Coopers Sparkling Ale

[johnno]

yeah maybe i thought i was going to make an exact copy of the original.
im probably being very impatient with it.
maybe the taste im talking about is the yeast that came with the pack.
next time maybe propagate the yeast from the bottle and use that.
I used it on a Brewiser Australian ale once and the frutiness was quite pronounced.
like i said i'm no expert but either way im sure it will go down very well.

cheers

 

[wardy]

johnno,

mine had that sweet fruity taste you describe from the beginning also. i think it also has something to do with the yeast, as it is definately on the aftertaste that you get it. i tried a bottle at 1 week and it wasn't good at all... sickly sweet and candy sugar like. definately reminiscent of the orginal. But, it was so bad, i didn't even get the wife to taste it, and she's my number one taste tester... forced to try everything straight from the fermenter! Anyway, after putting my "grand failure" in the bottom of the cupboard for a couple of weeks, i tried one on the weekend and bugger me, it's coming around. It taste half bloody decent. It has improved 10 fold!! we are now talking 17 days in the bottle. I reckon that after a month it will be very good, and will probably be fantastic after a couple. Patience with this one. good luck

 

[johnno]

thanx for the update wardy.
Yeah, I will leave it alone for a while longer.

cheers

 

[joecast]

tried one last night after 12 days in the bottle.

very cloudy appearance which should clear over time and not much of a head on it yet. also noticed there wasnt as much carbonation as i usually get, but i didnt want as much so that was good.

the fruity/estery flavor was easily the most pronounced flavor in the beer. i thought maybe it was from a higher ferment temp, but as it seems pretty common it is likey the yeast as well. it wasn't bad, just needs a few more weeks to balance out.

i also added some goldings and fuggles hops for flavor and they were pretty noticeable. i am curious what hops are used in the commercial version, anyone know?? these also need more time to balance out.

overall, i was pretty happy with it. keeping in mind it hasn't been bottled two weeks yet.
joe


thanks for the hop answer wedge!

 

[johnno]

joecast,
funny you mention how cloudy it is. What I've noticed is its probably the clearest brew I've ever made. Even when i look at it through the bottle I notice it.
I made it up as per the instructions though. Nothing else.
Going to be trying a couple more tonight as its 2 weeks today or tomorrow.

cheers

 

[Batz]

Perhaps you did not leave it in primary long enough joecast , or if you racked the in secondary

I have found over many years , Coopers will clear beautifully if left to sit for 5-7 after fermentation is complete

Still , the true Coopers Sparkling is often mixed with the bottle sedement to give a cloudly beer anyway

 

[wedge]

coopers use Pride of Ringwood

 

[Batz]

Tried one of mine , after only two weeks , found it too sweet , as posted here by Johonno before.
It needs to be dry hopped with POR in secondary , I did this with my last one , be a few weeks till I try it

Thanks for the feed back Johonno , this is the only reason I added hops to this brew


batz

 

[wardy]

batz, would be interested to know how you went adding POR to secondary???

Mine is now about 8 weeks in the bottle and tastes fantastic!!! i am about to put another brew on and would like to experiment a little... 20g of POR to the boil for one, and the other thing i was going to try was adding 100g of steeped crystal malt. I have never tried crystal malt before, will this spoil the profile of a coopers sparkling?

 

[Batz]

Yet to try the Cooper S/Ale with POR
You like it how it is great ,, I just found the sweetness/hops profile not to my liking , and that's a personal thing.
I don't like sweet beers

Will post my tastings when I crack the keg

Let us know how yours turns out Wardy

I have a feeling a little inverted sugar will help

 

[johnno]

Yep,
I found this beer a bit sweet as well and if I ever make it again I will dry hop it too.
I only have about a dozen left. It has gottten better over the last 2 weeks but still not what I expected.
Its all about personal taste alright.

cheers

 

[wardy]

well mine is now 2.5 months in the bottle and probably as good as it's going to get. It didn't come around as much as i had hoped. By itself it is a good tasting beer. Most of the sweetness has gone, colour is good, clear, good head and body... but just doesn't have the "smoothness" of the original. It does not have that mellow smooth "ale" quality of the original. I can only think that it is the yeast, as that's where most of the flavour seems to be coming from. I have another one going right now which i added POR to, but i think the next one i will try to use yeast propogated from the commercial bottle. Have you tried that yet Johnno? anyone?
anyone ever work in the coopers brewery? an original recipe would be fantastic!! hehe

 

[johnno]

Wardy,
I have propogated yeast from a sparkling ale but not used it in this recipe.
I wont be putting one of these on in a hurry though.
Got too much else to experiment with.

cheers

 

[Batz]

Johnno
The Cooper Ale with POR , is in the fridge , will gas and crack the keg in the next few days

 

[wee stu]

O.K. I opened my batch. Curiousity killed the cat. (Regular viewers might now know I've still got about seven lives left, I hope!)

Brewed pretty much according to Coopers specs - 1.5kg lme and 800g dme & dextrose mix. Possibly not quite the 5:3 ratio they recommend, but close.

Used yeast provided, rehydrated.

10 days in primary at 20c.
10 days in cc at 8c, dry hopped with EKG ('cos that's what I had).
Two weeks in bottle (infantacide, I know).

Harsh to judge a beer this young, I know, but anyway .... pours pretty clear, but give it the old Coopers roll or turn and it clouds up nicely.
Looks a little too dark compared to the original.
Head retention poor. Reminds me of k&k days.
Smells o.k, but a little malty.
Mouthfeel is good - very much like the original.
Taste - a bit too malty, but there is a definite affinity with the original. Mild, pleasant fruitiness. Maybe a tad sweet for my current tastes, but the original is not exactly a bitter brew.
"Tastes a bit like homebrew", briefly flashed through the mind. First time I've thought that since I moved from kit and kilo, to kits and bits or partial partials. Just seemed a bit rough and unfinished around the edges.
I'll see how it develops, but for now it seems like a superior kit an kilo brew that has some resemblence to the source beer.
Next time I want a quick to put down brew, I could try it again. Possibly with POR instead of EKG and invert suger repalcing some of the dme.

 

[pr1me]

I've got a sparkling in the primary fermenter at the moment, brewed with only 1kg of brewmaster malt dextrose mix, forget which number now, but after 4.5 days it seems to have ceased all bubbling and activity. Anyone else have this occur?

I'm going to rack it tonight and leave it for another 4 days before I cold condition for a week, then bottle. I'm hoping tonights rack might revive some activity.

 

[wardy]

i've done a couple of these now, my third last sunday. I rehydrated the yeast and started it on some malt over about 6 hours... then pitched and within an hour or so had full airlock activity... my most rapid ferment yet... all was finished by wednesday (last night) with my SG down to 1.014. O.G. was 1.054. I was amazed at the speed this time, in the past it has taken at least 8 days.

 

[pr1me]

definately seems to be fast, i didnt bother to rehydrate my yeast this time, and my OG was only 1040. I'll do an FG reading when i rack tonight and see whats what.

 

[peter]

so is the general consensus that coopers sparkling ale done as per instructionsis just ok?
ithought that this one is meant to be a balltearer of a brew from the reports ive got.
Is it worth a go?

 

[GMK]

Just drunk a couple of Coopers Sparkling Ale stubies.
Made up almaost as per the recipee.
Did not have DMe so added equivalent LME. Racked to secondary for 2 weeks - no dry hopping.
Used Can yeast - very nice - just a touch too sweet.
Next time will dry hop with 20 gms of either POR or Cascade.

Very worthwile buying.