What the numbers on a beer kit tin actually mean
Three numbers on the tin, and what each one is telling you
A beer kit tin is a surprisingly dense little thing to read, because there are three or four figures printed on it and they're all doing different jobs, and almost nobody explains which is which. Once you can read them you can tell at a glance what a kit is going to give you, which means you can compare two tins on the shelf properly instead of going off the picture on the front.
The 1.7kg is the extract, not the beer
The weight on the front of a tin such as Coopers International Series Canadian Blonde is how much hopped malt extract is inside it, and that's all it is. It isn't how much beer you get and it isn't related to strength on its own. Two kits at the same weight can make quite different beers, because what matters is how much of that weight is malt and how it has been hopped.
The 23 litres is an assumption, and you can change it
Nearly every kit gives its numbers against a 23 litre batch, which is the standard fermenter fill, and every other figure on the tin is calculated from that. Fill to less than 23 litres and you get a stronger, maltier, more concentrated beer than the tin describes. Fill to more and you get a weaker, thinner one. It's the single easiest dial to turn, and it's also the one people turn by accident when they eyeball the fermenter instead of reading the mark on the side.
The percentage assumes you followed the recipe
The alcohol figure printed on the tin is worked out on the assumption that you added the sugar the instructions asked for and filled to 23 litres, so it's a prediction rather than a measurement. Your actual number depends on what you added, how well the yeast finished, and what the gravity did, and the only way to know it is to take a hydrometer reading before you pitch and another when it has stopped. A two scale hydrometer is a cheap bit of kit for the amount of guesswork it removes.
The temperature range is the one people skip
Somewhere in the small print there will be a fermentation temperature range, and in a South Australian shed that's the number that decides whether your beer tastes like the picture. An ale yeast run too warm throws fruity and solventy flavours, and a lager yeast run too warm just makes an average ale, so if your shed swings hard between day and night then a heater belt or a bit of insulation is doing more for your beer than any ingredient you could buy.
Shop related products
- Coopers International Series Canadian Blonde 1.7kg. A light, crisp kit that's forgiving of an ordinary shed.
- Coopers Original Lager 1.7kg. The straightforward lager kit, and an easy one to read.
- Coopers Original Draught 1.7kg. A mid road Australian draught style.
- Coopers Light Malt Extract 1.5kg. For putting body back when you want malt instead of sugar.
Did you know we also keep Thomas Coopers Golden Crown Lager, S23 Saflager yeast, heater belts and a heater plate in the shop. Not all of that's on the website, so give us a ring on (08) 8536 4333 to check what's on the shelf.
The rest of it is in our beer supplies collection.
Our homebrew adviser Brewhilder will talk you through your own setup if you would rather work it out that way.
Read next
- Why your lager tastes bready instead of crisp
- Which Coopers malt extract to use, and what each does
- What a Coopers Brew Enhancer actually does to your beer
Reading the back of the tin before I start is a habit I have only half got, so I'm in no position to lecture anybody about it.
Cheers,
Candeece
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