# Coopers Sparkling Ale



## wardy (8/1/04)

Thought some of you would be interested to know that Coopers has just released their Sparkling Ale in a brew kit. Personally, this is my beer of all beers!! :chug: My local homebrew shop just got it in today. Needless to say i got one and will be trying it asap.

cheers


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## johnno (8/1/04)

wardy,

which brew shop do you go to?
I am keen to try this one.


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## PostModern (8/1/04)

Let us know how they turn out.


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## wardy (8/1/04)

oh yeah, that would have been helpful!!

BREWCRAFT in melbourne called Australian Home Brewing.

http://www.liquorcraft.com.au


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## johnno (8/1/04)

ok thanks for that
i'll give em a visit yhis weekend

cheers


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## johnno (10/1/04)

went to the HBS in hiedelbrg to gt this earlier today. the instructions state to use a can of unhopped LME. 
too expensive for me this time. I went for a Coopers IPA.
I'll give this a go when the weather cools a bit.

cheers B)


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## big d (10/1/04)

gday johnno
the sparkling ale is part of the new release thomas coopers premium selection.
the choices are
australian bitter
heritage lager
traditional draught
sparkling ale
all four brews are intended to be mixed with cans of coopers light malt extract.
so there you go.a bit more expensive but i would be keen on the outcome so as people brew these hopefully they will post the results.hey wardy  

cheers
big d


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## Batz (10/1/04)

If I can get my hands on one I'll give it a go , I love Cooper Sparkling

I like to do one as per instuctions , then I know what it is I can add what ever I fancy


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## big d (11/1/04)

onya batz
the coopers newsletter says all four brews have their own distinctive hop character,malt blend,aroma and flavour profile.
sounds the goods


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## big d (11/1/04)

and to tantalise you some more batz..
sparkling ale...an ale that displays fruity esters on the nose,full malty palate with a generously hopped clean finish in the style of coopers world famous sparkling ale.


mmmmmmm


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## johnno (11/1/04)

well it was still over my budget for the day. sure, i'll put one of these on soon nough. just that i got to the brew shop unprepared for the price + the extra malt. that brew shop didnt have coops unhopped malt extract anyway. They had another brand,Muntons i think it was. which i'm sure is a fine brand but i wanna do one of these as original as possible.
Propagate yeast from a sparkling ale and use the candied sugar etc

cheers


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## johnno (11/1/04)

ah darn it. the Coopers IPA i got yesterday can wait. Im gonna start propagating some yeast from a sparkling ale tonite or tomorrow night and go get the kit next saturday. probably at the grain and grape since no one else seems to have Coopers LME. give em a ring first to make sure.
Otherwise im getting on to Coopers and telling em they need more outlets selling their product (which i think i already have)

cheers


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## Jazman (11/1/04)

johnno if you are buying the coops sparkling kit u can use any lme from the shop and most brewcraft will sell blark rock(pale) or morgans extra pale which i used in my heritage lager which i dry hopped with 2 plugs of halletua


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## wardy (12/1/04)

I was assured by brewcraft that morgans pale LME would be a perfect substitute for the coopers one (despite the fact that i would still like to get my hands on the coopers one). 

NOTE: the instructions on the inside pamphlet (which i read 1 day after i pitched) also call for 500g light malt extract and 300 grams of dextrose to be boiled with the wort in addition to the 1.5kg of LME. 

Should have read the instructions first. Anyway, i boiled extra sugars in 1.5L of water, cooled and added to the fermenter... didn't seem to bother it and it's been bubbling away like Mad for days. It smells amazing... the whole house is full of warm malty beer flavour... how can you not love this!!


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## johnno (12/1/04)

so thats anoyher half a kilo of malt and a bag of dextrose on the expense list. Oh well still give it a try.
oh and i reckon brewcraft will assure you of anything.

cheers


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## johnno (12/1/04)

anyone have any suggestions as to what hops to use for a dryhop with this brew.

cheers


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## GMK (12/1/04)

Bitter withPOR

Dry hop with Cascade....


