The Coopers Kit

[jt]

Ok, I'm going to do it, but maybe not quite yet. And there was talk about an Imperial Coopers. I know Mr Cherry's keen too, yes ?

I thought it might be handy to string this together in one place.

Now I'm not going to brew until the weather cools a bit, I'm getting 20C + in the garage right now and I wouldn't want to do that to my Coopers kit would I ?

First questions first though, Draught or Lager ?
Next up, what to add to it.
Not sugar, no. maybe dextrose, maybe LME, or maybe just a kg of pale mashed ?

[MrC]

One lager kit with two coopers yeast packs and one draught kit with US-05?

[jt]

Too many options !

[jt]

And if it doesnt have a cider taste I will drink a bottle of mangatainokas finest!!!!

You won't even know, after all this you're not getting anywhere near a bottle of it ....

[MrC]

Chris - I'd be interested to know whether you think Coopers Pale Ale (or sparkling) is cidery. Have you tried one recently?

I can see how the fruity Coopers yeast esters could be perceived as cidery.

[Chris Banks]

Its been a while actually the last one I had did have a little of that estery fruity cant say I enjoyed it that much
I certainly wouldnt call it a pale ale but maybe thats just me?

One thing im very keen to try is the coopers stout in bottles apparantly its very good?

[Mike Neilson]

Man honestly what up with all the Coopers chat? its like 4 pages long!! What am I missing?

[MrC]

Did you brew Coopers kit & kilo beers in the late 80's during the initial homebrew bubble. Coopers Lager was the first beer I ever made and I can still remember exactly what it tasted like. It's all about the memories Mike.

1987 in a glass!!!

[Mike Neilson]

1987? I was 5 well 6 in December I cant remember them giving us Coopers beer in New Entrants class. All I know is that I brewed 2 kit beers in a week, bottled them waited for them to carb, drunk half of one and gave the other 59 bottles away, than I found out how to full mash!!

[MrC]

Part of me sometimes wonders how good I could brew a simple kit beer knowing what I know now.

Anyone else keen to put their kit brewing skills to the test?

[jt]

It's not knowing what I know now it's what you thought you knew that was dangerous

[NVIOUS]

Hey i'll jump in here.

Just got my brother in law into brewing and started off with kits.
Black rock pale ale with a beer enhancer as the fill in.
US-05 fermented at 18 in a fridge.

And out of the fermenter whilst cold conditioning I can gladly say that by comparison to a tui for example it is better.

Only wish I knew this when I made my first beer kits

[jt]

cold conditioning 1987

Could you have comprehended cold conditioning in 1987 Mr Cherry, I know I wouldn't have.