Coopers Australian Pale Ale

[reardo]

So, Ive finished (or almost, maybe another day) fermenting my Coopers Australian Pale Ale. A total of 20 litres is in the wort, and I will keg 19 tl of it. The basic kit ingredients was what I used. What I would like to know is;



1. How can I make it a better tasting brew from as it sits now? Which leads into question 2



2.Would it be worth secondary fermenting? Also, how do you secondary ferment? Is it just transferring from one fermenter to the other then adding another yeast sachet?



Any help is much appreciated.


Reardo.

 

[reardo]

Ok guys. I have just read this topic http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...mp;#entry765548

So it seems secondary fermenting isn't worth it anyhow.

Sweet

 

[seemax]

The key ingredient is the yeast. You can culture some from the bottles - http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=17276

The kit is ok, needs some malt extract as well as sugar to help it along.

Primary is fine, leave it in there for 2 weeks around 18-20C... check gravity... if ok then keg it.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

For Kit & Kilo:

Yeast - either decent from a HBS, or culture from a bottle
Grains (or extract if grains too hard at the time) - extra malt and flavour in the beer.
Hops - add extra flavour and aroma (or bitterness) depending on the length boil. Word of caution - Kit beer is already hopped, so be aware of bittering levels.

Once you get K&K downpat, you may choose to move onto extract brewing (where the goo is unhopped), or straight onto AG (if you are satisfied you've got the grain thing downpat).

Goomba

 

[petesbrew]

I assume you used sugar & kit yeast?
Here's some really basic tips which should help.

1.replace that with BE1, BE2 or Light Malt Extract (LME). (worst to best)
2. look in the articles section - click in kit n kilo, and look up steeping grains.
3. look into using hops. You could go either two ways, British - goldings/fuggles, or American - cascade/amarillo.
4. yeast - go for S-04 for English ale, or S-05 for American Ale.

5. yep, really basic tips, but as you're a beginner, I just kept it simple.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

<snip>

3. look into using hops. You could go either two ways, British - goldings/fuggles, or American - cascade/amarillo.

4 ways - British, American, Noble (generally German) - Saaz, Hersbrucker, Tettnang or NZ - Nelson Sauvin, Riwaka, Motueka, Pacific Hallertauer.

I personally would have a crack at the pale ale and either late boil some Nelson Sauvin and dry hop with Riwaka, or alternatively dry hop with a truck load of Saaz, depending on the brewer's individual tastes.

And pete is right, get rid of sugar - it's as important as decent yeast (and I suspect the two are included in instructions for the same reason).

With yeast - look at the ideal temp range and brew in that - no yeast (except Belgian Saison, but that's another story) should be brewed above 24 degrees - ever! Temp control is extremely important because your yeast is what turns wort into beer, so it needs a gentle touch and consistent conditions.

Goomba

 

[manticle]

Make that 5 ways. It is originally an Australian beer you unpatriotic bastards.

Pride of ringwood, judiciously used will push the original coopers flavour, especially in conjunction with the real coopers yeast.

 

[haysie]

Question1... Patience grasshopper
Question2... I see you answered that yourself

Good luck with the brew.

 

[J Grimmer]

give the above a go i would try one at a time, ie BE to LME or dry hopping, adding steeped grains, to get an understanding of how each will change the beer and take haysies advice, patience.

Jan.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Make that 5 ways. It is originally an Australian beer you unpatriotic bastards.

Pride of ringwood, judiciously used will push the original coopers flavour, especially in conjunction with the real coopers yeast.

Isn't it already pre hopped with POR?

Either way, I'd rather it go to bro-town. Coopers Pale Ale is very much a beer that breaks all the rules that Aussies generally like to set for bog-standard beer (clear, yellow, little aroma, no yeast in bottle, boring), so doing something very Aussie with it, kind of seems like the antithesis of what coopers were achieving.

Goomba

 

[petesbrew]

Make that 5 ways. It is originally an Australian beer you unpatriotic bastards.

Pride of ringwood, judiciously used will push the original coopers flavour, especially in conjunction with the real coopers yeast.

I still haven't used Pride of ringwood. [holding my head in shame]
One of the Hills brewers has made an impressive Australian IPA with coopers yeast & POR throughout. Very nice.

 

[manticle]

Isn't it already pre hopped with POR?

