Coopers Realale Quick To Ferment

[sid]

Hey all

4 days ago I put down a cooper original realale kit over a previous brew using muntons gold yeast, I aslo used 50/50 malt dextrose with the realale.
It has fermented quickly, almost too quickly for my liking, the FG is down at 1004. Is this because i used to much yeast in just leaving the whole yeast cake from the last brew?.

thanks, Sid

 

[SpuddyMcSpud]

Not sure about the reusing of the yeast cake, but my recent Coopers kits have been suprisingly fast. I put down a Pale Ale on Friday, it went berzerk less than an hour later and by the looks of things it'll be ready to go by Tuesday. I was wondering if maybe they're just fresher kits - the expiry dates on my recent cans have all been 09/2009. Probably completely useless to you but thought I'd mention it.

cheers,
spud

 

[Adamt]

Quick ferment is fine as long as the temperature is controlled. A fresh yeast cake is rearing and ready to go, so lagtime will be minimal and fermentation will take off quickly and often violently, which produces more heat and further quickens things. This usually results in a lower FG too, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

For reference the expiry date is 2 years after month of production.

 

[EK]

I had a Cooper's Australian Pale Ale that fermented out within 1 and a half days, though the final gravity was oddly high (I think it was about 1.008 :unsure: ). I left it in the fermenter until 2 weeks from pitching yeast to let it clear, during which it did not drop the gravity any further. It turned out great.

 

[SpuddyMcSpud]

Adamt,

Nice avatar, top show that. Although it's gone a bit stale since they brought Danny Divito in I reckon.

Not trying to hijack the post (sorry sid), but on the subject of controlled temps, my last two brews have stayed at around 24 degrees despite my best efforts. Do you think that's too high for a stock-standard K&K using the yeast under the lid? What would I look for as signs it's too hot? Reason I ask is, my previous effort (Cooper's Canadian Blonde) got stuck at 1.019 and wouldn't budge even after 12 days in the fermenter.

 

[sid]

Not trying to hijack the post (sorry sid), but on the subject of controlled temps, my last two brews have stayed at around 24 degrees despite my best efforts. Do you think that's too high for a stock-standard K&K using the yeast under the lid? What would I look for as signs it's too hot? Reason I ask is, my previous effort (Cooper's Canadian Blonde) got stuck at 1.019 and wouldn't budge even after 12 days in the fermenter.

Not a problem Spuddy.

I have found the coopers at 24 degrees to be fine, although the taste is probably going to be better if you can get the temperature down to 18-20c, so I've been told.

Quick ferment is fine as long as the temperature is controlled. A fresh yeast cake is rearing and ready to go, so lagtime will be minimal and fermentation will take off quickly and often violently, which produces more heat and further quickens things. This usually results in a lower FG too, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

Good sounds as though everything has turned out fine then, I was suprised with how quickly this brew took off being the first time I have tried this out.
One thing I have noticed with the coopers original kits though, is they have quite a harsh taste, which takes a long time to age out. I thought it was due to the yeast, so using the Muntons gold would fix this, but no, it's still there. I'm starting to think it's just the malt/hop mix in their budget kit now and playing around with yeast and malt/dextrose wont really improve it.
Anyone else find this with coopers original kits?

 

[Adamt]

:icon_offtopic:

Nice avatar, top show that. Although it's gone a bit stale since they brought Danny Divito in I reckon.

WHAT?! How can you not like Frank? h34r: Just to spite you my Devito avatar is being reincarnated.

Frank: "Charlie I need a woman, to cook for me, and clean up for me, and do everything I say!"
Charlie: "Well that's just a maid, you want a maid?"
Frank: "Yeah thats right, a maid.... a maid I can bang!"


:icon_offtopic:

 

[malbur]

Not a problem Spuddy.

I have found the coopers at 24 degrees to be fine, although the taste is probably going to be better if you can get the temperature down to 18-20c, so I've been told.



Good sounds as though everything has turned out fine then, I was suprised with how quickly this brew took off being the first time I have tried this out.
One thing I have noticed with the coopers original kits though, is they have quite a harsh taste, which takes a long time to age out. I thought it was due to the yeast, so using the Muntons gold would fix this, but no, it's still there. I'm starting to think it's just the malt/hop mix in their budget kit now and playing around with yeast and malt/dextrose wont really improve it.
Anyone else find this with coopers original kits?

sid,

I have just put my very first brew down, it's coopers pale ale just wondering how long you would recommend to age out the harsh taste.
Also is there temp range of 21-27 deg ok or should i look for a lower temp?

 

[sid]

sid,

I have just put my very first brew down, it's coopers pale ale just wondering how long you would recommend to age out the harsh taste.
Also is there temp range of 21-27 deg ok or should i look for a lower temp?

Hi ya Malbur, Like you I'm quite new to the homebrew game, probably up to my 9th brew down this week.
But I put down a coopers 9 weeks ago and I think the cooper original series needed at least 7 weeks to mello and improve, I know my mate always left his coopers this long.
I tasted it along the way and it was drinkable at 5 weeks although it still had a slight sulphur taste and smell, what I call a young beer,heh.
One guy from a home brew shop I talked to said he had customers who put down a coopers brew who wouldn't touch it for up to a year and it was really good. But I don't think i could wait this long, in fact I know I couldn't wait that long.

I work on the magic number 18-20 degree's or try to anyway(for K&K), I'm not to worried if the brew get's up to around 24. But they say the beer tastes better in the lower range than in the higher range. So long as the temp is within the yeasts temperature range for fermenting, which as you say is 21-27c for the coopers kit, it should turn out ok.

 

[EK]

sid,

I have just put my very first brew down, it's coopers pale ale just wondering how long you would recommend to age out the harsh taste.
Also is there temp range of 21-27 deg ok or should i look for a lower temp?

When conditioning in bottles: if the temperature falls too far then it can take a long time to carbonate and mature. I Usually keep mine in a room that sits at about 25 during the day, most of the time. At night it can fall well below (especially in Winter) and go above in the really hot weeks in Summer. Even then the time taken for maturing and carbonating can vary from three weeks to several months.

The other thing is: make sure you have plenty of beer maturing, that way you can let some take a long time and watch how it improves, while also having enough to consume in the meantime. Christmas/New Year is a great time to get friends to save bottles for you.

 

[RobboMC]

When conditioning in bottles: if the temperature falls too far then it can take a long time to carbonate and mature. I Usually keep mine in a room that sits at about 25 during the day, most of the time. At night it can fall well below (especially in Winter) and go above in the really hot weeks in Summer. Even then the time taken for maturing and carbonating can vary from three weeks to several months.

The other thing is: make sure you have plenty of beer maturing, that way you can let some take a long time and watch how it improves, while also having enough to consume in the meantime. Christmas/New Year is a great time to get friends to save bottles for you.

I bottled a porter on Nov 7th. Straight into the temp controlled fridge at 15-16 deg C.
Checked yesterday, 3 weeks @ 15 deg C and the plastic bottles are hard as, even with Morgans standard kit yeast.

Ferment as cool as you can in the ale range, be patient with carbonation for a month and reap the results in great beer.

 

[EK]

I bottled a porter on Nov 7th. Straight into the temp controlled fridge at 15-16 deg C.
Checked yesterday, 3 weeks @ 15 deg C and the plastic bottles are hard as, even with Morgans standard kit yeast.

Ferment as cool as you can in the ale range, be patient with carbonation for a month and reap the results in great beer.

Robbo,

Does this produce better flavour do you think? Like fermenting at an even temperature?