# Toucan Coopers Pale Ale X 2



## quachy (3/1/09)

Hi all, just wondering what your thoughts are on a toucan of Coopers Pale Ale x2? Got these babies in the cupboard and want to use them up but can either do a can + BE2 for both or save the be2, do a toucan and then move onto muttons brand. All thoughts welcome!

Quachy


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## Bribie G (3/1/09)

I've only made two toucan original series lagers and a toucan stout. The lager turned out very nice - similar to a pom superlager but without as much alcohol of course. I would imagine the Pale Ale would be hoppier than the lager. I find the Real Ale as a one-can to be plenty bitter and wonder if the Pale Ale is as hoppy?

It that's the case I would maybe chuck in 750g of LDME or a can of light liquid ME to balance the bitterness. With the stout I used two cans plus a kilo of LDME plus 750 dex and it's dynamite but the extra fermentables balanced out the bitterness nicely.

Only one bottle left  

Also suggest a cleaner yeast like Nottingham as the Coopers kit yeast may turn out too fruity.


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## quantocks (3/1/09)

I did a Coopers Lager toucan and found it lacking.... something?

I've been wondering about doing a toucan Pale for a while now, I reckon it will be a go-er. I just did a toucan Coopers Lager/Blonde though which was pretty good, I also threw in 1KG of dextrose and oh my god. One glass definitely does _not_ beg another. One glass puts you in bed real quick!


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## buttersd70 (4/1/09)

quantocks said:


> I did a Coopers Lager toucan and found it lacking.... something?



Grain? h34r:


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## quantocks (4/1/09)

still yet to try an AG beer butters, but being on this site doing kits is like being on adultmatchmaker being a virgin apparently.


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## DKS (4/1/09)

quachy said:


> Hi all, just wondering what your thoughts are on a toucan of Coopers Pale Ale x2? Got these babies in the cupboard and want to use them up but can either do a can + BE2 for both or save the be2, do a toucan and then move onto muttons brand. All thoughts welcome!
> 
> Quachy



Do a search on toucan in Kits/Extracts, plenty of posts. 
Most come out bitter and there seems to be a leaning towards stouts with toucans.
I did one of sorts, actually only 1 x can sparkling but only made up to 12lts. Came out really bitter. 
Saying that the sparkling is higher IBUs than the Pale Ale. Coopers list IBUs here
For my money Id make two different brews from the two cans. :icon_cheers: 
Daz


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## buttersd70 (4/1/09)

Couldn't resist....but I'm not just referring to AG, or even just to grain. What I was alluding to in a not so subtle way is the lack of _any _fresh ingredient in (a lot of) toucan brew. By that I mean fresh grain (even if it's only steeped specialties), fresh hops, fruits, spices, etc. Being high in malt (extract) due to the 2nd kit gives a good opportunity to do something _better _than the average kit. It seems that a lot of toucan is 2 cans and sfa else. Steep some grains; theres plenty of bitterness to back it up. Ditch the lesser adjuncts that contribute nothing to flavour. Theres enough malt that it's not needed, and enough bitterness to hold up extra malt if you really feel the need to up the alcohol. Add some additional herb/spice/fruit flavour in there, or dry hop for added hop flavour and aroma without the additional bitterness that a boil would give.
end 2c on that.

Hoppiness of the PA can is not that much above the lager...a toucan with a good amount of crystal steeped, and a better yeast, like nottingham, should turn out pretty good, actually.


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## Fermented (4/1/09)

quantocks said:


> ... is like being on adultmatchmaker being a virgin apparently.



Except that would make you _real_ popular. 

Cheers - Fermented.


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## quachy (4/1/09)

BribieG said:


> I've only made two toucan original series lagers and a toucan stout. The lager turned out very nice - similar to a pom superlager but without as much alcohol of course. I would imagine the Pale Ale would be hoppier than the lager. I find the Real Ale as a one-can to be plenty bitter and wonder if the Pale Ale is as hoppy?
> 
> It that's the case I would maybe chuck in 750g of LDME or a can of light liquid ME to balance the bitterness. With the stout I used two cans plus a kilo of LDME plus 750 dex and it's dynamite but the extra fermentables balanced out the bitterness nicely.
> 
> ...



Thanks for all the replies. This sounds good, pale ale x2 and 750 LDME. I'm with you the real ale has the perfect bitterness for me. The plae ale is not as bitter, but I would think that a toucan pale ale maybe a tad on the bitter side. That said, maybe i'll give it a crack and let you know.

Quachy


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## jimmybeer (5/1/09)

Hey all,
this is my first post, but ive been reading and learning for some time. Thanks to everyone!
Actually, I have in mind also doing a toucan with coopers PA. 
their lager is regarded as the least bitter by those here (390 IBU on their website) however the PA is listed as 340 IBU. Is this indeed correct?


