# What Is The Difference? Coopers Real Ale & Sparkling Ale



## benny_bjc (29/2/08)

Hi,

I like coopers sparkling ale and want to start home brewing.

I bought a can of coopers real ale from my supermarket.

What is the difference between the two concentrates: 

* Coopers Real Ale:
http://www.coopers.com.au/homebrew/hbrew.p...id=1&id=110

Colour - 230EBC, Bitterness - 560IBU _(Don't undrstand the technical spef)_





* Coopers Sparkling Ale:

http://www.coopers.com.au/homebrew/hbrew.p...id=1&id=119
Colour - 90EBC, Bitterness - 490IBU _(Don't undrstand the technical spef)_


What should I expect from my homebrew real ale kit? How does it compare with the commercial Sparkling Ale?

Thanks


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## Hefty (29/2/08)

beer007 said:


> Hi,
> 
> I like coopers sparkling ale and want to start home brewing.
> 
> ...


90 EBC is lighter than 230 EBC. The real ale will have a yellow-gold appearance, the sparkling will be a pale straw sort of colour.
the real ale at 560IBU (international bittering units) is more bitter than the sparkling at 490IBU. And as I learnt today, the IBU's are in the hundreds in this case because that is the concentrated bitterness of the can. 560IBU's in the can, when made up to 23 litres, will be 30.4 IBU's. 490 wil be 26.6 IBU's when made to 23 litres.

You can learn all about it from these two topics:
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=21207

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...mp;#entry169361

I also learned a bit about comparing colours from the info at the start of the BJCP 2008 beer style guidlines:
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=20807
(if you combine the info on SRM's from here with the EBC's in the two links above you can get an idea of the colour of any of the beers listed.)

Hope that helps!
Jono.


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## glennheinzel (29/2/08)

Welcome to the forums! 

http://hbd.org/brewery/infobase/Acronyms.html
EBC refers to European Brewers' Convention (colour scale) . The beer gets darker as the number increases.
IBU's refers to International Bitterness Units. The beer gets more bitter as this number increases.

Both numbers appear to be for the concentrate before dilution in your fermenter. The bottom line is that the Real Ale is going to be darker and more bitter than the Sparkling Ale.

Edit: Doh! Beaten by Jono.


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## jendres (29/2/08)

Quick explanation: Real Ale is darker and slightly more bitter. These specs are for the concentrate, so your final brew will be different. Someone with more experience might be able to give you the standard Kit & Kilo (can & and 1kg of sugar/malt extract) results. Edit: Someone already has!

Coopers Kits are good. Make sure they aren't out of date or have been on the shelf for too long. This is often the case at the supermarkets. You will usually get better results if you use malt extract to partially or completely replace the sugar. You might want to get a speciality yeast, but I think coopers is pretty good. (again check the Use by date.)

Also don't follow the can instructions! John Palmer has the first edition of his book How to Brew freely available on the internet and it is a great place to start. Read Section 1 before your first brew.


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## Fatgodzilla (29/2/08)

> What should I expect from my homebrew real ale kit? How does it compare with the commercial Sparkling Ale?



Beer007. Do not expect any home brew to ever taste anything close to an commercial beer of the same name. If you could make a beer that tastes like CSA then Coppers would be selling the kits for $60 or more.

You can make good beer using kits, but they will not taste like a commercial beer. Some will be good and some will be ordinary. But they will atste different cos they are made with different ingredients.

You might like Big Macs but you won't be able to make one from ingredients bought at Woolies. Done properly, you'll make a better burger. Using cheap stuff, you'll a make a burger that looks kinda like a Big mac, but will taste different. Homebrew is the same.


I've made some good brews with CRA. I've made some duds. I don't use kits as my primary source anymore.
Good luck.


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## gerald (29/2/08)

Is this your first or second home brew?

as it is from the supermarket - check the use by date on the bottom of the tin - make sure it isnt out of date.

also, dont follow the instructions that include 1kilo of "brewers sugar".

search here for recipes, and if you dont have a local home brew shop where you can get specific dry malt extracts or malt extract tins, then find one! OR use a "brew enhancer" pack from the supermarket.

catchyas
gerald


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## Boozy the clown (31/3/08)

gerald said:


> Is this your first or second home brew?
> 
> 
> also, dont follow the instructions that include 1kilo of "brewers sugar".
> ...




Yeah 1kg is for wusses. use 2 or 3. A big hefty yeast and then wait about three months then drink. Very slowly.


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