweet to, probably needs a while longer to mature, i hope

FOXHUNTER1 wrote: »

I brewed a coopers Canadian blonde kit a few weeks ago
It was bottled last Tuesday and I used carbonation drops in the bottles. last night I decided to try one.
It tasted very good but the head was non existent.
Is this down to it not being conditioned enough yet or the fact that it was not chilled before serving?
The OG was 1046 and the FG was 1006.
Thanks.

FOXHUNTER1

ShoulderChip wrote: »

Oh I thought this was something else.


I did not see the forum and thought the OP was having trouble getting head from a Canadian blonde

Unfortunately I don't know any Canadian Blonde's

FOXHUNTER1

GY A1 wrote: »

hi
bottled mine a week a week ago,
tried a bottle last nite and no head either, seemed a little sweet to, probably needs a while longer to mature, i hope

Ya mine is exactly the same nice flavour to it though I'll give it another week and sample again .

FOXHUNTER1

wuben wrote: »

could also be down to the detergent you wash your glass with sometimes can effect head. just bottled a canadian blonde myself last week ive never tasted it so looking forward to it!

I used the VWP sanitiser but I rinsed 3 times after soaking for 10 mins
so hopefully that would remove the majority of it.
I'm not using glass I have the ox-bar coopers bottles.
I have a cider on the go at the minute and I'm planning on putting it in champagne bottles though.

evolving_doors

If that's the coopers canadian blonde, i'd give it another 3 weeks at least

wuben

FOXHUNTER1 wrote: »

I used the VWP sanitiser but I rinsed 3 times after soaking for 10 mins
so hopefully that would remove the majority of it.
I'm not using glass I have the ox-bar coopers bottles.
I have a cider on the go at the minute and I'm planning on putting it in champagne bottles though.

sorry i mean the glass you drink them out of like pint glass. sometimes the stuff you use in dishwasher or whatever can take head of beer!

The_B_Man

Hmm, I bought this for my next kit. Just trying to empty the current batch out of all these bottles before I go ahead and start brewing.

OP, what procedure did you follow, just in case its an issue with that kit?

FOXHUNTER1

The_B_Man wrote: »

Hmm, I bought this for my next kit. Just trying to empty the current batch out of all these bottles before I go ahead and start brewing.

OP, what procedure did you follow, just in case its an issue with that kit?

I brewed it exactly by the instructions in the booklet that came with it.
Since my first post I've moved the bottles into the hotpress the temp is about 22 in there and the bottles are firming up nicely.
I'm going to try one at the weekend again.

viking

Gotta say the Canadian Blonde is very nice

Did you use the brewkit enhancer when making it? That'll improve head retention.

I tend to use a glass with a laser etching in the bottom of it to keep the head on the beer.

wuben

just craiced open a bottle of canadian blonde only in bottle a week but yea same issue with the head. no head retention at all hopefull time will solve this as im having party in 15days and thats what the batch was for:) taste nice thou!!

viking

Head is fine for me, this is what I currently have in front of me

FOXHUNTER1

Update

OK it's been 5 days since I started the thread and the bottles have been sitting in the hot press at around the 22 celsius.
I stuck one in the fridge earlier this evening for a second taste test and the results are like night and day it has come on in leaps and bounds.
The woman has even tried it and reckons it's the business so all in all it's a good job I reckon and I'll be brewing it again.
Thanks for the advice.

mrtickel

Hello

I brewed that kit twice and had the same problem. It does be slow to carbonate.
The first time i brew it i used the carb. drops and the second time i brewed it i bulked prime it which only took 1/4 the time. I bulk prime all my beers any more alot more easier and less hassel and cheaper.
The beer tastes really good and light if you can let it mature for a few weeks. Trust me you will be happy you left an extra week or 2

evolving_doors

+1 on leaving the the blonde wait

Has anyone who's brewed this every actually gotten tipsy on it though as I have found coopers blonde pretty lite? any idea on how to bump up the %, maybe more sugar during priming???

BeerNut

Armelodie wrote: »

maybe more sugar during priming?

= more CO2 = exploding bottles. If you're adding more fermentables add them before bottling and let them ferment out completely.

mrtickel

Yea i have gotten drunk on that beer mine was 4.3% and if you want more% you have to add more sugars at the start and take a hydrometer reading so you will no excatly what it is or going to be.

The_B_Man

Just kicked off my 2nd brew, this canadian blonde. Oddly enough my OG is roughly 1036!! That seems a bit low!

