Coopers Amber Ale

[Matplat]

Afternoon everyone,

So Coopers have just released an amber ale as a seasonal beer. They have apparently used a yeast that has been in the deep freeze for the past 15 years...

Anyone tried it yet?

Do coopers usually sell their seasonal releases in bottles? I know that the vintage ale is, that that is the only one I have seen...

Mainly wondering if we will be able to re-culture bottle dregs to get our hands on this 15 year old yeast.... if it's worth having of course.

http://www.coopers.com.au/#/our-beer/seasonal/family-secrets-amber-ale/

 

[earle]

Can't answer your questions about the yeast but if you scroll down on the link you posted there is a stockists link - says Coming Soon for Qld & NSW.

The funny thing about these seasonal released is that it seems backwards to their usual model where a kit is developed based on a commercially produced beer. The amber ale is one of their newer kits which were released a while back, so is the A-IPA. The picture in the link that you posted is exactly the same as the one next to the kit on this page http://store.coopers.com.au/thomas-coopers-family-secret-amber-ale-1-7kg.html

Some slick marketing and strategy I suppose

 

[damoninja]

They didn't do it with the Brew A IPA (so not an IPA) and I doubt they will with this one...

For the most part I think it's a marketing piece, if it's on tap at pubs people will give it a go... Cooper's packaged beers is for the meat and two veg variety drinker, people who are gonna buy a case of coopers get it because it's A) cheap enough B ) what they usually drink

 

[Dave70]

I hope they've finally run out of POR.

 

[sp0rk]

NEEDS MORE POR

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

I hope they've finally run out of POR.

Wash your mouth out with VB

I am waiting for the Amber.....My local has Bookeepers IPA at $5 schooner.......I have been doing my best

 

[Dave70]

Wash your mouth out with VB

I am waiting for the Amber.....My local has Bookeepers IPA at $5 schooner.......I have been doing my best

I reflexively spit mouth wash into the sink, so no problem there.


Honestly though, I've used the closest Coopers PA recipe I could find here and followed it to a tee. Even using re cultured bottle yeast. I simply enjoyed it more with different hops.
Fuggin unnastralian Amarillo hops from memory.

 

[indica86]

I'd drink it if I saw it somewhere.
Be nice if they sold the yeast.

 

[technobabble66]

...
Be nice if they sold the yeast.

+1
It'd be great to see a few more Aussie yeasts!
Is there seriously only one strain that's evolved in our breweries over 150-odd years? Of course not!
I was under the impression there were a few standout strains at the turn of the (last) century. Sounded like some Belgian strains: able to handle up to 50% sugar (!!) without throwing negative flavours/aromas.
It'd be great to have a small range of Aussie strains to suit conditions/styles here - maybe higher attenuation, dry finish, some fruity esters. Sort of a cross between Belgian and English yeasts, I s'pose.

On topic, I'll definitely be keen to at least try one of the coopers ambers.

 

[Vini2ton]

If we look at yeast under the microscope, can we tell which country they come from? Waving flags and wearing thongs? A flatcap and sarcastic, or maybe brash and over excited from excessive hops and residual meth in the local swimming pool? Hard and humourless, smug in their place in brewing history? Yeast just wanna have fun and any new ones available to we brewers are most welcome.

 

[Matplat]

Yeah, i get the feeling as per the brew 'A' IPA this will be a keg release only.... and considering I rarely drink in bars, let alone in SA (they only have SA retailers listed so far???). I don't imagine this drop will be passing my lips!

 

[Bribie G]

+1
It'd be great to see a few more Aussie yeasts!
Is there seriously only one strain that's evolved in our breweries over 150-odd years? Of course not!
I was under the impression there were a few standout strains at the turn of the (last) century. Sounded like some Belgian strains: able to handle up to 50% sugar (!!) without throwing negative flavours/aromas.
It'd be great to have a small range of Aussie strains to suit conditions/styles here - maybe higher attenuation, dry finish, some fruity esters. Sort of a cross between Belgian and English yeasts, I s'pose.

On topic, I'll definitely be keen to at least try one of the coopers ambers.

Off topic - read Bronzed Brews. There are yeasts in Australia right now that can handle up to 50% cane sugar - for example Melbourne No. 1 and I bet you anything you like that the yeast they use with Tooheys Old is of the same family. However that's off topic.

According to the article it will be on tap. Now if the yeasts have been under lock and key and jealously guarded does this mean that the keg offerings will be pasteurised?
If not:

Schooner please
Schott Bottle
Stir Plate....

h34r: h34r:

 

[technobabble66]

Off topic - read Bronzed Brews. There are yeasts in Australia right now that can handle up to 50% cane sugar - for example Melbourne No. 1 ...

Ekzackery!! That's the yeast I was referring to [emoji6]
Couldn't find the link at the time, so that ties in the reference nicely!
Cheers [emoji41]

Edit: I *think* this is the link bribie is talking about. I think I read a chunk of it on an access website that happened to reveal the particular few pages discussing the Aussie strains as quoted by a visiting brewer(?) ~1910, but my memory's a bit vague on the specifics [emoji52]
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/index.php?/topic/89696-%22Bronzed-Brews%22-Home-brewing-old-Australian-Beers

And this is where White Labs vault page is, check out the Melbourne Strain, WLP-059
https://www.whitelabs.com/yeast-vault
But Aussies can't vote/pre-purchase. Instead you need to harass your LHBS to ask for it

 

[Vini2ton]

Yeast fascists.

 

[technobabble66]

You might've gotten the wrong impression: I don't care about it being a patriotic "aussie" yeast, per se, couldn't give a rat's about that.
More focused on it being best for our conditions, or certain "novel" aussie brewing habits/traditions - e.g.: lots of sugar, high temps, dry finish, slight fruity edge perhaps. I'm simply assuming a yeast that's evolved here over 100+ years would fulfil those aspirations.
*That* is what i'm keen for!

 

[Vini2ton]

Yeah, I know where your coming from. I'm just a smart arse. Where do kit yeasts come from? ie Coopers Kits, Were they developed here? Their bottle yeast has made a lot of different styles of beer for me and I've always got good results.But our conditions, while hot in summer (vic) are nowhere near as radical as north American climates. We make beer in climate controlled environments and geography really shouldn't be an influencing factor. I once saw a bunch of yeast wearing sombreros.

 

[peteru]

In the past, I've done the Cooper's stout cans with the included kit yeast and it was OK, but not great. For the latest batch, I cultured up some Sparkling Ale yeast and fermented the stout at 18C. A couple of days after kegging it was only slightly better than the included kit yeast, but it was already showing better character. Three weeks later and it's great, better than I expected from a stout can and a pale malt can, without any additional tweaks, besides the yeast substitution.

From my understanding, the kit yeast is in the generic dry yeast category (like the Safale packets) and has high viability. It will produce acceptable results over a wide temperature range. Basically, yeast selected to reduce failure rates for beginner brewers and uncontrolled fermenting conditions.

As far as Cooper's yeast goes, the strain makes or breaks their beers. I'm sure that if the Sparkling Ale wort was fermented using some other yeast, the result would be very disappointing.

No doubt other Australian brewers have also a very high reliance on the yeast. Unfortunately, most of the other brewers ship "dead" beer, so culturing up their yeast strain is hardly an option. It would be great if those yeast strains could start circulating the homebrew circles. Who knows, an unfiltered and properly conditioned Foster's clone might actually be drinkable when the lawn is done.