# I've Hit The Jackpot!



## redunderthebed (3/5/10)

I've found a place in my town that stocks thomas cooper range of extracts. :super: We don't have a LHBS here but one of the hardware stores stocks brew cellar gear which checking there range is awesome. Mitre10 are useless and it sounds like they don't order anything in and just have expensive clone kits. <_< 


Next project my fellow brewers thomas cooper sparkling ale **** yeah. :beerbang:


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## Digger11 (3/5/10)

I prefer the Coopers Real Ale - any reason you prefer the Sparkling ?


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## Pete2501 (3/5/10)

I prefer shiny things to real things too. h34r:


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## Digger11 (3/5/10)

Does the Sprakling Ale come in a shinier can ?


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## redunderthebed (3/5/10)

Digger11 said:


> I prefer the Coopers Real Ale - any reason you prefer the Sparkling ?




I thought it would be like the sparkling ale that is one of my favorite beers.I'm not naive to think it will be exactly the same but if its half as good as the real stuff i'll be very happy.

:icon_drunk:


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## Digger11 (4/5/10)

Remember to post back when your start drinking. Many posters get really keen on the formula / process but we don't get that many posts on how their beers actually tasted .


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## Wolfy (4/5/10)

Digger11 said:


> Remember to post back when your start drinking. Many posters get really keen on the formula / process but we don't get that many posts on how their beers actually tasted .


If the results are anything like some of my 'experiments' ... often the 'forgetting' to report back is deliberate. 
Better to 'forget' something than to own up to a 'failure'.


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## the_yobbo (4/5/10)

Wolfy said:


> If the results are anything like some of my 'experiments' ... often the 'forgetting' to report back is deliberate.
> Better to 'forget' something than to own up to a 'failure'.



Hmm, disagree. Otherwise you get others following your formula also making crappy beer.

I'm sure I've had similar discussions in days gone by regarding PHD research topics. If the study proves something to work, then it gets published. If it didn't work/was a waste of time, it doesn't get published, and no one finds out. Who knows how many hours of research are wasted trialing theories already proven wrong by others but not documented.

Summary: Any feedback on any beer recipe is good IMO.


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## Mick74 (4/5/10)

redunderthebed I reckon if your a fan of the commercial Sparkling Ale you'll love the kit. Just make sure you reculture the yeast from a few Pale Ale stubbies to take it to the next level. Let us know how it turns out.


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## Mark Van Moolenbroek (4/5/10)

Redunderbed, I agree with the last post, go for it the CSA its a good kit, was my 3rd kit I made which I probably attempted for the same reasons as you. I made it to the tins instructions and found it a solid ale with good body, although not too sure it was close to the original. I found it a good start to understanding some of the flavour / body variations between the kit brews , part of the journey I guess. Looking back now to the kit I think as per the instructions on the tin results in an overly malty brew with little to no hops flavour, but thats only my experienced and opinion to date.

After about 27 kit brews I have done another CSA but to the kit version of a James Squire Golden ale which I think comes from Dr Smurto. This has been my best brew by a long way.

1.7kg CSA, 1.5kg Wheat Malt, 250g LDME, kit yeast, 3 x 15g Amarillo @ 15,5,0mins

Side x side test with the original JSGA and I can not believe how close they are, has given me incentive to work on more hops additions and move into extract and AG brewing after more than a long enough apprentiship with the kits.

Go for the CSA its a good kit to get the journey rolling.

Cheers,

Markvm


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## Fents (4/5/10)

you hit the jackpot finding a coopers kit?

someone get this man an all grain beer stat he will think christmas has come early.


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## Coach_R (4/5/10)

I've been pondering the JSGA smurto style kit for the last week or 2... Does the addition of the sparkling rather then the real ale can make that much difference?? 

Is there anyone that has tried it this way just curious...


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## redunderthebed (4/5/10)

Digger11 said:


> Remember to post back when your start drinking. Many posters get really keen on the formula / process but we don't get that many posts on how their beers actually tasted .