FOXHUNTER1

Since starting this thread I've come across some nice Beck's widget glasses and they make a huge difference to the head retention.
I've been sipping away at a pint of it for the last 20 mins and it's as good as you would get in any pub.
I have a coopers mexican cervasa on the go at the minute and I've bottled a pear cider and a normal cider aswell since I started
I'm slowly running out of storage space so I suppose I'm goin to have to start drinking it a bit quicker:D

FOXHUNTER1

The_B_Man wrote: »

Just kicked off my 2nd brew, this canadian blonde. Oddly enough my OG is roughly 1036!! That seems a bit low!

I had an OG of 1046 on mine and an OG of 1056 on the Mexican Cervasa but I used a brew enhancer in that so I'm presuming that's why the OG is so different.

GY A1

hey guys
bottled mine 5-6 weeks ago, was very sweet at start,

had few tonite and its the bizz, bloody tasty and as good as anything from shops, nice fizz and plenty head retention to

mrtickel

I have brewed the coopers mexician creaves before and there is not much taste or flavor it was missing something. If i was going to make it again i would maybe dry hop it to give it some taste but needless to say i drank it all
If you want a good coopers kit to make go for the sparkling ale it is the best kit i have made and have another in the fermentor the taste and flavor is lovely.
Just to let you know im a lager drinker and the ale is starting to taste better than the lager.

The_B_Man

I started my brew of this Coopers Canadian blonde on Tuesday evening. It start bubbling away after 24 hours or so, but now its completely stopped (Friday).

how long are you meant to leave it fermenting for? My last one I left for 2 weeks in the fermenter, then bottled and left for 3 weeks. I'll probably do the same here.

mrtickel

The only way you will no if it has stopped fermenting is take a hyromometer reading and also do you what tempature was it fermenting at?

The_B_Man

its been at a steady 22oC all week.

I left my last one for 2 weeks in the fermenter, which was probably longer than needed. This was only on 3 days before it stopped bubbling but might give it a bit longer before bottling. I'd say at least a week total.

wuben

hey im drinking my batch of canadian blonde now......left it two weeks after bottling wasnt getting propper head when pouring.... gave it another week and half and its grand now very easy to drink nice head on it although i dont think its that strong had few last nite

mrtickel

The_B_man id take a hydromometer reading to see what reading you get then you will no if it is finished or not.
The 22c is on the high side for lagering but it will be ok, The higher temp. the quicker the beer ferments but you can get off flavors.

Denis7

FOXHUNTER1 wrote: »

Since starting this thread I've come across some nice Beck's widget glasses and they make a huge difference to the head retention.
I've been sipping away at a pint of it for the last 20 mins and it's as good as you would get in any pub.
I have a coopers mexican cervasa on the go at the minute and I've bottled a pear cider and a normal cider aswell since I started
I'm slowly running out of storage space so I suppose I'm goin to have to start drinking it a bit quicker:D

Hey Foxhunter, where'd you get those widget glasses? I live in Cork and they sound the biz. Im in the middle of drinking a batch of Canadian Blonde (3 or 4 bottles twice a week) and they get better with each one I open. I've got 25 bottles left and a Coopers IPA in the fermenter.

FOXHUNTER1

Denis7 wrote: »

Hey Foxhunter, where'd you get those widget glasses? I live in Cork and they sound the biz. Im in the middle of drinking a batch of Canadian Blonde (3 or 4 bottles twice a week) and they get better with each one I open. I've got 25 bottles left and a Coopers IPA in the fermenter.

I can't answer that question on the grounds that it may harm my defence if questioned about something that I may later rely on in court :D:D.

Seriously though I have a friend in the bar trade who sorted a few for me and they are the dogs.
I've since finished the canadian blonde and started on a mexican cervasa which is top of the range aswell if i do say so myself.
I have an australian pale ale on the go in the fermenter at the minute ready to bottle in a few days.

Denis7

No bother and thanks for pointing me in the right direction tho! What temp is your IPA at? I had a brew belt on mine for the first day but the temp went up to 26C so I took it off. Its at 1012 now and the SG was 1042 4 days ago. Got a bit of a fright when I got home and saw how the temp had risen, s'pose all those fermentables being gobbled up by the yeast generated a lot more heat than I anticipated. Anyway, should be bottling it shortly. Last question, do you use carbonation drops? The kit I bought recommends 1 per 500ml PET bottle, was thinking of bumping it up to one and a half per bottle...

FOXHUNTER1

Denis7 wrote: »

No bother and thanks for pointing me in the right direction tho! What temp is your IPA at? I had a brew belt on mine for the first day but the temp went up to 26C so I took it off. Its at 1012 now and the SG was 1042 4 days ago. Got a bit of a fright when I got home and saw how the temp had risen, s'pose all those fermentables being gobbled up by the yeast generated a lot more heat than I anticipated. Anyway, should be bottling it shortly. Last question, do you use carbonation drops? The kit I bought recommends 1 per 500ml PET bottle, was thinking of bumping it up to one and a half per bottle...

