# Coopers Pale Ale - Which Hops?



## reformed99

I'm just about to put down a Coopers APA + 1kg BE2 + ~200g LDME.
Which hops should I be using, was thinking of steeping cascade?


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## Adamt

You can use what you want... if you want to keep to the original's style you should use Pride of Ringwood; not too much though.


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## KHB

Adamt said:


> You can use what you want... if you want to keep to the original's style you should use Pride of Ringwood; not too much though.




+1


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## benny_bjc

Adamt said:


> You can use what you want... if you want to keep to the original's style you should use Pride of Ringwood; not too much though.



How much and what would be the hop schedule if your sticking with the original Coopers Pale Ale Style?

You use to be able to get POR hop flowers at the country brewer, but it seems they have taken them off the online catalouge and only sell the pellets now.


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## Adamt

I would do a boil of say, 10-15g for 20 minutes for a standard batch.


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## earle

If you don't mind going away from the Original Coopers Pale Ale style cascade will be fine, in fact I'm drinking a Coopers APA kit with Morgans MB caramalt and cascade hops right now. A nice drop.


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## Jase71

Adamt said:


> You can use what you want... if you want to keep to the original's style you should use Pride of Ringwood; not too much though.



Adam, you do realise that you're contributing to a kits & extracts thread, right ? I thought the rules of true brewing didn't apply here amongst us wee proletariats  

*Friendly* pisstaking aside, do coopers kits exclusivly use POR, do the hops vary between cans ? I ask this with a view to emulate the lovely on-tap JSGA, and K & K & B & E recipes seems to go for Coopers (sparkling/real/pale) as a base upon which to add Amarillo.


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## Fourstar

i made a killer cream ale with US northern brewer. turned out very much like Coopers Pale. If you can get you're hands on US northern brewer, go for it! otherwise stick with POR or try antoher minty/spicy hop like chinook or perle to put you;re swing on things.


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## Adamt

Jase71 said:


> Adam, you do realise that you're contributing to a kits & extracts thread, right ? I thought the rules of true brewing didn't apply here amongst us wee proletariats
> 
> *Friendly* pisstaking aside, do coopers kits exclusivly use POR, do the hops vary between cans ? I ask this with a view to emulate the lovely on-tap JSGA, and K & K & B & E recipes seems to go for Coopers (sparkling/real/pale) as a base upon which to add Amarillo.



Hopping in the cans can be varied in a couple of ways, either in the kettle or as an oil addition in the can. I'd imagine the evaporation process would screw up any flavour/aroma additions, so I'm guessing there's only bittering additions for the actual extract. This would (probably) be done with isomerised hop extracts... more bitterness for their buck.


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## reformed99

Awesome, thanks everyone.

When you say "not too much", maybe 15g steeped in boiling water for 10 minutes?


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## Josh

Yeah that'll come out pretty well reformed. You could boil it up to 20 minutes which would give less aroma than a 10 minute steep.


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## petesbrew

I did one with BE2, 25g Nelson Sauvin (dry hopped) and it turned insane.
Next time I'll do it with DME


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## buttersd70

Jase71 said:


> .... do coopers kits exclusivly use POR, do the hops vary between cans ? I ask this with a view to emulate the lovely on-tap JSGA, and K & K & B & E recipes seems to go for Coopers (sparkling/real/pale) as a base upon which to add Amarillo.



Jase
The coopers kits (or at least the Coopers draught) appears to be iso hopped....I did a skunking experiment once, deliverately skunked an all extract brew, and compared to a coopers draught with no additional hops.....no skunking occured on the Coopers draught. This may vary from kit to kit, though.

As for the hop style (in the coopers range)....I'm sure they vary their hops. I might be going mad, but I could have sworn that at one time in the can descriptions on the coopers website, it mentioned (for some kits) the hops....I'm sure that it said the pale had a 'cascade finish'....it doesn't say anything now (I just checked), but I remember it because it stuck in my mind as odd, cos I was always under the impression that the commercial APA used por throughout...I don't _think _I'm getting confused with other brands...but maybe I am.


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## ~MikE

i like POR plus saaz... and step in 50-150g chocolate malt into it.


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## buttersd70

~MikE said:


> i like POR plus saaz... and step in 50-150g chocolate malt into it.



Thats what coopers say is in their mild.


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## Hefty

Josh said:


> Yeah that'll come out pretty well reformed. You could boil it up to 20 minutes which would give less aroma than a 10 minute steep.


+1 for 20 minutes for the Pale Ale.
I did a Coopers Pale with re-cultured Coopers yeast and steeped a 12g POR finishing bag before I started getting more into extract and partial brews.
I left the bag in the fermenter throughout fermentation and it turned out *really nice* but more like the Sparkling Ale because it had more hop flavour and aroma.

This kit even turns out surprisingly close to the real thing with recultured coopers yeast and no hops IMHO (that being said, I'd stll do the 20 mins).

Cheers!
Jono.


