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 ?

[Chris Banks]

To me the big thing to avoid is concentrating coopers kits (ie the kit is made for 23l)
So as to avoid that real isohop harshness that you get when doing 11l or a toucan with coopers kits.

I guess if your pushed for time you could whack a can of LME instead of mini mashing.

But that yeast im sure its a cider yeas!!t ive fermented in an iced bath with no straight sugars added to the brew
and it still came out with that cidery taste!
Swapped to S23 big difference!

The yeast that comes in the coopers euro lager kit is a whole different kettle of wort I mean fish!

[JackoNZ]

I made some pretty decent lagers with kits a year or so back. I'd be looking at the Coopers Lager can with a Kg of Light DME, perhaps a touch of cara 30L or global light caramel, something with a very low SRM. Then a ton of late hops, aiming for something similar to Epic lager. 18-20L with W34/70 fermented at 10c. I've been tempted to do this myself lately just to get my new kegs filled! Certainly easier to knock this out than a full all grain batch.

[MrC]

The last time I tried Coopers Sparkling ale I was suprised how much it reminded me of my old Coopers kit & kilo beers which made me think that the that comes with the kit isn't too far off the mark.

WLP009
Maybe I would try this if I was desperate to brew a perfect clone. If that was the case I wouldn't be using a kit ;-)

Recultured from a bottle - I think Mr C did that ?
Sure did!

But I don't think he liked it - but that could have been a temperature issue from memory ?
Sure didn't!
I used it twice:
First time I fermented at 21c and it was all 'nanas.
Second time I fermented at 18c and it light 'nanas but tolerable. If I was to do it again I'd go for around 15-16c. That beer (American Brown Ale) won "Best Kit" in the 2008 NHC.

WnBC?
Watch out if I get to choose the next WnBC style ...

[jt]

The last time I tried Coopers Sparkling ale I was suprised how much it reminded me of my old Coopers kit & kilo beers

Exactly Mr Cherry, that's exactly what got me started here

if I was desperate to brew a perfect clone.

Which is not the case at all

Coopers kit & kilo beers

Which is exactly it !

But I don't know if I'd go for the kilo (of dextrose, or extract) unless it was a kilo of mashed pale grain.

I'm also considering that it should be bottle conditioned ?

[MrC]

How about this jt:

1 x Coopers Kit (could contain simple sugars)
800g DME (maybe even Wheat DME)
200g sugar

Steeping:
200g Carapils
200g Caramalt

Yeast:
Coopers yeast and half a pack of US-05

How about some additional ingredients from Craftbrewer:
Pride Of Ringwood
Additional Coopers Yeast

[jt]

It's a fine line between making a true kit & kilo Coopers, making it with better methods, making it with better ingredients, or tarting it up too much and destroying the intended character

Just how far do you go ?

I'm leaning towards better ingredients and if that means adding malt, I'd go with grain rather than extract.
Like you said to make kits sing you need to add a decent amount of grain

[MrC]

Just how far do you go ?
Not sure. It's not likely to be the best beer I brew this year so I'm not going to get too carried away. "Drinkable Coopers Pale Ale'ish Beer" is my goal.

Is this more what you had in mind?

23L Batch
1 x 1.7kg Coopers kit
2kg Pale Malt (BIAB mini mash @ 65c)
Coopers kit yeast

OG 1.042

What fermentation temp would you go for? From memory these kits where best around 17-19c.

Draught or Lager?
I think it depends on whether you want to add grain or just go for kit, kilo, brew enhancer route. If your planning on using grain with the kit anyway then I'd go for the Lager and add the appropriate malts to make it a Draught if that's what you want.

[jt]

Nostalgiale

Plan is to mash 2kg Malturop(/wheat mix,) no sparge, 14 litres liquor in the tun and a straight recirculation and drain.
Stovetop boil about 12 litres (how long do you reckon ?) I'm tempted to throw some hops in at flameout, but that might just kill the Coopers factor ?
Disolve kit and chill
Top up fermenter to 20 litres and pitch redhydrated kit yeast
Ferment at ambient - currently 20C but lower if I can
I'm tempted to dry hop, but again that might just kill the Coopers factor ?
Looking at 1.040 and 24 IBU

Any idea what the attenuation could be with the kit yeast ?

[MrC]

Recipe looks pretty good. I like the idea of adding some wheat.

Stovetop boil about 12 litres (how long do you reckon ?)
Hmmm, hard to know for Pils malt, you might get away with 45min?
That's why I usually stick to the steepable grain, 15min boil is sufficient.

...might just kill the Coopers factor ?
Too right, don't do it. This beer is all about fuity esters. Assuming of course that the kit yeast will provide enjoyable fruity esters.

Any idea what the attenuation could be with the kit yeast ?
Can't remember. JP reckons medium attenuation (75% ???)

[jt]

Too right, don't do it
Ok, you've convinced me

Assuming of course that the kit yeast will provide enjoyable fruity esters.
I'm sure there will be fruity esters, just a case of if they'll be enjoyable or not !

I just need to keep the fermentation temp down, I may have to wait a week or three before brewing

[Chris Banks]

"Assuming of course that the kit yeast will provide enjoyable fruity esters"
Apples are a fruit arent they? lol

[jt]

Unbeleiver !
You certainly haven't enjoyed a good Coopers ale recently have you Chris ?