New Diy Coopers Kit

[pcmfisher]

Sampled his first batch and it tasted like coopers home brew.
His wife did the second brew, it also tastes like home brew.

Is that good or bad?

 

[Bribie G]

I'll be sticking with my old barrel style fermenters, the advantages are that taps from Bunnings are only $2 and get replaced a few times a year, plus the top of the fermenter is great for clingwrapping and using the O ring out of the lid to hold the wrap in place.

After each brew, as part of the napisan / Starsan sanitising procedure I take the tap out, clean out the threaded tap hole then dribble pure Starsan onto the threads and use it like a lube when I put the tap back in, so that area of the fermenter is guaranteed sanitised.

I guess the taps in the new fermenters would be a bit exxy to replace regularly and it's exactly that spot in a FV that can harbour nasties.

 

[earle]

This may be a stupid thing to say but I've never had fruit flies in my beer so I don't know.

Would it be worth using wort instead of the cider vinegar for the trap? It would waste a bit of yr beer but may save the rest of the batch.

If I had insects showing an interest in my fermenters I'd definitely be using a lid & airlock rather than glad wrap. I'll happily use glad wrap to keep bacteria out but for insects I wouldn't trust it.

Have tried wort as well but wasn't much better at attracting them. I've had no issues with the cling wrap, it keeps the fruit flies out fine. When I did use an airlock the little buggers got in the liquid in it, probably trying to swim through. I had my wife sew up tiny cloth caps to keep them out but all of that is a PITA. Cling wrap FTW

 

[bum]

So you're going someone for (quite honestly) pointing out a very obvious error in judgement?

Yeah, because the error in judgement was in not leaving those first 6 bottles the extra week too. Also I have no idea what you imagine his huge crime is. I read your post and I still don't understand. It will have caused his be zero ill effects at all (assuming we're not talking the 5 week mark here) and the extra time can only have improved the rest.

C'mon bum, if you'd read it before me, i'm sure you'd have said much the same thing fella...

No. I only talk absolute **** when it amuses me.

No offence was taken by him (as none was really intended). I made my point, he took it on the chin and i'm sure his next batch of beer will be trouble free.

Why do you think that? Because he's been "corrected" on a complete non-issue?

 

[Amber Fluid]

I guess the taps in the new fermenters would be a bit exxy to replace regularly and it's exactly that spot in a FV that can harbour nasties.

I am guessing they would be costly to replace too. However, I would not expect to replace mine for a very long time simply because they are so easy to clean. I don't think the area where the tap connects to the FV will harbour any more nasties than anywhere else. If you have a look at the area it is as smooth as a babies bum and very easy to keep clean.

 

[bignath]

I have no idea what you imagine his huge crime is. I read your post and I still don't understand. It will have caused his be zero ill effects at all (assuming we're not talking the 5 week mark here) and the extra time can only have improved the rest.


Why do you think that? Because he's been "corrected" on a complete non-issue?

I don't personally think he's committed any "crime" mate.

He's the one suggesting that he got lazy with the bottling process and as a result, in HIS opinion, the second part of the batch has suffered due to it. Whether there's any truth to the laziness being the culprit for the rest of the batch being a dud, who really knows? You and i both know there are lots of ways to destroy a batch of beer, and i can't imagine that leaving the rest of the bottling process can be good for a batch for either a quality or a consistency point of view.
If he's sucked in a lot of air to bottle some of it, sneezed in it, coughed over it etc... then it's quite possible for the rest of the batch to be staled/bad/infected/whatever, therefore your opinion above, that the extra time can only have improved the rest is ********.

Oh, and i know he's taken no offence to it because he replied to my post admitting he had taken no offence.

I also don't think it's a non issue either. I also don't think it's worth taking this thread any further off topic, but i can't imagine a scenario where bottling a batch in parts over a few days/weeks whatever, is considered good practise.

