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 ?

[jt]

I sterilise my hoses by running the boiling wort through them.... }:)

Nah, no good. Tell us a dirty brewing habit ... what gets dipped where it it shouldn't ...

[James P]

Nah, nothing more than than really, I'm pretty anal about sterilising... usually...

Who takes their hydro sample then pours it back in?

[Matthew]

Pour it back in? Hydro samples are always 'tasted'. Quality Assurance. Some hydro samples are bigger than others ;-)

[jt]

Who takes their hydro sample then pours it back in?

I used to many years ago, didn't want to waste anything that I might be able to get into a bottle

[jt]

Ok, this is getting along.

No hydrometer sample tonight but the plan is still to bottle / keg tomorrow - I'll take a final reading then.
Looking back at it, it has that familiar Coopers taste that the bottled product has, but I think that rose tinted beer goggles may be tinting my memory because it isn't really measuring up apart from that.


If "someone" else were to brew it, I think I'd recommend
- the two packs of coopers kit yeast. One got it going, but two would stoke it properly and finish it off properly.
- a cooler ferment. I've been at 19 to 20 and I reckon it's suffered. It may be good compared to the recommendations on the packet, but it could be better

I've still got half a keg of mild to finish before this would go into the fridge, but I'm tempted to take a keg out so that this gets a week conditioning so it can be my Easter 'treat' - oh and a bottle for the North Welly Men on the 11th

cheers chaps, off to get another Mild

[MrC]

Thanks for the good honest feedback jt. I can't decide what to do with my Coopers Kit. I'll wait and see what your final opinions are before making any decisions.

I brewed a couple of beers with the Coopers yeast that I harvested from bottles ages ago. I fermented the first one at around 21C and the second at around 18C. Both were way to estery and I remember thinking to myself that if I were to ever do it again I'd go for around 15C.

[jt]

I'll only drink it wearing rose tinted beer goggles Mr C - and approach it with the open mind that I needed with the bottle of Coopers pale. Appreciate it for what it is, rather than what I hoped or intended.

I'll let you know when it's conditioned if you fancy a pint

[jt]

Specs on Mr Cherry !

1.009 @ 19C and kegged 18.5 litres, bottled 2x 750ml Crash carb'd to 1kpa poured a pint coopers yeast and subdued rosey apples fill the senses ... aaahhhhh keep an open mind and be prepared to dump ? I'm still planning swapping for the 3% bitza brown in the fridge so I have an Easter Coopers treat Apologies for the sissy, southern style dimple .. it's a bit battle worn

[MrC]

Lookin' good jt. Don't forget to keep your pint glass in the freezer and drink at cold as possible.

I wonder what Bambule thinks of all this Coopers talk...

[jt]

He's been very quiet ... sitting at home drooling at the thought I expect !

[Tilt]

Fellas - I've appreciated the Coopers talk, you've made me all nostalgic!
Its the home town beer for me - and the single focus of my early brewing days - to try and emulate the flavours coming out of the brewery 3k up the hill from where we lived.
Aaah... heady days of enthusiastic but ill informed uni brews with a bunch of mates, we never seemed to get that close to the real thing but had our own version we were pretty fond of. JT - you talking through you last brew has brought it all flooding back - thanks.
My recent first attempt at an AG was aiming to get somewhere close to the real thing.. but I've got a bit of a way to go....any thoughts on how you'd go about it but including a NZ hop?

[jt]

Well I'm pleased that I've done something more than produce 20 litres of potential drain pour !
Lucky you to be nostalgic over some good beer, we were getting nostalgic of (maybe) badly brewed kit beer

Scanning back this thread there's some suggestions that would start you off with a proper Coopers attempt.
For authentic Coopers flavour, you'd have to use WLP009 from white labs.

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

And you've probably read plenty of clone recipes from Aussie forums

An d NZ Hops ? Well you can't make a cup of coffee with a teabag, buy the POR

good luck and when you have the plan sorted, start up a thread to keep us in the picture