Coopers Canadian Blonde

[Hefty]

I've just bought my next kit, a Coopers Canadian Blonde and I have two questions:

I'm still keeping my brewing fairly simple but would like to try boiling my dry ingredients with some hops for flavour. What type and what weight of hops would people recommend for a 15 minute boil for a Canadian Blonde?

Does Coopers dried yeast do the style justice or should I get a Saf strand (and if so, which one?).

Cheers!
Jono.

 

[dicko]

I've just bought my next kit, a Coopers Canadian Blonde and I have two questions:

I'm still keeping my brewing fairly simple but would like to try boiling my dry ingredients with some hops for flavour. What type and what weight of hops would people recommend for a 15 minute boil for a Canadian Blonde?

Does Coopers dried yeast do the style justice or should I get a Saf strand (and if so, which one?).

Cheers!
Jono.

Hi Hefty,
Try 10 gr of hersbrucker for the last ten minutes of the boil or another good substitute would be german Hallertau if you can get some. Try not to use any sugar and make to 22ltrs max.
US 56 is good.
Cheers

 

[floppinab]

Pretty innocuous kit that one. And as such good to use a base for many and varied experimentation as I did when I was doing kits (ha ha I can say that now!!!!

Hefty's suggestions is good to make it a bit more like an Altbier (could also try a bit of some darker dried malt instead of the light stuff if you can get hold of it, to put some colour and roastiness in it)

Could try some English hops, EK Goldings is quite common to end up more like an English Pale Ale

Or some Amercian, Cascade, Amarillo for an American APA.

There you go three different beers in one can

 

[Hefty]

Try not to use any sugar

As in cane sugar? Or do you include dextrose etc under "sugar".
Sorry, I'm just getting used to who uses what words or abbreviations for different meanings. (eg some people use DME for dark malt extract and some use it for dry malt extract etc)
I was going to use coopers Brew Enhancer 1 but was wondering if I should blend it with some light dry malt as well. The 2008 style guide suggests it should have a light/sweet malt flavour with moderate hops but the the balance should be slightly more towards the malt.
Brew enhancer 1 only has dextrose and maltodextrin but no real malt. Maybe I'll just grab 500g of light dry malt when I go to get some hops and yeast.

Cheers!
Jono.

 

[barry2]

I tried the CCB a few times and it had a nice light colour and everything was light too,flavour,body and bitterness.I think it requires at least 500g of the Light Dry Malt Extract in addition to the BE1.Table sugar gives a nasty thin taste to most home brews.I wasted some good noble hops on CCB and suggest you look at the stronger hops suggested by floppinab.These days I boil the hops in four litres of water to which 200g of Light Dry Malt Extract has been added,60 minutes for bittering 20 minutes for flavouring.The kit yeast should be OK.
Good luck

 

[tcraig20]

I was going to use coopers Brew Enhancer 1 but was wondering if I should blend it with some light dry malt as well.

I used BE1 once. Never again. The corn sugar gives the beer a slimy mouthfeel. Bloody awful.

 

[macron1]

Using the Coopers Candian with 1 kg of light DME (coopers makes one that sells in places like Big W and comes in 500g boxes from memory) + a cup or so of crystal malt (115-145 EBC) steeped in 500 ml hot (~70oC) water for half an hour or so then added to the rest of the brew makes a very drinkable, (if unexciting for the hard-core), brew.

Maybe dry hop if it with an oz/oz & a half of US cascade for a week or two to add some nose... think i might make this one next anyway.

O, and get some of that yeast... um SafAle-05? i use that for consistencies sake and seems to be good.

 

[Hefty]

I think it requires at least 500g of the Light Dry Malt Extract in addition to the BE1.Table sugar gives a nasty thin taste to most home brews.

Yeah, I know not to use table sugar but just wanted to clarify about dextrose etc. Some people lump them all together when they use the word sugar.
If I were to use the 1 kg box of BE1 and 500g Light dry malt extract, obviously the ABV would be higher, but would I need to add more hops to the boil to maintain a balance? I was originally just going to use 10g of hersbrucker for flavour (15-20 minutes) would I need more? And what weight would you suggest for bittering (if I decide to try it this time)?

Cheers!
Jono.