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## johnno (12/1/04)

Thanks GMK.
got some Cascade in the fridge. I'll get some POR on the weekend.

cheers


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## RobW (12/1/04)

Johnno

If you are out Heidelberg way & want to get Coopers LME try the Greensborough HBS. He buys in bulk & repackages at a reasonable price. Good range of grain, malt etc too


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## joecast (14/1/04)

just picked one up today and it looks like you guys found out about the "extra" ingredients called for in the packet. the HBS i went to didnt have the 1.5kg coopers lme so i got a 1kg morgans brew enhancer. i tried their wheat lme and was pretty happy with it. i had already planned on using a bit of light dme so that wasnt so much of a shock. will hopefully brew it up as soon as i plug the leak in my boiler. 
i have about 15g each of EKG and fuggles i will use. will probably add them at about 30 and 20 min as i would rather get some flavour instead of bitterness. 
also i was happy to see a "specialized" sparkling ale 7g yeast sachet under the cap. will keep you guys posted.
joe


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## johnno (14/1/04)

i'm jealous joecast. shoulda picked it up last Sat.
any chance of confirming from the instuctions if the extra 500 gram of LME that Wardy mentioned in earlier on should be liquid or dry.

cheers


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## joecast (15/1/04)

johnno, 
looking at the instruction booklet from under the cap now.


well, that doesnt look good! hope you can read it. basically an extra500g light dme, and 300g dex. the dex probably to lighten the body and give an extra bit of abv. 
joe


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## johnno (15/1/04)

Thanks very muchly joecast

i'll just make the first one as oiginal as possible and just use the yeast that comes with it.

cheers


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## wardy (16/1/04)

Well guys, this brew has now been going for 6 days and it tastes bloody fantastic!! I could drink it straight from the fermenter. I swear it tastes just like the original... same aroma, same flavour. SG is now down to 1.016... it should be a ripper when it's done.

I used 1.5kg morgans pale LME, 500 light DME, 300g dextrose. 

Even the colour is fantastic. There is a lot of crap in the bottom of the fermentor. I always get a good dose of sludge first when i try and take a hydrometer reading. So i always have to take a second.

I was not going to rack this one until bulk priming, as many on the grumpy site say racking is not always necessary, especially for ales. But i know from the last brew, that the yeast cake absolutely stinks... and that must impart something into the beer.

only one way to find out....

cheers


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## BEERBOY (16/1/04)

is this similar to the Coopers Pale Ale on tap at the local?


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## johnno (16/1/04)

welcome BEERBOY.
this is the not the Pale. Its the Sparkling with the red label.
Come to think of it WHY didnt Coopers release this in a kit as well??

cheers


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## Barnzy (16/1/04)

wardy said:


> I used 1.5kg morgans pale LME, 500 light DME, 300g dextrose.


Wardy,

Didnt chuck any hops in??? Cant decide if i should or not. Might just go a natural one to start with. I can't wait to get this beast bubbling, just gotta wait for a spare fermentor. My LHBS just said add extra 500gm DME, didnt mention the dextrose. Lucky you guys mentioned that or i would have forgot.

I was going to propagate some yeast from a sparkling bottle but HBS said that coopers add a diferent strain of yeast before secondary, or before they bottle or something. So im just going to stick with the yeast that came with it this time.

How long do you think she will take to ferment with the extra 500gm DME and 300 dextrose. I have to go interstate soon and i have allowed 9 days in my fermenters for it, but im thinking it will take a lot longer...........

Anyway, keep us updated with how she tastes.


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## johnno (17/1/04)

I put this on earlier today.
I was going to vary the recipe by propogating yeast from the bottle, dry hopping etc but then decided to just do as per the instructions so I could see how it comes out. Can always vary it if their is ever a next time.
LME(1.5kg) was Coopers but DME(500gm) was from another HBS.
Recipe called for all ingredients to be mixed in fermenter.
I boiled all the malt for about 10 mins but not the dextrose(300gm).
This is the most malt I've ever used in a brew.
Filled to 22.5 litre.
I mostly dont do any starters with the yeast. I have been very successful in the past but this one didnt work.  
Still pitched it at about 25C. (hope i dont make wine :lol: )
OG was 1052. Tastes very good as well.
hope the weather stays cool  


cheers


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## joecast (18/1/04)

hey guys,
made mine up on thursday. used 1kg morgans beer enhancer and 500g dme. filled to 20l. pitched yeast at 28c (a bit warmer than i wanted). six hours later it was bubbling like mad. temp dropped to 24c by friday morning and the bubbling slowed considerably. try to keep it around 22c the rest of the time in primary. 
by saturday morning temp was about 22c and it was looking like it was about done fermenting. i was a bit worried thinking i may have to pitch anothey yeast. checked the sg and it was down to 1013 (about 1048og). the taste was pretty raw, probably from the hops (15g goldings @30min, 15g fuggles @20min) but should mellow out. 
ill let it sit for about a week as i have to work anyway, and rack it for two weeks. must admit i am really looking forward to this one. 
joe