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## robbo5253

Hey all,

Brewing an Extract Pale Ale on the weekend and I only have 30g of POR, the recipe I am using needs 40. I do have some amarillo, so should I use this as the bittering hop or as the flavour hop?
Recipe
3.0kg DME
0.1kg Wheat Malt
0.15kg Carared

20g POR 60mins
10g POR 30mins
10g POR 10mins.

I do have B-Saaz flowers and cascade pellets if either of these would be better?

Cheers

Robbo


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## QldKev

robbo5253 said:


> Hey all,
> 
> Brewing an Extract Pale Ale on the weekend and I only have 30g of POR, the recipe I am using needs 40. I do have some amarillo, so should I use this as the bittering hop or as the flavour hop?
> Recipe
> 3.0kg DME
> 0.1kg Wheat Malt
> 0.15kg Carared
> 
> 20g POR 60mins
> 10g POR 30mins
> 10g POR 10mins.
> 
> I do have B-Saaz flowers and cascade pellets if either of these would be better?
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Robbo




I'm not sure about the 60/30/10 hop schedule you have been given for a Coopers Pale? It may over complex the simple flavor. I would dump the lot in at 60mins (don't worry too much which hop you use for the other ~10g when doing a 60min addition, as long as you match the IBU) and let the Coopers Pale Ale yeast do the talking.

QldKev


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## _HOME_BREW_WALLACE_

Hi,
I have always done coopers aussie pale ale (6 or 7 kits so far) with a boiled t-bag of cascade @ 15min, and 1 of hallertau @ 5min in about 1.5ltrs of water. all have turned out pretty tasty to date.


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## manticle

robbo5253 said:


> Hey all,
> 
> Brewing an Extract Pale Ale on the weekend and I only have 30g of POR, the recipe I am using needs 40. I do have some amarillo, so should I use this as the bittering hop or as the flavour hop?
> Recipe
> 3.0kg DME
> 0.1kg Wheat Malt
> 0.15kg Carared
> 
> 20g POR 60mins
> 10g POR 30mins
> 10g POR 10mins.
> 
> I do have B-Saaz flowers and cascade pellets if either of these would be better?
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Robbo



Depends what you're trying to make. If you actually want to make a beer that resembles coopers then PoR and as Kev says - stick with single bittering addition.

Amarillo is lovely but it will be very different from coopers, even as a bittering addition. Contrary to what many think, bittering additions aren't always neutral.

If you're happy to go outside the coopers replication then amarillo and cascade work very well together - will just be a different beer. Not sure how they go with PoR though (only used PoR twice and one is still fermenting - neither mixed with amarillo or cascade).


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## QldKev

manticle said:


> Depends what you're trying to make. If you actually want to make a beer that resembles coopers then PoR and as Kev says - stick with single bittering addition.
> 
> Amarillo is lovely but it will be very different from coopers, even as a bittering addition. Contrary to what many think, bittering additions aren't always neutral.
> 
> If you're happy to go outside the coopers replication then amarillo and cascade work very well together - will just be a different beer. Not sure how they go with PoR though (only used PoR twice and one is still fermenting - neither mixed with amarillo or cascade).




I agree with manticle, although I love Amarillo, I would go the Cascade as the 25% bittering fill in. And the other key with CPA is getting you yeast pitch rates and fermentation temps correct; too bready one way and way too banana the other. Although you want a slightly more bready taste, not allowing it to go too much that way is the trick to the perfect hot days beers

For such a simple beer it is so rewarding to hit it correctly.

QldKev


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## Cocko

robbo5253 said:


> Hey all,
> 
> Brewing an Extract Pale Ale on the weekend and I only have 30g of POR, the recipe I am using needs 40. I do have some amarillo, so should I use this as the bittering hop or as the flavour hop?
> Recipe
> 3.0kg DME
> 0.1kg Wheat Malt
> 0.15kg Carared
> 
> 20g POR 60mins
> 10g POR 30mins
> 10g POR 10mins.
> 
> I do have B-Saaz flowers and cascade pellets if either of these would be better?
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Robbo



Quite the bump....

Anyways, if you want something like coopers, you HAVE to TRY re-cultivating the bottle yeast!

View attachment Coopers_Yeast.pdf


May seem a little daunting but is simple and yields amazing results! Go for it!

Cheers


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## Hatchy

That's the least daunting guide I've seen about reculturing yeast. Not even a mention of acid washing.


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## robbo5253

Ok, going to change to the single 60min addition and add 10g of Cascade to make up the amount to 40g.

In regards to the Yeast, I am looking to brew this on Sunday, so could I look at doing the Yeast on Friday night or Thursday night?

Cheers

Robbo


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## Cocko

robbo5253 said:


> In regards to the Yeast, I am looking to brew this on Sunday, so could I look at doing the Yeast on Friday night or Thursday night?



I have found each time I have done it, it is good to go in 2-3 days... so you should be fine. Maybe do it Thursday....


:icon_cheers:


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