 

[FNQ Bunyip]

I must of brewed 100 or more of these befor AG, it was the standard brew .. Amarillo or EKG or Cluster about 25g 15 to 20 minute boil , dont boil the kit addd it at flame out and stir in.. ( each one diferant but all 3 were good additions) I only used dex in those days . was a very popular beer here and all mates loved it , i've done a few 18ths with this brew and a good strong ginger beer for the girls..

cheers

 

[barry2]

Yeah, I know not to use table sugar but just wanted to clarify about dextrose etc. Some people lump them all together when they use the word sugar.
If I were to use the 1 kg box of BE1 and 500g Light dry malt extract, obviously the ABV would be higher, but would I need to add more hops to the boil to maintain a balance? I was originally just going to use 10g of hersbrucker for flavour (15-20 minutes) would I need more? And what weight would you suggest for bittering (if I decide to try it this time)?

Cheers!
Jono.

CCB kit is fairly tasteless and needs some body through LDME.I usually add 45g of hops to my brews,30g for bittering (60 mins) and 15g for flavour (20 mins).I haven't had much success with dry hopping but am about to try again and add 15g of pellets to a brew on Saturday (7 days after fermentation started) and let them sink in the brew over the following 7 days.

 

[RobboMC]

Yeah, I know not to use table sugar but just wanted to clarify about dextrose etc. Some people lump them all together when they use the word sugar.
If I were to use the 1 kg box of BE1 and 500g Light dry malt extract, obviously the ABV would be higher, but would I need to add more hops to the boil to maintain a balance? I was originally just going to use 10g of hersbrucker for flavour (15-20 minutes) would I need more? And what weight would you suggest for bittering (if I decide to try it this time)?

Cheers!
Jono.

The message on this thread seems to be, 'yes you MUST add some hops'. I'd like to include some balance. Whilst this will make the beer even better, it's not absolutely needed for 1/2 kg of LDME, IMHO. I have found in my short 3 years of brewing that the bittering in Coopers kits will take 1/2 kg of added dry malt. Since BE1 contains no malt, then I think the answer to this question is, well, try it. A kit with just BE1 will make a slightly bitter drop, obviously the more malt added the more malty the result.

I once made a Pale Ale with 1.5kg of malt, a superb thick, darkish, malty ale. My VB drinking neighbour spat it out as too malty and hated it. Some of the simplest and easiest brews I've made have been to just add 1/2 kg of malt to the kit makers instructions.

1/2 kg is about the limit though before the malt starts to get too much. A malty sweetness with a hop flavour can be great beer.

Why add dextrose when you can add malt ( and hops ) instead?
Most brewers stop adding dextrose unless it's for a specific purpose. It makes alcohol without adding flavour.

Also, Jono, sounds like you should be in the market for kits with a deeper flavour than Canadian Blonde. You might try Muntons Yorkshire Bitter or the Black Rock Bock. Blonde beer is meant to be, well, thin and light. You can't get these at the supermarket, so find a Brew Shop and enjoy yourself.

 

[petesbrew]

I got a coopers brochure a couple of years ago with a recipe for "Buxom Blonde"
From memory it was with a BE1 or 2, 500g malt, and a goldings teabag.
Turned out great, and at 3months it was fantastic.
IMHO, It's a decent kit for experimenting with.

 

[Hefty]

Thanks guys, I'm getting heaps of useful info here!

1/2 kg is about the limit though before the malt starts to get too much. A malty sweetness with a hop flavour can be great beer.

Most brewers stop adding dextrose unless it's for a specific purpose. It makes alcohol without adding flavour.

Also, Jono, sounds like you should be in the market for kits with a deeper flavour than Canadian Blonde. Blonde beer is meant to be, well, thin and light.

LOL! You're right on all accounts!!
1. That's just what I wanted to hear about malt and hops. You've helped me decide, I'm going to add 500g of LDME. I might still do an infusion at flame out just for a bit of extra aroma and maybe a bit more flavour. (I'm amazed by the difference even a simple infusion has made to my brews since I've started using them)
2. I wanted this brew to have a higher ABV because my last few have been a little lower so using LDME and the BE1 will give me that light malt flavour and a higher alcohol content.
3. I normally like kits with deeper flavour but I do also like some lighter style beers and so does my wife. If I can get the Minister for War and Finances on side, I've got more scope for experimenting with other brews in future (I've already visited the LHBS and drooled at all the kits I wanna make in the future!)

I'm impressed Robbo, I've only made a few posts and you've already picked my tastes pretty well!

Cheers!
Jono.

 

[tjhart78]

How long should the CCB be left for before drinking?

 

[RobboMC]

How long should the CCB be left for before drinking?

The short answer is: as long as you can resist the temptation to drink it.

At least a month, two if possible. I took one of my best brews for drinking with a very experienced brewer,
something I made last year with 6 months bottle aging, and the response, was 'Shame to drink such a young beer so early.'

Get more bottles, make plenty of stock so you can store it and drink nicely aged beer.