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## wardy (19/1/04)

Barnzy.... no, i didn't put any hops in... unfortunately don't know anything about them. About to learn right now!! I was going to stick to the original recipe... then do another batch, which i would hop.

From the books i guess you bitter with POR during the boil of the wort. Any ideas on additions anyone? 

Then for the dry hopping, i think one of the guys suggested Cascade???
again any ideas on additions and for how long?

cheers


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## THE DRUNK ARAB (19/1/04)

I would recommend dry hopping with 15 grams of Goldings for 1 week. From that you can adjust to suit your own taste for your next brew.
Cascade as a dry hop would be better if you had used some as a flavour hop as well. IMO. But try it if it is what you have and report back on results.
Good luck

Cheers and bollocks
TDA


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## Jovial_Monk (19/1/04)

Hmmmm Muntons liquid extract is available here???

Go for the Muntons, topnotch stuff, but check the use-by date: liquid extract gets that "extract" twang a lot earlier than the dried stuff does.

That seems a lot of extract, making (off the top of my pointy head) an OG 1050 beer

Jovial Monk


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## Barnzy (19/1/04)

Pretty spot on there Jovial monk. I brewed up my baby last night with the extra 500 DME and 300 dextrose and the OG came out at 1048, but i put closer to 24 litres water and spilt a bit of malt down the side of my fermenter :angry: .

I used a yeast starter for the first time, the yeast starter was bubbling nicely, then after i pitched it the were no bubbles for hours, i thought it would start straight away. Then when i dragged my arse out of bed this morning (well afternoon) she was going nuts. Had over 3cm of krausen.

Can't wait to sink some of these suckers


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## Batz (19/1/04)

Keep us imformed , interested in how this kit turns out


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## Jovial_Monk (20/1/04)

Once you start using liquid yeasts you need to get used to long lag times, and a long lag time is NOT necessarily bad!!

You won't be pitching anywhere near as much yeast as with dry yeast. When you pitch a starter, the yeast spends time adjusting to your wort: its composition, gravity, temperature etc. It then starts budding while there is oxygen in your wort, while it is doing this it only creates tiny amounts of (metabolic by-product) gases. The more oxygen, the longer the budding process will take.

By consuming oxygen the yeasts are making life impossible for aerobic bacteria and lowering wort pH, so your beer is being protected even if you don't see any signs of life/airlock bubbling. And a huge amount of yeast is being generated. So, aeration is really important with liquid yeasts: shaking the fermenter does not cut it anymore.

You understand then that at the end of the budding phase all the yeast cells except the very latest generation have crater marks on the cell walls, and they cannot control the entry or egress of ions and molecules passing through the cratermarks. So for beers with OG>=1050 you should aerate again 14-18 hours after pitching (ideally) and the yeast use this second smaller burst of oxygen to generate sterols by which they repair their cellwalls. You now have plentyful and healthy yeast to ferment even the biggest beer in 5 days.

For more info, search on "Clayton Cone" in www.hbd.org archives.

If there is no airlock action or krausen (never trust an airlock!!!!) etc aerate the wort by dropping it into another fermenter a few feet below the full one.

Jovial Monk


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## Barnzy (26/1/04)

All right, it is getting close to bottling time for these babies.

What do you guys reckon would be the best priming sugar (i know it wont change the flavour much). ATM i prob use about 170gm of dextrose unless there are some better ideas???

