# My Coopers Draught Taste's Fruity : /



## shaunbrew (24/4/11)

:icon_cheers: drinking a batch of coopers draught that has been conditioning in bottles for 4 weeks
seems to have a strange fruity smell and tang to it :icon_drool2: ??? the batch i did before this one came out perfect  the fermenter sat at roughly 20 degrees the whole time and bottles have been in a cool place for a month

was coopers draught with coopers BE1 and kit yeast any ideas of what might have gone wrong????

cheers shaun :beerbang:


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## Wolfy (24/4/11)

'fruity' is usually a result of yeast or fermentation issues, most often caused by being fermented too warm.
The first few days of fermentation are most important in regard to yeast-derived flavours, so are you sure that for those days it was 'roughly 20 degrees' or is it possible it was 24-25?


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## shaunbrew (24/4/11)

hey wolfy, yeah i keep a good eye on my fermenter and the highest was on the last day wich was at 22, most days i check on her 2 times a day and allways sitting at 18-20, and i am a sterile freak , cant seem to think of what went wrong the last batch was spot on, will it improve if i leave it conditioning longer??? cheers

shaun


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## [email protected] (24/4/11)

The yeast might have also been old or subjected to less than ideal conditions prior to you using it, coupled with probable poor ferment temps as mentioned by wolfy, does not help your case.

In the last year, i have learned that to have a chance to brew good or great beer consistantly, you need to start with the freshest ingredients, have good yeast managment and control your ferment temp to within one degree or less. 
These three things are key, there are 100 other things you need to do well also, but get these right and you have a fighting chance.

good luck with your brewing


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## shaunbrew (24/4/11)

by using other yeast as opposed to the kit yeast will this improve my brew??? if so what would u recomend ?will definatly have to look into ssome kind of temp control,


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## waggastew (24/4/11)

Coopers yeast does have a tendency to go fruity, even at lowish temps (20degC). Maybe give US05 a go for your next batch and compare the difference?


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## felten (24/4/11)

Proper pitching rate and oxygenation can help, as well as the fermentation temp and a less fruity strain. ^ US05 is a good choice.


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## shaunbrew (24/4/11)

thanks for the feedback guys , great help will definatly give the uso5 a go 

shaun


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## soundawake (24/4/11)

Hi there,

Sorry to hijack thread here with my first post, but while we're on the topic of ferment temps-

I've got my first ever coopers home brew fermenting now, (the lager that comes in the kit obviously). The temp has been going from 22-23 during day down to 18ish at night.. Will this temp fluctuation have any adverse effects?

My apologies for the newbie question.


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## waggastew (24/4/11)

soundawake said:


> Hi there,
> 
> Sorry to hijack thread here with my first post, but while we're on the topic of ferment temps-
> 
> ...



Short answer = yes, it will not taste like Crown Lager (some say thats a good thing!)

Long Answer = yes, but its not going to be so different than if you kept the beer at 18degC all the way. Temp fluctuation (greater than +/- 2 degC) is not a great thing for fermenting beer BUT the max temp (particularly in the first few days of fermentation) is far more important. Your beer will have fruity notes at 22-23 but won't be a fruit salad riot. Don't be in a hurry to bottle it (2-3 weeks, FG 1010-12), and let is condition in the bottle for at least 2 months. It WILL be the best beer you have EVER brewed, but only until your next batch. See the frequently asked questions thread linked below for more tips.

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...?showtopic=9233


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## soundawake (25/4/11)

Much obliged!


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## bum (25/4/11)

Take some of those conclusions with a grain of salt, soundawake. I'm pretty sure that almost anyone who has half a clue of what they are saying would suggest to you that keeping your future brews (with ale yeast like your current brew) at a constant 18degC would give you greatly improved results. 

But this first brew of yours will, in all likelihood, be nigh on identical to that of many of us here and we all kept brewing - chances are you'll be no different.

Read the thread waggastew linked to and you'll see a great many things you can do to improve the next one. Then keep reading even more old posts and you'll find the answers to questions you never knew you had and your beer will be tremendous in no time.

Happy brewing.


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## milob40 (26/4/11)

shaunbrew said:


> :icon_cheers: drinking a batch of coopers draught that has been conditioning in bottles for 4 weeks
> seems to have a strange fruity smell and tang to it :icon_drool2: ??? the batch i did before this one came out perfect  the fermenter sat at roughly 20 degrees the whole time and bottles have been in a cool place for a month
> 
> was coopers draught with coopers BE1 and kit yeast any ideas of what might have gone wrong????
> ...


just curious, what the temp of the wort was at pitching?
i have learned that pitching yeast at the same temp i ferment at makes a big difference.
i have experienced you prob myself when i started brewing but i pitched at about 28 degrees. 
also the kit i was given as a fathers day present sat in unfavourable temps for 6 months before i used it
and the concentrate on opening the can was very dark indeed. make sure you buy your kits from somewhere with good turnover of stock and stored in fav. conditions.


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## shaunbrew (26/4/11)

the yeast was pictched at 22,c ahh well still drinkable just hope the brew im bottling today is ok,
cheers shaun


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## michaelcocks (26/4/11)

shaunbrew said:


> the yeast was pictched at 22,c ahh well still drinkable just hope the brew im bottling today is ok,
> cheers shaun
> [/quote
> 
> ...


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## frenzal_tom (10/5/11)

i noticed the same thing when i made those k+k. stopped making it after my 3rd one. made a fresh wort kit turned out perfect. now just made an extract, Neils centennial its suppose to be good. hopefully it turns out fine.


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## shaunbrew (11/5/11)

dunno what went wrong , didnt last long, seems i cant brew quick enough needing a second fermenter 

shaun


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