Best Coopers Pale Ale Recipe? Need Help Picking Best Ingredients...

[lukemarsh]

I'm wanting to brew a perfect Coopers Pale Ale soon, but am unsure what ingredients to buy. At my work (Woolies) we sell the Coopers brew cans and enhancers, but I was thinking buying enhancers and yeasts from a specialist brewing store would be better?
Should I just stick with the Coopers brand brewing stuff or should I go out and buy supposedly better quality stuff from a brewing specialist to make a Coopers Pale Ale?

I was thinking of just buying the Coopers Pale Ale can and the brewing enhancer, then maybe replacing the yeast under the lid with a better yeast from the brewing specialist store?
BrewCraft have a recipe for Coopers Pale Ale which using nothing under the actual Coopers brand, only the stuff they sell in the store.

 

[kelbygreen]

far as I know you need to use the yeast out of a coopers pale ale bottle not to sure how much you need but read THIS some one else maybe able to give a recipe

 

[user 10246]

As kelbygreen says, seems the coopers bottle yeast is highly recommended.

There have been a lot of posts here about it, this search will give you plenty of different ideas.

I reckon a standard kit (Can + BE2 & either US-05 yeast, supplied, or make your own) + adding some hops would make it ok

I would like to make a decent one too (K&B) interested to hear your results

 

[Cronessa]

I've recently brewed a couple of batches of Coopers Pale Ale using re-cultured yeast from two stubbies of Pale Ale, the Coopers kit, BE2 and 500 grams of LDME.

There's a PDF floating around this site on how to re-culture the yeast, I'll try and find it tomorrow.

That recipe produces a brew that I would describe as a cross between a Pale Ale and a Lager. I tried steeping 200 grams of pale crystal malt in my latest brew. Seems to have a bit more omph out of the fermenter, but I'll let you know after I've tried the bottle conditioned stuff.

It would probably also benefit from the addition of pride of ringwood hops.

 

[lukemarsh]

Just read that article on making a yeast starter with Coopers beer yeast sediment... from that article, it says you make the starter of 600mL with malt extract and the sediment etc, but is the result of this starter poured into a brew from a can of Coopers homebrew stuff? The article doesn't say anything about what you do with the starter once it is ready.

If I were to make a starter with bottle yeast, would I do what it says in that article and pour it into a brew of Coopers Pale Ale in my fermenter, as if basically just replacing the normal yeast? Do you put in the Brew Enhancer as well?

EDIT: Ah rightyo, so the starter (2 stubbies pale ale sediment, light dried malt extract and 600mL boiling water) just replaces the yeast that is supplied in the can... you just pour it in instead of pitching the yeast from under the cap of the can yes? cheers!

 

[Hop Me]

That's exactly right. I haven't made one yet, but from the many articles I've read, once the starter is ready, pour off the remaining "beer" from the yeast sediment and the the yeast "slurry" goes into the fermenter instead of the supplied yeast. All the big guys use starters as they make the best yeast action happen (more yeast cells) which means better, clearer beer.

 

[BoilerBoy]

Just read that article on making a yeast starter with Coopers beer yeast sediment... from that article, it says you make the starter of 600mL with malt extract and the sediment etc, but is the result of this starter poured into a brew from a can of Coopers homebrew stuff? The article doesn't say anything about what you do with the starter once it is ready.

If I were to make a starter with bottle yeast, would I do what it says in that article and pour it into a brew of Coopers Pale Ale in my fermenter, as if basically just replacing the normal yeast? Do you put in the Brew Enhancer as well?

EDIT: Ah rightyo, so the starter (2 stubbies pale ale sediment, light dried malt extract and 600mL boiling water) just replaces the yeast that is supplied in the can... you just pour it in instead of pitching the yeast from under the cap of the can yes? cheers!

Don't pitch the yeast from the can, just the yeast you are culturing from the bottles, if your using 2 stubbies and 600ml of starter wort it may take 24-48 hours before you see any activity, keep twirling the yeast around every time you walk past it.

You will see when the yeast is taking off, I would then add another 1L of starter wort to build up the yeast numbers and then let it ferment out, then refridgerate it overnight before brew day that will settle the yeast to the bottom.

Before making your brew take the yeast out of the fridge and tip off the top spent layer of starter wort leaving the yeast behind (you dont want that in your beer) then let it warm up.

You can either pitch that into your new brew or go one better and add a litre of your new batch to the yeast wait 4-6 hours until high yeast activity is evident then pitch, the later means you know you are pitching an active starter.

Its a great yeast, and gives CPA its signature flavour and worth the effort however, be warned 'dont let the ferment temp rise over 18C' it typically throws a strong banana flavour, I've always got good results at 16-17C.

All the best with it,

Cheers,
BB

 

[Cube]

Hmmm.....just poured out into the garden about 1.2 litres of coopers sparkling ale yeast slurry I had saved from a few brews. Didn't rate it so it stuck in the fridge for awhile.

US05 fTW !

