Improving Coopers Pale Ale?

[fuddnuddler]

Greetings,
Have a Coopers kit and plan on making their pale ale for 2nd ever brew.
Wondering what additions to improve it from the basic kit recipe (eg hops/different yeast etc)
Any suggestions welcomed by a true novice!
Thanks

 

[Supra-Jim]

A few suggestions:
1. Have a read in the articles section about culturing up Coopers yeast from from CPA stubbies.

2. Try using the Coopers BE2 rather than straight dextrose or straight sugar.

3. Do you have any form of temp control? Try and keep the fermentation temp around 18deg.

Cheers SJ

 

[manticle]

Reculture some yeast from a coopers pale stubby or two. There is a thread in the wiki articles section.
Add some dried malt in place of some of the simple sugars if you are using them.
Pride of ringwood hops.

Woops too late.

 

[petesbrew]

+1 for the info above.
I haven't used POR, but try 25g Nelson Sauvin in it.
Lovely.

A great kit for experimenting with.

 

[fuddnuddler]

+1 for the info above.
I haven't used POR, but try 25g Nelson Sauvin in it.
Lovely.

A great kit for experimenting with.

Cheers to all for the tips...
re the Nelson Sauvin (and excuse my ignorance!) how do I go about adding it, or the POR, for that matter?
Thanks again

 

[Bribie G]

I'm astounded that serious brewers on this forum would make the ridiculous suggestion of culturing yeast from a couple of stubbies of Coopers Pale Ale.


I culture mine from three tallies of Coopers Sparkling 5.8% :beerbang:
Seriously, using the brewery yeast is probably the single biggest step up for this kit. Also the suggestion to use BE2 as an initial strategy is spot on. In my kit brewing days I found that it lifts just about any kit and lends smoothness and excellent foaming and head retention etc. If you get to use it regularly you can get the individual ingredients (Light Dried Malt Extract, maltodextrin and dextrose) individually from your LHBS and mix yourself.

Edit: for the hops, take about 15g of hop pellets and just chuck them into the fermenter on day 3. They are 'self sterilizing'. They will disintegrate into the beer and will sink to the bottom with the rest of the crud at the end of the ferment and also leave a green ring but don't worry about that.

 

[fuddnuddler]

Edit: for the hops, take about 15g of hop pellets and just chuck them into the fermenter on day 3. They are 'self sterilizing'. They will disintegrate into the beer and will sink to the bottom with the rest of the crud at the end of the ferment and also leave a green ring but don't worry about that.

Cheers, much obliged - was hoping it was that easy, given my current L-plate status!
Thanks

 

[glaab]

and don't forget to steep 300g of Carapils, you know you want to!

 

[manticle]

I'm astounded that serious brewers on this forum would make the ridiculous suggestion of culturing yeast from a couple of stubbies of Coopers Pale Ale.

Astounded? That's a bit strong. Mention of referring to the article in the wiki was probably the more important point (that and the idea of using the coopers yeast). However much you get, you still need to culture it up.

 

[Supra-Jim]

Astounded? That's a bit strong. Mention of referring to the article in the wiki was probably the more important point (that and the idea of using the coopers yeast). However much you get, you still need to culture it up.

Me thinks old man Bribie has been sitting out in the sun partaking in a few too many slightly warm Melb Bitters!!

Cheers SJ

 

[manticle]

It has occurred to me that Bribie may simply be referring to the necessity to buy and consume more beer and was in fact making a joke that manticle missed.

 

[Supra-Jim]

eh.. no worries. I was the one who first said 'stubbies' and i actually have two tallies/longnecks/king browns (whatever you call them) of CPA on the stir plate for a brew tonight.

It's all good!

Cheers SJ

 

[Yeastie Beastie]

Looking back on my brewing records i did one some time ago before I got too carried away with the whole brewing thing and gave it the thumbs up.

Added 25 grams of cascade hops on day 2 in the fermenter.
Used Coopers BE2.

Simple and nothing too flash.

 

[Gulf]

Well, modifications to the kit would depend on whether you'd like to make a "Cooper's Pale Ale" or simply just "a pale ale".

If you'd like a Cooper's style pale ale:
Reculture yeast from a real Cooper's beer. Temperature control during fermentation is then critical - *under* 18c in my opinion.
Brew Enchancer 2 (easy) or an equivalent - eg. 750g light dry malt, 250g dextrose, 250g steeped Carapils.
No extra hop additions. The can will provide all the bitterness you need and the Cooper's yeast will chainsaw through the malt and bring the hops out more than you'd expect.

If you'd like a pale ale:
Use whatever yeast you like, suggest US-05, but even the can kit yeast kept low (18-20c) will produce good results.
I'd still use the BE2 or a full 1KG LDME with 250g steeped Carapils, maybe a touch (100g) of crystal malt as well.
A late aroma hop addition, something like EK Goldings. Boil the BE2/sugars/carapils liquid (not the can) with the hop pellets. 14g each at 15 and 5mins say.

One isn't necessarily better than the other, they're just different. A good example of the amount of variation you can get out of a can kit really.