Cheers


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## Jovial_Monk (26/1/04)

i would use 100g of wheat dme, boil up in a cup or two of the beer, rack beer to bottling bucket in which the dme solution has already been placed, couple carefull stirs, bottle and cap

Jovial Monk


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## johnno (7/2/04)

going to bottle this one this weekend. its been in the secondary for just about 2 weeks. at least the cool weather down here helped .
took a reading 2 nights ago and it tasted the goods.

cheers


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## Batz (7/2/04)

Did one myself Johnno , as per instructions , I want to see what it is like

Sometimes I am pressed for time and low on beer stocks , a good easy chuck it together would be great , I am sure I'll fiddle with it once I taste it , can't help myself


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## johnno (7/2/04)

thats what i did as well. 


cheers


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## PostModern (7/2/04)

Jovial_Monk said:


> i would use 100g of wheat dme


 Someone likes flat beer.


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## johnno (13/2/04)

tasted one of these today. been only 6 days in the bottle. its got a sweet aftertatste. I know its only been 6 days but im not that happy so far. Will dry hop lots if i ever do one again. maybe it will be better in a few weeks.
Anyone else tried theirs.

cheers


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## Batz (13/2/04)

Bloody hell Johnno :blink: six days and your judging it h34r: 

Give it a month mate , it's sure as hell not going to taste as it does as it does now

I hope it will be good then , best of luck , by the way I have one in a keg aging too :unsure:


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## Jovial_Monk (14/2/04)

at 6 days there will be lots of priming sugar still present

And a beer primed with 100g of DME will not be flat

but I do not like fizz, it hides the taste of the beer
VB needs fizz, HB shoul not

Jovial Monk


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## johnno (14/2/04)

ive run out of beer Batz. Thats why i'm trying it.
its carbonating fine though. I used 175 gms of dextrose.
That sweetish taste has been there all through the brew JM.
I only made it up as per the instructions and the temp was constant at around 22-24 C.
Oh well , i'm sure it will go down well  

cheers


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## wedge (14/2/04)

How low was your FG johnno?


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## Batz (14/2/04)

Thinking same as me wedge?
Lots of added malts , perhaps not fermented out fully


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## johnno (14/2/04)

OG was 1050 or 1052. Cant find my notes at the mo.
FG was 1012.
1 week primary 2 weeks secondary. Surely there was nothing left to ferment out.


cheers


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## Jovial_Monk (14/2/04)

Hmmm "sweetish taste"

not wort sweetness, some other sweet taste? Bit puzzled

JM


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## johnno (14/2/04)

maybe its my buds but i reckon its that candied sugar taste. i should point out its more of an aftertaste.
this definately needs more bitterness.
cheers


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## wedge (14/2/04)

1012 sounds ok. I know the CAMRA guide recommends not priming at all but rather waiting the extra time for carbonation.

I reckon i might try this for any beer i planning on keeping for a while.

I know we all laugh about the overprimed exploding bottle (WMD) but that can be some dangerous stuff, especially if a kid was need it. 


I had it happen to me once because i bulk primed at 1016 using the grumpys sugar guide, now i always use less and gain a (atleast i think) perfect carb. level even over a long period!!

You may have already been asked johnno but how warm did you brew it?

Maybe it just not as bitter as you expect your beers to be anymore. I know that some of the commercial bitter beers have a sweet taste about it for me now!!


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## johnno (14/2/04)

johnno said:


> ive run out of beer Batz. Thats why i'm trying it.
> its carbonating fine though. I used 175 gms of dextrose.
> That sweetish taste has been there all through the brew JM.
> I only made it up as per the instructions and the temp was constant at around 22-24 C.
> ...


 
Wedge.
I only made it up as per the instructions and the temp was constant at around 22-24 C.


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## Jovial_Monk (14/2/04)

OG 1050-2, FG 1012 roughly a quarter of OG, so that sounds right

Westmalle, a 10% belg Trappist Tripel has candy sugar, and candy sugar is obvious in the aroma

Maybe you are more used to bitter beers, but that "sweetish taste" all the way from wort to beer makes me think it is something else

Some artificial sweetener??????

JM


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## johnno (14/2/04)

Artificial sweetner crossed my mind JM. Ive only been brewing less than a year and ive tried mainly Coopers brews and none of them had had this taste.
I'm no expert so i'm just not sure.

cheers


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## Batz (14/2/04)

Johnno
Have you tried a bottle of Coopers Sparkling Ale?