Next saturday my first ever batch of beer is ready shall report on it and the sparkling ale.




Muddy Waters said:


> redunderthebed I reckon if your a fan of the commercial Sparkling Ale you'll love the kit. Just make sure you reculture the yeast from a few Pale Ale stubbies to take it to the next level. Let us know how it turns out


I don't drink palies i wouldn't pollute sparkling ale with such a thing.





Markv said:


> Redunderbed, I agree with the last post, go for it the CSA its a good kit, was my 3rd kit I made which I probably attempted for the same reasons as you. I made it to the tins instructions and found it a solid ale with good body, although not too sure it was close to the original. I found it a good start to understanding some of the flavour / body variations between the kit brews , part of the journey I guess. Looking back now to the kit I think as per the instructions on the tin results in an overly malty brew with little to no hops flavour, but thats only my experienced and opinion to date.
> 
> After about 27 kit brews I have done another CSA but to the kit version of a James Squire Golden ale which I think comes from Dr Smurto. This has been my best brew by a long way.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the advice i'm glad i'm not wasting $16 on a crap kit. I was thinking of tweaking with the kit a bit put some brew enhancer in it and/or maybe some hops. 




Fents said:


> you hit the jackpot finding a coopers kit?
> 
> someone get this man an all grain beer stat he will think christmas has come early.



I live in a town devoid of a home brew shop to find somewhere with a decent range of gear is indeed hitting the jackpot.


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## goomboogo (4/5/10)

red, the Sparkling and the Pale use the same yeast. Muddy Waters was referring to using the Coopers yeast as a lot of the flavour profile can be attributed to the yeast. The suggestion of using the yeast from the Pale is because it is a lower alc/vol beer and therefore the yeast may be in better condition than those from the higher alcohol Sparkling.


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## Mick74 (4/5/10)

Spot on goomboogoo. I'll take Coopers Sparkling Ale over the Pale Ale any day but when looking to reculture some yeast I'll buy the Pale Ale. Like you say the yeast will be in better condition due to the lower alcohol content but also because it makes its way onto the shelf a lot quicker than the Sparkling Ale.


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## BEC26 (4/5/10)

We have a LHBS here that sells the Premium range coopers kits for less than or close to what Big W sells the regular kits for. It is always fresh as well.

I paid $11.50 for the Sparkling which I think is pretty good.

Cheers


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## redunderthebed (4/5/10)

BEC26 said:


> We have a LHBS here that sells the Premium range coopers kits for less than or close to what Big W sells the regular kits for. It is always fresh as well.
> 
> I paid $11.50 for the Sparkling which I think is pretty good.
> 
> Cheers



Shit ill have to pay $16 for mine. :blink:


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## GTS350 (4/5/10)

redunderthebed said:


> ...... I was thinking of tweaking with the kit a bit put some brew enhancer in it and/or maybe some hops.
> 
> I live in a town devoid of a home brew shop to find somewhere with a decent range of gear is indeed hitting the jackpot.




+1 the sparkling is the way to go.

Much like that show "pimp my ride".
Some peeps pull out their welder , and the grinder , and the sander , bust their ass for a few days, and claim they got real beer (well maybe they do?).

Easily bling out with some hop-tea in a coffee cup, then mixed in just prior to yeast pitching.
While a kit n kilo was pimped, they're still trying to sort out the cavitation problem on their March pumps..

Show me 'da "bling" baby


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## redunderthebed (4/5/10)

GTS350 said:


> +1 the sparkling is the way to go.
> 
> Much like that show "pimp my ride".
> Some peeps pull out their welder , and the grinder , and the sander , bust their ass for a few days, and claim they got real beer (well maybe they do?).
> ...




:lol: Very well put i only have a small house and i'm barely able to have the basic setup much less all this other stuff one day if i have a big shed with electricity and water hooked up i'll have a go at all grain and alike.