 

[philw]

I am happy with mine

done a couple of brews and no different to using the old FV


i thing i have noticed though is that it looks like I have scratch the bottom of it with the spoon when mixing up my Wort

I called Coopers about it and with how I sterilise it they think it should be ok

 

[healz]

Debates on criminal behaviour aside, can anyone tell us if these new FV's are any better than the old one's? I've got two of the old Cooper's FV's plus 2 of the Bunning's FV's which are perfectly good at brewing decent beers. Can anyone honestly tell me if this new design makes a better beer?

 

[Braumoasta]

Can anyone honestly tell me if this new design makes a better beer?

I don't think the main purpose of the new fermenter is to produce "better beer". It is designed to make cleaning easier and remove some of the possible hassles present with the old fermenter.

 

[Wolfy]

Can anyone honestly tell me if this new design makes a better beer?

In the end, a plastic bucket is still a plastic bucket.
If you keep them clean and sanitary there is no reason to believe that one with more bling will make 'better beer' than the other.
However it may be that one is easier to maintain, clean and keep sanitary which might be an improvement for some.

 

[healz]

That's cool, I just wanted to know if it was worth investing in getting one.

 

[Blackapple]

Bought one a while ago and I love it. Easy to clean and easy to see whats going on.
Think they are on sale at big W will be grabbing another.

 

[Kieren]

I have done a few batches in mine now, my thoughts...

Pros
- can see the ferment quite clearly
- smooth inside, easy to clean, no grooves or crevices for bugs to hide
- no airlock
- no tap thread to clean and for bugs to hide in.
- increase krausen space
- easy to install tap

Cons
- TAP, lots of places for bugs to hide, standard 13mm clear tube doesn't fit (need to find one that does, currently use a 3cm long bottling tube in the tap with a 13mm tube attached to that - this setup aerates the beer to much when racking)
- softer plastic seems more prone to scratching
- no airlock for those that need a reassuring bloop, bloop


Until I can sort out my racking issues I will be using my older style fermenters.

 

[yum beer]

im now only using mine for primary fermantation, I ditch it into an old school FV for secondary. I dont trust the lid to be airtight if theres no gas being produced.

I love the amount of room for crap to sit in below the tap, makes racking off nice and clean.

BUT>>>I wont be buying another in a hurry.

 

[ekul]

I read ina brew mag that these new fermenters are conical? Is this right? From the pic i saw it was like it was a conical bucket in a bucket.

 

[Kieren]

More of a domed bottom than a conical - and there is no port at the bottom to remove the yeast/trub.

Forgot to add to my cons - lid not airtight so you can't shake the fermenter for aeration.

 

[jeffyjudd]

i was thinking about getting a 2nd coopers fermenter but just measured my bar fridge n it wont fit in there with the croiser collar do u have to use the croiser collar ?
(i want the coopers diy kit cause i also need some more bottles the carbornation drops + it has the lager kit n be1 ....but not much good if i canmt used it without the croiser collar)

 

[bum]

do u have to use the croiser collar ?

Nope, but keep an eye on your headroom so you don't end up with krausen everywhere.

 

[fraser_john]

I ran a brew class for our work social club, they bought one of these new kits.

We moved the fermenter to a different room and whilst moving, the lid "clips" popped off and the lid then popped off. Put that back on. Then it just slopped around like crazy and because the lid and krausen collar don't seal, wort gets out whilst it slops around.

Now, most people don't move their brew around too much, regardless, the fact it does not seal well is a bad thing, people do use glad wrap yes, but I am paranoid and want my fermenter sealed.

I wrote to Coopers and complained pretty loudly about the new design, I got a typical "thank you for contacting <insert company name here>....blah blah blah".

Oh well. I did not pay for the kit so I don't have to worry too much about it being at my place.

But I did advise the 20 odd people in the class to just go buy a barrel fermenter and steer clear of the Coopers DIY kits, so there goes about 10 DIY kits they won't sell now.

 

[Braumoasta]

Now, most people don't move their brew around too much, regardless, the fact it does not seal well is a bad thing, people do use glad wrap yes, but I am paranoid and want my fermenter sealed.

I move my brew around heaps, and have not had a problem with this fermenter...