# Coopers Micro-brew Kit Advice



## Dargai (10/11/08)

Hi all,

I'm brand new at homebrewing, and am looking for a bit of advice as to the quality of the Coopers kit found in supermarkets (c. $85). Is this kit any good for a newbie or should I spend a bit more (which I'm tempted to do) on another kit made from scratch etc.? Also, any tips on improving this micro-brew kit with a few bits and pieces?

Apologies if this has been posted before!

Cheers.


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## WarmBeer (10/11/08)

I'm sure you'll get plenty of feedback on this, but as a relatively new (less than 12 months) brewer, here's my thoughts:


The fermenter and all associated bits (tap, airlock, etc) are just fine. Just about all of us have one amongst our brewing paraphernalia
The beer kit that comes with it (probably Cooper's Lager) and the 1kg Brewing Sugar combo produce a reasonably good beer (if your previous experience is along the lines of VB / Tooheys, etc) but won't make you're taste buds go "wow, where have you been all my life!"
In terms of $$$ per litre, it can't be beat. This is a very cheap introduction into our obsessionhobby.
I expect there will be differing opinions from fellow forum lurkers, but that's the beauty of both beer and the internet. Everybody is unique, with their own opinions, tastebuds and budgets.

Cheers, and welcome to the (non gender-specific) brotherhood.


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## Fatgodzilla (10/11/08)

Dargai said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I'm brand new at homebrewing, and am looking for a bit of advice as to the quality of the Coopers kit found in supermarkets (c. $85). Is this kit any good for a newbie or should I spend a bit more (which I'm tempted to do) on another kit made from scratch etc.? Also, any tips on improving this micro-brew kit with a few bits and pieces?
> 
> ...



For what you get you get reasonable value. In making your own kit go to a local homebrew shop and price the extra bits other than a fermenter and you'll see that. With the kit you also get a can of goo, fermenter tabs and bottles. All easy for the new guy. Reasonable value. Wait until you get into all the other joys of brewing then watch what happens.

I hate to promote eBay but go there and you may find someone's rejects at a cheaper price, but remember caveat emptor applies.


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## Interloper (10/11/08)

Dargai said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I'm brand new at homebrewing, and am looking for a bit of advice as to the quality of the Coopers kit found in supermarkets (c. $85). Is this kit any good for a newbie or should I spend a bit more (which I'm tempted to do) on another kit made from scratch etc.? Also, any tips on improving this micro-brew kit with a few bits and pieces?
> 
> ...



Suggest a visit to the Local Home Brew Shop (LHBS) would be a cheaper way to spend $80 to get the same gear for probably less than $50?

Even cheaper is to buy your own container from bunnings, drill a hole in the lid for an airlock+grommit and then visit LHBS for thermometer, hydrometer, airlock and a tin of goo.

Many folks will not even bother with airlock, simply wrapping the fermenter opening with glad wrap and a few pin pricks. I've done this when I had less fermenters. Works fine. I prefer my airlock because the "bloop bloop" bubbling soothes me  .

But if you have the cash to burn, the coopers HB starter kit is a quick and easy entry to the obsessionhobby. (For that matter the Brigalow Kit from K-mart is even cheaper I think. get that one and buy a better tin of goo to start you off)


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## Dargai (10/11/08)

Seems to me like a good place to start  . Any advice on a can of goo for someone who appreciates oddities such as fish rock brewerys red emperor and leather jacket (two different beers I know, but something reasonably similar), and/or a generic pilsener?

(EDIT: fish NOT red rock  )


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## petesbrew (10/11/08)

Still got mine, still using all the various bits & pieces with it, but you'll build up stuff over time. 
The Coopers kit is a great place to start, considering it comes with the bottles as well. Still using mine 3 years on.
There would be heaps of guys here who started off with the same kit.

Depending where you're at, check your HB shop to see what theirs come with.

Look in the articles and check the new to brewing threads, they should tell a bit more.

Have a look at the recipes in the kits & extract threads and have fun.
All the best mate


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## Pollux (10/11/08)

I bought one when i first started, and followed the instructions to the letter.....

4 brews later I wanted to up production, so I bought another micro-brew kit on sale and used the Lager kit to make a toucan, while using the sugar in the wifes cider.....


The fermenters are good quality, and the PETs are handy to have around come bottling day....

The brigalow kits have smaller fermenters and no bottles....


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## muckey (10/11/08)

the only down side I have ever heard of with the coopers fermenter is that because they are a little shorter and fatter and harder to fit 2 in a brew fridge at the same time :lol: 

I always keep a few of the PET bottles around and bottle the leftovers after filling the keg ( bottles get primed with carb drops)

because you get everything in a box I think they are a good way to start and ou can often get them on special at a good price.