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## pokerpot (5/5/10)

redunderthebed said:


> Next saturday my first ever batch of beer is ready shall report on it and the sparkling ale.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



If you're trying to get a close copy of the Sparkling Ale you're doing yourself a great disservice by not culturing the yeast out of the bottom of a few Pale Ales. 

Listen to what the posters above are telling you... if you want it even remotely close, you need to ditch the yeast it comes with and use the real thing.


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## Faithy (5/5/10)

Half the flavours from CPA/CSA come from the yeast (both fermentation and being still in the beer). Buy 3 longies of CPA and culture up the yeast in a starter. You get to drink most of the beer too! The Cooper's yeast is the best improvement you will make to your beer. It'll ferment like crazy though so keep an eye on temps (I like 18C for Cooper's PA yeast).

Search the forum for the Brew In A Bag (BIAB) method of all grain brewing. I'm in a similar situation, currently living in a two bedroom apartment but this method allows me to make much better beer and boil the full wort so hop additions are easy.


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## spog (6/5/10)

no adress d under your name where the bloody hell are ya......cheers.....spog.......


redunderthebed said:


> I've found a place in my town that stocks thomas cooper range of extracts. :super: We don't have a LHBS here but one of the hardware stores stocks brew cellar gear which checking there range is awesome. Mitre10 are useless and it sounds like they don't order anything in and just have expensive clone kits. <_<
> 
> 
> Next project my fellow brewers thomas cooper sparkling ale **** yeah. :beerbang:


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## redunderthebed (7/5/10)

spog said:


> no adress d under your name where the bloody hell are ya......cheers.....spog.......



From the same town as you if you location is correct Port Lincoln.


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## redunderthebed (7/5/10)

Made up the sparkling ale today to the specifications it tells you to.

1.7kg can of goo
1.5kg of light malt extract
500g light dry malt
300g of dextrose

A shitload of fermentables should be nice and strong. :beerbang:


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## goomboogo (8/5/10)

redunderthebed said:


> Made up the sparkling ale today to the specifications it tells you to.
> 
> 1.7kg can of goo
> 1.5kg of light malt extract
> ...



What did you decide about yeast?


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## pokerpot (8/5/10)

goomboogo said:


> What did you decide about yeast?


My money is on that he didn't listen and used the stuff that came under the lid. I bet next he uses bottle cultured yeast though.


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## Gronko (8/5/10)

Digger11 said:


> Many posters get really keen on the formula / process but we don't get that many posts on how their beers actually tasted .


I made 6 or 7 batches and none tasted even vaguely like the real deal (which is my favourite beer) so I gave up in the end and just brew various kits and bits with US05 yeast. Nothing in particular. Just trying different recipes till I strike one I really like.

The coopers sparkling ale kit recipe just didn't work for me at all and was expensive compared to better beers I've brewed for less $$

YMMV


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## redunderthebed (9/5/10)

goomboogo said:


> What did you decide about yeast?



I used the stuff in the kit




pokerpot said:


> My money is on that he didn't listen and used the stuff that came under the lid. I bet next he uses bottle cultured yeast though.



I don't know how to re culture yeast?!.


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## redunderthebed (13/5/10)

Tested it a bit over 5% which is bang on and it tastes very similar. :beerbang: :icon_cheers:


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## Pete2501 (13/5/10)

redunderthebed said:


> I used the stuff in the kit
> 
> 
> 
> ...



There's a PDF in the articles section that covers this pretty well. For your next attempt it's worth a shot. You have to drink a few beers though. 

SHAME! huh?


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## redunderthebed (13/5/10)

Pete2501 said:


> There's a PDF in the articles section that covers this pretty well. For your next attempt it's worth a shot. You have to drink a few beers though.
> 
> SHAME! huh?



Yeah its terrible that i have to do that :lol: 

Just had a squiz at the PDF sounds pretty easy to do.


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## redunderthebed (27/5/10)

Just cracked it open it now mmmmm its good.


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