Perhaps the taste is what's expected , I may describe it as fruity
Just a thought


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## johnno (14/2/04)

ahem
i near had a religious experience when i first tried this 20 or so yrs ago Batz.
Been my favourite since then. Eveyone that used to see me drinking it used to hang it on me bad.
Till they tried it.
Yes, I also describe it as fruity.
Havent tried yours yet have you?


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## joecast (14/2/04)

was very tempted to put one in the fridge myself but one good thing about plastic bottles is you can tell when they are and when they arent carbonated. after six days they are only about half way there. hope i can wait another week. 
i used dme to prime and used about a cup. ended up with about 18L and didnt want too much carbonation. also i noticed some undissolved dme left in the bottling bucket but it should be enought to worry about. ill know for sure in another week anyway.
joe


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## Batz (14/2/04)

Give it two weeks or so Johnno

Yep I like this beer as well , perhaps I perfer the Pale Ale which came out much later on

Hanging out to give it a go


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## johnno (14/2/04)

Batz
yep gotta wait on it to see what happens. what about your gravity reading samples? what did you think of the taste then.

joecast how about you?
did you taste this "sweetness" in any of your sample tastings?

I had 3 or 4 sample readings and it was there from the begining for me?

cheers


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## Batz (14/2/04)

being just a kit I did'nt do a gravity sample , I did try a sip as I kegged , tasted nice if not a bit maltly
This will mellow , it really is not a hoppy type beer ,well not to my tastes anyway
And of course the real thing is not either


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## johnno (14/2/04)

yeah maybe i thought i was going to make an exact copy of the original.
im probably being very impatient with it.
maybe the taste im talking about is the yeast that came with the pack.
next time maybe propagate the yeast from the bottle and use that.
I used it on a Brewiser Australian ale once and the frutiness was quite pronounced.
like i said i'm no expert but either way im sure it will go down very well.

cheers


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## wardy (16/2/04)

johnno,

mine had that sweet fruity taste you describe from the beginning also. i think it also has something to do with the yeast, as it is definately on the aftertaste that you get it. i tried a bottle at 1 week and it wasn't good at all... sickly sweet and candy sugar like. definately reminiscent of the orginal. But, it was so bad, i didn't even get the wife to taste it, and she's my number one taste tester... forced to try everything straight from the fermenter! Anyway, after putting my "grand failure" in the bottom of the cupboard for a couple of weeks, i tried one on the weekend and bugger me, it's coming around. It taste half bloody decent. It has improved 10 fold!! we are now talking 17 days in the bottle. I reckon that after a month it will be very good, and will probably be fantastic after a couple. Patience with this one. good luck


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## johnno (16/2/04)

thanx for the update wardy.
Yeah, I will leave it alone for a while longer.

cheers


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## joecast (21/2/04)

tried one last night after 12 days in the bottle.

very cloudy appearance which should clear over time and not much of a head on it yet. also noticed there wasnt as much carbonation as i usually get, but i didnt want as much so that was good.

the fruity/estery flavor was easily the most pronounced flavor in the beer. i thought maybe it was from a higher ferment temp, but as it seems pretty common it is likey the yeast as well. it wasn't bad, just needs a few more weeks to balance out. 

i also added some goldings and fuggles hops for flavor and they were pretty noticeable. i am curious what hops are used in the commercial version, anyone know?? these also need more time to balance out. 

overall, i was pretty happy with it. keeping in mind it hasn't been bottled two weeks yet. 
joe


thanks for the hop answer wedge!


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## johnno (21/2/04)

joecast,
funny you mention how cloudy it is. What I've noticed is its probably the clearest brew I've ever made. Even when i look at it through the bottle I notice it.
I made it up as per the instructions though. Nothing else.
Going to be trying a couple more tonight as its 2 weeks today or tomorrow. 

cheers


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## Batz (21/2/04)

Perhaps you did not leave it in primary long enough joecast , or if you racked the in secondary

I have found over many years , Coopers will clear beautifully if left to sit for 5-7 after fermentation is complete

Still , the true Coopers Sparkling is often mixed with the bottle sedement to give a cloudly beer anyway


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## wedge (22/2/04)

coopers use Pride of Ringwood


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## Batz (27/2/04)

Tried one of mine , after only two weeks , found it too sweet , as posted here by Johonno before.
It needs to be dry hopped with POR in secondary , I did this with my last one , be a few weeks till I try it

Thanks for the feed back Johonno , this is the only reason I added hops to this brew 


batz


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## wardy (17/3/04)

batz, would be interested to know how you went adding POR to secondary???