Mine is running between 18 and 22c I just leave it to it's own devices but it takes a bit longer to brew I find when I dont use the brew belt.
I use 1 carbonation drop per 500ml bottle and 2 in the bigger champagne type 750ml.
I substituted the sugar in this brew with a light spray malt this time so it will be interesting to see what difference that will make.

Denis7

I used 500g of spray malt and 300g of dextrose, only just finding my feet with the whole home brew thing, so I guess its experimenting all the way for a while. Beernut reckons that replacing the dextrose with spray malt is the way to go. I'm gonna try a sparkling ale after the IPA's done and take his advice.

mrtickel

Hi denis7 id say bulk prime it because its easier, Cheaper and less hassel and alot less work.
To bulk prime i used about 100 to 110g of table sugar (for my IPA) desolved in 250 to 300ml of boiling water and let it cool to 25 or 30C and add to bottling bucket and then syphon beer into bottling bucket and then bottle its thats simple.
I made the sparkling ale before and its the nicest beer i tasted and made as a kit and have another 1 on in 1 of my fermentors and im going to keg this 1.

Its up to you and what ever is the easiest for you but if you start bulk priming you will never use them drops again.;)

Denis7

I think I will invest in a bottling bucket Mr Tickel. How does that work? connect a pipe to the tap on the fermenter and just let it drain into the bottling bucket? I just have the microbrewery kit from Coopers that comes with a little bottler thingy. Thanks

Denis

wuben

im currently drinking a batch i did around two months ago and have to say this beer only gets better without time without a doubt....after two weeks i wasnt gettind any head left them another while really nice beer

mrtickel

Yea thats how it work and its just alot better to transfer your beer from your fermentor to a secondary fermentor (bottling bucket) then you can bulk prime then bottle.:)

Denis7

mrtickel wrote: »

Yea thats how it work and its just alot better to transfer your beer from your fermentor to a secondary fermentor (bottling bucket) then you can bulk prime then bottle.:)

I've got Hydrometer readings of 1010 last nite and again tonite, problem is I wont be able to bottle for another 2 nites cos I have a ton of work to get through. Will my Coopers IPA be ok in the fermenter until Thursday nite? its Monday now and I reckon fermentation is done.

BeerNut

It'll be fine for four or five weeks, I'd say.

Denis7

Thanks BeerNut

lilbod

I started a Canadian Blonde last Wednesday, it's my first ever attempt at home brew.

I took a hydrometer reading 2 days ago and it was 1022, it's now been 7 days and it's still reading around 1022-1020, is there something wrong?

The instructions said it should only take 4-7 days so I'm starting to worry as it appears that fermentation is complete.

Suggestions anyone?!?!

mrtickel

Hi Lilbod and welcome

Can you tell me wat the tempature is of the beer because if the tempature is below 18c if can slow the fermentation and just take a little longer than what the instructions tell you.
The instructions are only a guide for you and in time you will see them instructions are never always right.
Id say leave another week or 2 then take another reading because when i made that kit it took 3 weeks to ferment.

lilbod

Thanks for the reply.

Temps were between 22-26c so they were pretty high.

Have recently read about the 1020 curse! So maybe I'm experiencing that.

I did open the lid last night and gave it a gentle stir, must admit it did smell nice.

mrtickel

Tempature that high it could be finished fermentation but i would give it another week and see how it goes and giving it a swirl like you did it just might ferment out a bit more for you.
If you dont get a lower reading than 1020 after a week you can still bottle the beer its just the ABV will be lower.

lilbod

Just been to the local home brew shop, the guy in there sold me a small 3g packet of dry beer enzyme. He said it would re-start the fermentation. Fingers crossed!


Edit: 24 hours later and its bubbling like mad :-)

lilbod

Thought I should give an update on this just incase anyone needs the info.

The dry beer enzyme got my brew down from 1020 to 1002 in two days!

Hope it still tastes ok, at least it should be some pretty powerful rocket fuel!

mayto

lilbod wrote: »

Just been to the local home brew shop, the guy in there sold me a small 3g packet of dry beer enzyme. He said it would re-start the fermentation.

Did you try rousing the yeast first to get fermentation going again before using the beer enzyme ? Using beer enzyme should be only used as a last resort imo if rousing the yeast or adding a new yeast does not work. Your beer will be very dry with no body, there will be more alcohol but at a cost. Let the enzyme ferment out fully as it could go as low as 0998.

lilbod

Yeah I tried rousing it but had no change for a few days so that's when I went ahead and put the beer enzyme in.

This is my first ever batch and I'm not expecting too much really, my 2nd batch I have on the go at the minute I'm just going to leave a bit longer and be more patient.