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## Bribie G (5/1/09)

quantocks said:


> still yet to try an AG beer



I'll slip you a 750ml PET on 1st Feb h34r:


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## tcraig20 (5/1/09)

Fermented said:


> Except that would make you _real_ popular.
> 
> Cheers - Fermented.



This guy must be king then


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## bradsbrew (5/1/09)

JamesCraig said:


> This guy must be king then


Jeez Halfix gets around


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## buttersd70 (5/1/09)

Why, in the middle of a serious discussion, has somebody all of a sudden posted a picture of Muckey??? In his Sunday best, no less?


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## theMISSIONARY (18/1/09)

have you got it going....im always interested to see how other peoples two cans are going


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## quachy (19/1/09)

theMISSIONARY said:


> have you got it going....im always interested to see how other peoples two cans are going



not yet, just got back from a much needed break. will put it on maybe tonight. just a little worried about the hot temps in melb at the moment!


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## marlow_coates (19/1/09)

Did a slightly bigger two can some months ago.
Can read all about on the 'Slow Saison' thread if you search.

Quickly though I used 2 cans of Coopers int. series pale ale, 2 can of liquid pale malt and about a kilo of sugar throughout. Belgain Saison yeast from Wyeast.

Finished at 1023. Its been 3 months in bottle now and tastes 'big' on flavour but the bitterness I reckon is just right. However I chose the pale ale as from memory it was their least bitter can and I didn't want to overdo it.

I have found 2 cans of stout can overdo the bitterness, but I suppose with a lot of body that may balance. To this end, I am soon to bottle a 1 can coopers stout and 2 cans of amber liquid malt brew. Really hoping there is enough bitterness to meet that big malt bill  but all part of the learning curve.

Good luck and do report back on how you find them because the combinations are endless and some are just wrong and people should be warned :lol:


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## quachy (20/1/09)

put her on last night, she's going crazy today, bubbling over airlock! temp at pitch was 21, now temp at 26! hope it doesn't taste too funky! will let you guys know the outcome. (Frikken 40+ deg in melb at the moment, hotter still in bacchus marsh - son of a motherless goat i hate this heat!)

Quachy


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## quantocks (20/1/09)

I don't think it'll be too much of a problem at 26. Fermenting should be done within the next two or three days though. I think the bitterness will hide any off-flavours you might get with that. I just did a Yorkshire Bitter and it fermented out at 26 and it was pretty good.


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## spazmodik (21/1/09)

quantocks said:


> I don't think it'll be too much of a problem at 26. Fermenting should be done within the next two or three days though. I think the bitterness will hide any off-flavours you might get with that. I just did a Yorkshire Bitter and it fermented out at 26 and it was pretty good.



I've got a can of Coopers stout, and a can of Coopers Dark Ale that I was considerring doing a toucan with. Couldnt resist when I saw them on special for $6 each at Woolies so thought they might make a good pair for something different. 

Thoughts?
What else should I add?


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## Bribie G (21/1/09)

spazmodik said:


> I've got a can of Coopers stout, and a can of Coopers Dark Ale that I was considerring doing a toucan with. Couldnt resist when I saw them on special for $6 each at Woolies so thought they might make a good pair for something different.
> 
> Thoughts?
> What else should I add?



They are both fairly bitter so I would chuck in a kilo of light dried malt extract to balance up the sweet/bitter ratio and end up with a porter-like beer of probably about 6% alcohol. Every Coopers toucan I have made has spewed out through the airlock so beware. Also drink the resulting product responsibly  
PS a better yeast would probably help as well, like Nottingham or US-05


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## HoppingMad (21/1/09)

spazmodik said:


> I've got a can of Coopers stout, and a can of Coopers Dark Ale that I was considerring doing a toucan with. Couldnt resist when I saw them on special for $6 each at Woolies so thought they might make a good pair for something different.
> 
> Thoughts?
> What else should I add?



Had a mate do the double can of stout and dark ale and said it turned out well (he didn't add anything else because he's new to brewing but was happy with the result). He did it after meeting a member of the Coopers family at a function who said that if you're going to two can that is the best combo, so he went off and did it shortly after. 

Myself I did a double can of two Coopers stouts with a bit of fuggles hops thrown in - the fuggles give it a grassy flavour, like an english stout. Was very 'big' in flavour and needed about 4 months to be truly good. If you overdo the fuggles it can taste like you're drinking mown grass. With most stouts you'll find the longer you cellar them (compared to the first drink in early weeks) the better they are.

Hopper


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