Mine is now about 8 weeks in the bottle and tastes fantastic!!! i am about to put another brew on and would like to experiment a little... 20g of POR to the boil for one, and the other thing i was going to try was adding 100g of steeped crystal malt. I have never tried crystal malt before, will this spoil the profile of a coopers sparkling?


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## Batz (17/3/04)

Yet to try the Cooper S/Ale with POR
You like it how it is great ,, I just found the sweetness/hops profile not to my liking , and that's a personal thing.
I don't like sweet beers

Will post my tastings when I crack the keg

Let us know how yours turns out Wardy

I have a feeling a little inverted sugar will help


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## johnno (17/3/04)

Yep,
I found this beer a bit sweet as well and if I ever make it again I will dry hop it too.
I only have about a dozen left. It has gottten better over the last 2 weeks but still not what I expected.
Its all about personal taste alright.

cheers


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## wardy (23/3/04)

well mine is now 2.5 months in the bottle and probably as good as it's going to get. It didn't come around as much as i had hoped. By itself it is a good tasting beer. Most of the sweetness has gone, colour is good, clear, good head and body... but just doesn't have the "smoothness" of the original. It does not have that mellow smooth "ale" quality of the original. I can only think that it is the yeast, as that's where most of the flavour seems to be coming from. I have another one going right now which i added POR to, but i think the next one i will try to use yeast propogated from the commercial bottle. Have you tried that yet Johnno? anyone?
anyone ever work in the coopers brewery? an original recipe would be fantastic!! hehe


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## johnno (23/3/04)

Wardy,
I have propogated yeast from a sparkling ale but not used it in this recipe.
I wont be putting one of these on in a hurry though.
Got too much else to experiment with.

cheers


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## Batz (24/3/04)

Johnno
The Cooper Ale with POR , is in the fridge , will gas and crack the keg in the next few days


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## wee stu (24/3/04)

O.K. I opened my batch. Curiousity killed the cat. (_Regular_ viewers might now know I've still got about seven lives left, I hope!)

Brewed pretty much according to Coopers specs - 1.5kg lme and 800g dme & dextrose mix. Possibly not quite the 5:3 ratio they recommend, but close.

Used yeast provided, rehydrated.

10 days in primary at 20c. 
10 days in cc at 8c, dry hopped with EKG ('cos that's what I had). 
Two weeks in bottle (infantacide, I know).

Harsh to judge a beer this young, I know, but anyway .... pours pretty clear, but give it the old Coopers roll or turn and it clouds up nicely. 
Looks a little too dark compared to the original. 
Head retention poor. Reminds me of k&k days.
Smells o.k, but a little malty.
Mouthfeel is good - very much like the original.
Taste - a bit too malty, but there is a definite affinity with the original. Mild, pleasant fruitiness. Maybe a tad sweet for my current tastes, but the original is not exactly a bitter brew. 
"Tastes a bit like homebrew", briefly flashed through the mind. First time I've thought that since I moved from kit and kilo, to kits and bits or partial partials. Just seemed a bit rough and unfinished around the edges. 
I'll see how it develops, but for now it seems like a superior kit an kilo brew that has some resemblence to the source beer. 
Next time I want a quick to put down brew, I could try it again. Possibly with POR instead of EKG and invert suger repalcing some of the dme.


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## pr1me (25/3/04)

I've got a sparkling in the primary fermenter at the moment, brewed with only 1kg of brewmaster malt dextrose mix, forget which number now, but after 4.5 days it seems to have ceased all bubbling and activity. Anyone else have this occur? 

I'm going to rack it tonight and leave it for another 4 days before I cold condition for a week, then bottle. I'm hoping tonights rack might revive some activity.


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## wardy (25/3/04)

i've done a couple of these now, my third last sunday. I rehydrated the yeast and started it on some malt over about 6 hours... then pitched and within an hour or so had full airlock activity... my most rapid ferment yet... all was finished by wednesday (last night) with my SG down to 1.014. O.G. was 1.054. I was amazed at the speed this time, in the past it has taken at least 8 days.