BTW even if you do buy other fermenters an extra 1 always comes in handy for bulk priming or extra batches B)

edit: cant type and work at the same time


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## flattop (10/11/08)

I recently ran a poll on Coopers ferementers VS others, imho the Coopers fermenters are of good build quality, the Coopers kit i bought for about that price also had30 PET bottles and caps, spoon, hydrometer as well as everything else needed to finish the first brew. Use Dextrose instead of sugar with the kit tin or you will never brew again .... standard white sugar is no good for brewing and the small price difference for dextrose (about $3 a kilo) will give a much better result.
All that said, most of us would be thirsty or broke without the help of the LHBS, those guys keep our airlocks blubbing and our throats glugging.
I have found them to be a bit more expensive than KMART but they stock hops and yeasts and stuff KMART wouldn't. We would all be stuck doing tucans if there were no LHBS.

I think the Coopers kit is a great starter, consider starting with that and then perhaps buying a second fermenter from your LHBS...


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## brilinjo (10/11/08)

Go with the Coopers kit as it has everything you initially need (ignore the DVD), and brew it so you know what the base level is. You'll be reasonably satisfied with the result because you made it yourself. Then visit the LHBS and get a better kit (eg Muntons) an enhancer pack including hops or a hop teabag, and some better yeast (ale yeast at this time of year). Then compare the difference. More body, head & flavour (sounds like my wife) and you'll never go back to the standard (Coopers/Tooheys/Cascade) supermarket kits, unless you just want to use the kit as a starter. Then it's all downhill as your obsession grows.


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## buttersd70 (10/11/08)

brilinjo said:


> (ignore the DVD),



Don't ignore the dvd entirely.....put it aside for 6 months, then come back and watch it....great comedic value. (sorry Paul. But it is.  )


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## antains (10/11/08)

buttersd70 said:


> Don't ignore the dvd entirely.....put it aside for 6 months, then come back and watch it....great comedic value. (sorry Paul. But it is.  )



DVD! I feel like an old hand, coz I got the VHS tape with my first Coopers kit!  

I've got two Coopers Kits. I got the second because I wanted another (a third at this point) fermenter plus more bottles. A bit of plumbing tape and some Paw Paw ointment help seal them up. The second fermenter I got was a barrel from church (aka Bunnings, coz I'm damn well there every Sunday for something), which I've started to use for racking. I think I might go get another one so I can get back up to three fermenters :lol: . Especially as, after 4 years of intermittent brewing, I am ready to experiment.

Ant.


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## buttersd70 (10/11/08)

antains said:


> DVD! I feel like an old hand, coz I got the VHS tape with my first Coopers kit!



I only just noticed that this said dvd, not tape...didn't know that it had changed.. :lol:


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## Hefty (11/11/08)

Dargai said:


> ...looking for a bit of advice as to the quality of the Coopers kit found in supermarkets (c. $85). Is this kit any good for a newbie or should I spend a bit more (which I'm tempted to do) on another kit made from scratch etc.? Also, any tips on improving this micro-brew kit with a few bits and pieces?


The kit is good ( I started with a Brigalow but recently recommended the Coopers one for a mate coz of the PET bottles provided to get started)

My advice would be to spend the extra $ on a packet of better (try s-04 or US-05 to start with) yeast, 1kg of light dry malt and maybe a finishing hops teabag from your LHBS so that your first brew will impress you rather than just tasting like beer. Do a search for bulk priming and use the sucrose/brewing sugar that comes with the kit for that at bottling time.

My $0.02
Cheers,
Jono.

EDIT: spelling


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## raven19 (11/11/08)

I think any kit is a great start to the wonderful world of brewing.

And the more you make, the more you learn... :icon_cheers:


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## antains (11/11/08)

Hefty said:


> My advice would be to spend the extra $ on a packet of better (try s-04 or US-05 to start with) yeast,



+1

That's a really good tip - one that I got as soon as I joined this forum. Store or turf the yeast you get with the goo and speak to LHBS about which yeasts would go best at which times and temperatures.


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## cdbrown (11/11/08)

antains said:


> Store or turf the yeast you get with the goo and speak to LHBS about which yeasts would go best at which times and temperatures.



And then check on these forums to work out whether the people at the LHBS are just talking out their arse or are genuinely interested in homebrewing. Lately there's been quite a few posts from people that have been given the wrong information by the LHBS.


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## buttersd70 (11/11/08)

cdbrown said:


> And then check on these forums to work out whether the people at the LHBS are just talking out their arse or are genuinely interested in homebrewing. Lately there's been quite a few posts from people that have been given the wrong information by the LHBS.



true, so very true...unfortunately.

But its marvelous what a difference a change in yeast makes. One simple little change, and you get an entirely different beer.


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