Either way, I'd rather it go to bro-town. Coopers Pale Ale is very much a beer that breaks all the rules that Aussies generally like to set for bog-standard beer (clear, yellow, little aroma, no yeast in bottle, boring), so doing something very Aussie with it, kind of seems like the antithesis of what coopers were achieving.

Goomba

Coopers is an aussie beer with PoR. The main difference is that it's an ale and bottle conditioned.

The kit is pre-hopped but pretty mildly from memory - some freshening up never hurts.

Main reason I suggest it is because the OP may be looking to make something along the lines of what the kit promises but without the yeast and a touch more PoR, it won't deliver.

 

[going down a hill]

The last CPA can I did had 1 kg of malt without any hop additions, it came out too sweet and not enough bitterness for my liking. Luckily I have a mate who doesn't mind sweet beers so he got a slab.

 

[reardo]

I assume you used sugar & kit yeast?
Here's some really basic tips which should help.

1.replace that with BE1, BE2 or Light Malt Extract (LME). (worst to best)
2. look in the articles section - click in kit n kilo, and look up steeping grains.
3. look into using hops. You could go either two ways, British - goldings/fuggles, or American - cascade/amarillo.
4. yeast - go for S-04 for English ale, or S-05 for American Ale.

5. yep, really basic tips, but as you're a beginner, I just kept it simple.

Thanks, but what is BE1 and BE2? Are they types of yeasts. I was on http://www.grainandgrape.com.au/index.php?...amp;&page=2 but could't find anything....

I actually had some armarillo hops that i FORGOT to add! Stupid me, but i'll use it in the next brew.

 

[reardo]

The key ingredient is the yeast. You can culture some from the bottles - http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=17276

The kit is ok, needs some malt extract as well as sugar to help it along.

Primary is fine, leave it in there for 2 weeks around 18-20C... check gravity... if ok then keg it.

Thanks seemax. If i take off the lid and check the gravity, will that ruin the brew if the yeast is still working??

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Thanks, but what is BE1 and BE2? Are they types of yeasts. I was on http://www.grainandgrape.com.au/index.php?...amp;&page=2 but could't find anything....

I actually had some armarillo hops that i FORGOT to add! Stupid me, but i'll use it in the next brew.

Brew Enhancer - they are both different mixtures of dry (powdered) malts and dextrose.

Goomba

 

[Amber Fluid]

Thanks seemax. If i take off the lid and check the gravity, will that ruin the brew if the yeast is still working??

Oh dear..... Don't take the lid off to check the gravity!

Run a sample off and drink it.... then run another sample into the tube your Hydrometer come in and then test the gravity.

BE1 = Brew Enhancer 1
BE2 = Brew Enhancer 2

 

[reardo]

4 ways - British, American, Noble (generally German) - Saaz, Hersbrucker, Tettnang or NZ - Nelson Sauvin, Riwaka, Motueka, Pacific Hallertauer.

I personally would have a crack at the pale ale and either late boil some Nelson Sauvin and dry hop with Riwaka, or alternatively dry hop with a truck load of Saaz, depending on the brewer's individual tastes.

And pete is right, get rid of sugar - it's as important as decent yeast (and I suspect the two are included in instructions for the same reason).

With yeast - look at the ideal temp range and brew in that - no yeast (except Belgian Saison, but that's another story) should be brewed above 24 degrees - ever! Temp control is extremely important because your yeast is what turns wort into beer, so it needs a gentle touch and consistent conditions.

Goomba

I actually used the 'cooper brew enhanser no. 2" which i think is part dextrose and malt....??? I have a Kegerator from "KegKing" and have held the temp of 18-21 for the past 10 days. Sounds like it might be ok then

 

[reardo]

Oh dear..... Don't take the lid off to check the gravity!

Run a sample off and drink it.... then run another sample into the tube your Hydrometer come in and then test the gravity.

BE1 = Brew Enhancer 1
BE2 = Brew Enhancer 2

Ah, sweet. I did use Brew enhanser 2

 

[petesbrew]

Here's a list of the abbreviations here. It's annoying to remember, but it saves typing.

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...;showarticle=15

Oh man, the amarillo would've been perfect!

Also, another style, I reckon you could even turn this into a belgian pale ale.
the kit, 1.5kg ldme, 20g styrian goldings (rough guess at amount), and T-58 yeast. Why not?