 

[Cronessa]

The reculturing method I have used sucessfully is available here:

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...;showarticle=40

 

[RobboMC]

The best result I got with this can was with about 600g of Brew enhancer 2 and 500g of light dry malt.

Some K-Marts/Big W stock the Coopers ldme but I've yet to find it in a supermarket.

 

[seemax]

Coopers Pale Ale has that distinct dry mouth feel with a touch of fruitiness which you will only get from that yeast.

Read the various threads or google "culture coopers yeast". It probably sounds like a lot of work but it will be worth the effort. If you really love this stuff, you can always put your next brew directly on to the yeast cake of this brew.

I would do something like Pale Ale can plus BE2, and maybe a short boil of Pride of Ringwood hops.

Ferment at 18C or less.

 

[Mickthe]

I can't brew sub 20 degrees as yet so have used US-05 yeast, 750g BE2 + 500g LDME + Cascade tea bag steep and bag into the primary. (Or do a short boil)

Not Coopers PA but a really nice drop. (Will do the bottle culture yeast soon to see what that comes out like)

Good luck,

Mick.

 

[Thunderlips]

Hmmm.....just poured out into the garden about 1.2 litres of coopers sparkling ale yeast slurry

Cultured from Sparkling Ale stubbies?

If it was the yeast from under the Sparkling Ale kit lid it is totally different.

If culturing from a Coopers stubbie, the Pale Ale yeast is supposed to be in better shape than that from the Sparkling due to the
lower alcohol.

 

[RobboMC]

Cultured from Sparkling Ale stubbies?

If it was the yeast from under the Sparkling Ale kit lid it is totally different.

If culturing from a Coopers stubbie, the Pale Ale yeast is supposed to be in better shape than that from the Sparkling due to the
lower alcohol.

It's been suggested to me the Pale Ale yeast is usually in better shape due to the Sparkling Ale bottles being aged longer at the brewery,
so if you want to culture up some Sparkling Ale look for some fresh bottles, and go to a big volume bottle shop.

But if you're making Pale Ale, surely you want the Pale Ale yeast anyway.

 

[Hutch]

if you want to culture up some Sparkling Ale look for some fresh bottles, and go to a big volume bottle shop.

But if you're making Pale Ale, surely you want the Pale Ale yeast anyway.

Same yeast used in Sparkling and Pale. Sparkling is just higher ABV and aged longer.

 

[Cube]

Yes it's the same yeast. I recultured both yeasts and they are the same. The lot I biffed out as my above post was recultured sparkling. If I had a fermenting fridge I may have kept it. First thing I do with a kit is biff out the yeast and use better quality yeast.

 

[Scruffy]

Right, that's the yeast dealt with... ^_^

You could make a Pale with the kit tin - it would come 'ready hopped', i.e. there's some bitterness in it. Dunno what your 'under the counter' kit with no Coopers uses, but if going down the Light Malt Extract route (plus your Dextrose and other sugars), don't forget your hops:

1x1.5kg lme and
1kg dme
or
2.2kg dme

120g dry wheat malt extract
650g Dextrose (or sugar at a push)
30g dark crystal, steeped. (30g isn't very much, but if you put too much in, you can't take it out... try it out).

Then it's just a matter of working out the weight of Pride Of Ringwood hops to give you 28IBU for 23L, depending on the alpha acid percent at point of sale... 28g?

Boil these in some wort (made up to a gravity of about 1040 - 100g LDME in a litre of water will give you 1040...) for about 60 minutes

Then use your 'special yeast'

I think AndrewQLD has a pretty good clone recipe...

--Edit-- added space between malt extract choices and rest of ingredients to avoid confusion...

 

[Hutch]

Right, that's the yeast dealt with... ^_^

You could make a Pale with the kit tin - it would come 'ready hopped', i.e. there's some bitterness in it. Dunno what your 'under the counter' kit with no Coopers uses, but if going down the Light Malt Extract route (plus your Dextrose and other sugars), don't forget your hops:

1x1.5kg lme and
1kg dme
or
2.2kg dme

120g dry wheat malt extract
650g Dextrose (or sugar at a push)
30g dark crystal, steeped. (30g isn't very much, but if you put too much in, you can't take it out... try it out).

Then it's just a matter of working out the weight of Pride Of Ringwood hops to give you 28IBU for 23L, depending on the alpha acid percent at point of sale... 28g?

Boil these in some wort (made up to a gravity of about 1040 - 100g LDME in a litre of water will give you 1040...) for about 60 minutes

Then use your 'special yeast'

I think AndrewQLD has a pretty good clone recipe...

--Edit-- added space between malt extract choices and rest of ingredients to avoid confusion...

Great recipe advice post Scruffy, but don't belittle the yeast discussion - this IS the secret to a good CPA clone, make no mistake.
AndrewQLD's recipe is indeed on the money, albeit in the AG category.

A straight conversion of Andrew's recipe would be pretty close to the above. Brewing software is a great help with the gravity and IBU calcs, assuming this is the path MarshBrew is trying to take.

Good luck with it - a really rewarding beer once you've nailed it.