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## pr1me (25/3/04)

definately seems to be fast, i didnt bother to rehydrate my yeast this time, and my OG was only 1040. I'll do an FG reading when i rack tonight and see whats what.


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## peter (25/3/04)

so is the general consensus that coopers sparkling ale done as per instructionsis just ok?
ithought that this one is meant to be a balltearer of a brew from the reports ive got.
Is it worth a go?


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## GMK (26/3/04)

Just drunk a couple of Coopers Sparkling Ale stubies.
Made up almaost as per the recipee.
Did not have DMe so added equivalent LME. Racked to secondary for 2 weeks - no dry hopping.
Used Can yeast - very nice - just a touch too sweet.
Next time will dry hop with 20 gms of either POR or Cascade.

Very worthwile buying.


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## Batz (26/3/04)

GMK
That's the keg I have cracked tonight , Coopers Sparkling Ale as per instructions , except...20gm of POR dry hop in priamary for 8 days , then racked , 6 days , CC 16 days

No sweetness compared with the last one I did ( no POR ) , quite hoppy and not like a commercial Sparking I am afraid , more bitter, but quite a nice drop.

I perfer it to to origanal one I made

Don't know if I'll worry about doing another


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## pr1me (26/3/04)

peter said:


> so is the general consensus that coopers sparkling ale done as per instructionsis just ok?
> ithought that this one is meant to be a balltearer of a brew from the reports ive got.
> Is it worth a go?


All brews are worth having a go  :chug: 
As to whether they are worth doing twice, thats a different matter


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## wardy (26/3/04)

well i would say it is better than ok... especially as far as K&K is concerned. It's just trying to replicate the original that is tough... there are so many elements... but in particular it is darker, sweeter and maltier, and not quite as smooth... but then again, i doubt coopers would design a kit that would allow us to get too close to their coveted brand


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## Batz (26/3/04)

Well I can't agree on that one , I think there are lots of kits that are better ( hey ! that's my taste )

I fact I don't like it , and I love Coopers Sparkling Ale B) 

I prefer Coopers Lager in K&K


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## wee stu (29/3/04)

Good news Batz! Coopers are following up the stunning success of Sparkling Ale in a kit with .....

Pale Ale in a kit  . Coming to an HBS near you (or maybe not so _near_ in your case Batz  ), in the International Series (Bavarian Lager and Canadian Blonde), is Coopers Original _Australian_ Pale Ale.

From the latest Coopers Club Newsletter, Dr Tim says "We think we have developed a home brew concentrate that, when brewed strictly to the instructions, is as close as possible to our bottled product."

Instructions say use Coopers Brew enhancer 2, but 500g light dme and 250g sugar/dextrose is also kosher. Can yeast "produces those fruity esters and clean finish that Pale Ale drinkers love." Or, cultivate from bottle dregs.

Best of all, the article finishes with: "Please take time to read the instructions supplied under the lid." Unless the instructions have changed radically, that's time out of your life you will *never* get back.

Salivating yet Batz?


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## Batz (29/3/04)

Put simply

No :blink:


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## ben_sa (30/3/04)

Dammit, someone told me this today at work and i was like

eah ok Sam, I think your confused with the Sparkling Ale in the Dr Thomas Coopers series"

Shit Shit Shit

Ok, When is it hitting the shelf

Ben

PS: that 500 LME and 250 Dex is a bit plain... HAve to modify me thinks


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## Batz (30/3/04)

Suppose to hit the selves mid April


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## joecast (31/3/04)

just had the regular ale a couple of weeks ago, and think the sparkling is far better. personally, if i saw the two kits, i wouldnt really consider trying the original australian pale. there are plenty of others i would want to try first even if i wasnt doing another sparkling.
joe


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## SJW (18/4/04)

I just picked up the Coopers Sparkling Ale kit with the 1.5kg Coopers lme & bag of stuff the HBS shop calls OOMPH. Its the 500g dry malt & 300 dex. Plus i got 25g of CHALENGER hops, half to taste half to dry hop. Cant wait to get this puppy pumping. I will let u know how it goes.


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