Coopers Stout

[railgun_livewire]

I've just sampled the first of my bottles from a coopers stout brew.

I was a little dissapointed to find that my bubbles were quite large, brown and produced a skimpy head that dissapeared fast.
My reckless imagination had set me up to expect half an inch of cream sitting atop my stout....not even close.

recipe:

1 can
1kg dextrose
1.5 saches of kit yeast
topped to 23 ltrs


To be fair to my efforts, it was a fairly early sample - but is this something that will improve with age?
(the brew, not me)

Thanks!

 

[benno1973]

To be fair to my efforts, it was a fairly early sample - but is this something that will improve with age?
(the brew, not me)

Not from my experience. I always had big heavy bubbles when priming with dextrose or (god forbid) sucrose. It got a little better when I primed with DME. Now I keg and force carbonate, I get a beautiful creamy head all the time. Sorry to disappoint, but having said that, there's ways that you can improve it:

1. Use DME (dry malt extract) for priming
2. Steep some crystal and add it to the brew if this is to style.
3. Do a partial mash with a bit of wheat.
4. I'm sure there's more, but they escape me...

 

[tcraig20]

I've just sampled the first of my bottles from a coopers stout brew.

I was a little dissapointed to find that my bubbles were quite large, brown and produced a skimpy head that dissapeared fast.
My reckless imagination had set me up to expect half an inch of cream sitting atop my stout....not even close.

recipe:

1 can
1kg dextrose
1.5 saches of kit yeast
topped to 23 ltrs


To be fair to my efforts, it was a fairly early sample - but is this something that will improve with age?
(the brew, not me)

Thanks!

Unfortunately, stout is one of those beers that needs a lot of malt. Stouts are heavy, smooth and creamy beers. Adding dextrose increases alcohol, but makes the beer thinner, and less stout-like. Using malt adds alcohol but also adds body.

It will improve with age, but I doubt that you will have guinness in 3 months.

 

[railgun_livewire]

Thanks guys,
it sounds like my (brief) run as a pure kit brewer is over.

To the nearest supplier! :beer:

 

[manticle]

When I did kks I used BE2 for my stouts. The head was fine.

I'd still recommend moving beyond if you're feeling that way inclined.

One thing with the DME though - I made a Coopers stout tin with 1kg Cooper LDME and it came out funny tasting. I'd previously done a couple with half kilo each of Be2 and LDME which turned out very tasty for KK. I always assumed it was just that variety of extract.

 

[tcraig20]

Thanks guys,
it sounds like my (brief) run as a pure kit brewer is over.

To the nearest supplier! :beer:

Oh, dont be so quick to abandon 'pure kit'. If you like stouts, at least give the stout/dark ale two-can mentioned earlier in this thread a whirl.

 

[manticle]

Or try

Coopers Stout Tin
200g lactose
1 kg Dark Dry malt extract
Small amount liquorice

or if you're near a cellarplus grab one of their house stout mixes in place of the extract and liquorice.

This will be quite sweet so you might want to balance it with some extra bittering hops - fuggles works ok.

You could also steep a bit of crystal malt and chocolate malt or black malt.

One final tip for a great stout - get some unmalted roast barley (available at LHBS or from italian supermarkets as Orzo). About 500 g, cracked and steeped will give a lovely coffee flavour.

 

[mwd]

Just drinking a glass of toucan Molloys Stout and Coopers Dark Ale.

It was lightly carbonated and not much of a head. Tastes pretty damn good though.

Could always try the old syringe trick if you want a creamy head on top.

 

[manticle]

Head is one thing I've never had a problem with with either kit stouts, extract or partial.

 

[HoppingMad]

Oh, dont be so quick to abandon 'pure kit'. If you like stouts, at least give the stout/dark ale two-can mentioned earlier in this thread a whirl.

+1 on the Stout Can & Dark Can double.

A mate of mine had the good fortune to run into Dr Tim Cooper in Adelaide a year ago and he recommended this pairing.

So it can't be half bad. Haven't tried myself but have done a double can of the stouts with some fuggles for finishing hops and it came up pretty good. If I'd used S-04 instead of the coopers yeast it would have been even better. The fugs need some cellar time to die down though - add too many and you're drinking lawn clippings.

Hopper.

 

[Muddydisco]

Hi guy's, I have just done a recipe that Bribie had posted over here in the UK.
It was:
2 cans of coppers stout
1kg of light spray Malt
750 g of Dextrose (But I put the whole kilo in!)
I also have added 8 cups worth of Costa Rican ground coffee (pre brewed) Into the FV
1 Pack Nottingham Yeast will make a starter for another packet and put that in 4 days after.
OG 1080

Less than 24hrs in and it has made a break for freedom, The frothy yeast head tastes wonderful like a cappacino!

 

[petesbrew]

Hi guy's, I have just done a recipe that Bribie had posted over here in the UK.
It was:
2 cans of coppers stout
1kg of light spray Malt
750 g of Dextrose (But I put the whole kilo in!)
I also have added 8 cups worth of Costa Rican ground coffee (pre brewed) Into the FV
1 Pack Nottingham Yeast will make a starter for another packet and put that in 4 days after.
OG 1080

Less than 24hrs in and it has made a break for freedom, The frothy yeast head tastes wonderful like a cappacino!

Man that's gonna be a big beer! I shall have to do another toucan soon. It's been a while.

What's the lid doing off the fermenter?

 

[Muddydisco]

Man that's gonna be a big beer! I shall have to do another toucan soon. It's been a while.

What's the lid doing off the fermenter?

I do like a good strong stout! Don't worry about the lid the fermenting takes place in a temp controlled chest freezer so the whole of it is full of co2, had a quick clean up on the lid and airlock then replaced the airlock for some tubing and a bottle with some water in to catch the rest of the froth.

Today I shall be completing my AG kit and taking it on a water only test!

 

[manticle]

That AG kit looks like something I could do. I know it may not be the shiniest stainless steel microbrewery everything but I'd really appreciate one of those step by step with photos things on the set-up and construction if you're happy? It looks like the kind of DIY brewery I'd be more than happy with.
I'm partial mash man at the moment - most of my equipment is quite small but I'm hoping to hit AG before the year is out.

 

[Muddydisco]

Manticle Have a look here for now http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopi...039&start=0 I will write up a "how to" for the guys over here if your interested? I'll put it in the Equipment section. I don't know what supplies you can get over in Aus?

 

[manticle]

Manticle Have a look here for now http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopi...039&start=0 I will write up a "how to" for the guys over here if your interested? I'll put it in the Equipment section. I don't know what supplies you can get over in Aus?

I'm definitely interested.

Cheers

 

[brettprevans]

looks pretty much like a John Palmer (how to brew) set up to me. basic and does the job. Hell look at one of the AG setup Thirsty Boy did. extremely simple but effective.

 

[Yob]

Mornin all... digging up a fairly old one, what volumes of c02 should I be aiming for with one of these, keeping in mind that SWMBO likes em less rather than more carbed... 2.2 - 2.3?

Windsor or Can yeast from those that know?

Yob

(SWMBO's doing well out of the new brewery )

 

[going down a hill]

Windsor is a good little yeast that will add more mouthfeel because of it's moderate attenuation, but I would reculture some yeast from a couple of coopers bottles for a coopers stout.

 

[Yob]

bugger.... will put it aside till I can get a starter going.. I guess I will have to do the English Bitter then

Yob