coopers australian stout

[marksa222]

Hi Mick, wondered if you could do me a favour...
I notice the big bucket you have there is the same as one I have (bought from asda for £3). If it's not too much trouble, could you take a picture of how you have the aquarium heater set up please? That's presuming you have one.

I'm getting one myself, but I'm a little concerned that on where to put it and how much is a safe gap from the fv, do I need a cradle for it etc... I'm probably worrying about nothing, but thought depending on how hot the elements in it get, if it's dangerous to have it too close to the plastic.

Don't worry if it's too much hassel.

Thanks

 

Hi Mick, wondered if you could do me a favour...
I notice the big bucket you have there is the same as one I have (bought from asda for £3). If it's not too much trouble, could you take a picture of how you have the aquarium heater set up please? That's presuming you have one.

I'm getting one myself, but I'm a little concerned that on where to put it and how much is a safe gap from the fv, do I need a cradle for it etc... I'm probably worrying about nothing, but thought depending on how hot the elements in it get, if it's dangerous to have it too close to the plastic.

Don't worry if it's too much hassel.

Thanks

most of them heaters come with a cradle ...
iv only used mine once what you can see in my pics is a over flow pipe ...
instead of a air lock...

but when i did use my heater...
i had it stuck to the inside of the outer bucket on a angle like this /...
about 1 inch off the bottom so its not touching the bottom...
with the water completely covering it up ...
you can put it on what ever angle you wont as long as its not touching the bottom and the top is totaly under the water ...
i hope this helps if you still need a pic ill go up the shed and set it up for you to see but i dont have it to hand right now....

regards mick... :hat: .

 

[marksa222]

No don't worry about it. Thanks for the offer though.
I live in a house with crappy old storage heaters so theres only 2 rooms that are always warm, they are the living room and bedroom and i'm not sure I could convince swmbo to let me keep it in there. Is the bucket just used for the overflow there then?

 

No don't worry about it. Thanks for the offer though.
I live in a house with crappy old storage heaters so theres only 2 rooms that are always warm, they are the living room and bedroom and i'm not sure I could convince swmbo to let me keep it in there. Is the bucket just used for the overflow there then?

to late iv just been and got it ...
here it is ...

yes in this case both times iv done a coopers stout its gone over the top ...so yes thats the reason i used the bucket...
but i did use the heater in there once when the house was realy cold ...

it worked a treat.... :thumb: .

regards mick... :hat: .

 

[marksa222]

Thanks Mick, appreciate it.

Which heater did you buy? I got a "new with damaged box" one on ebay. It shattered when I switched it on though!
I'll get a new one, but would prefer one that didn't smash when turned on!

 

Thanks Mick, appreciate it.

Which heater did you buy? I got a "new with damaged box" one on ebay. It shattered when I switched it on though!
I'll get a new one, but would prefer one that didn't smash when turned on!

did you have it under water when you switched it on...
if not thats why it shatterd ...

never switch it on without it being under water ...
and if you have one under water ....
and switch it off....
let it cool before you take it out or it will shatter...

iv got a cheap one from ebay its a betta 300watt...

heres one the same on there now ...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Betta-Aquariu ... 460b324454


plus...
when you do get one dont trust the temperature it says...

get it in water and use a good thermometer in there as well ...
to see what the temperature really is ...

i got this one today for just that purpose...

then adjust it to suit but putting hot or cold till its how you wont it then set the themastate on the heater so it only just comes on at the temp.....

never just trust the heater on what its set at as they lie...

regards mick... :hat: .

 

[marksa222]

I had it half in, half out. Then turned it on and realised it was fully submersable so i dunked it all under. It was shortly after that when it smashed. You would think that would be mentioned on the box?
I will be more careful next time. Is 300w really necessary? I was thinking 50 would do the trick.

 

I had it half in, half out. Then turned it on and realised it was fully submersable so i dunked it all under. It was shortly after that when it smashed. You would think that would be mentioned on the box?
I will be more careful next time. Is 300w really necessary? I was thinking 50 would do the trick.

thers alot of different thoughts on this ...
but i say 300w dont need to work hard so should last longer ...
i was told on here 50watts was no good ...it had to be at least 100/150watts ...
but i got mine at a good price so i went with it ...

 

[marksa222]

Thanks mick, appreciate the advice. I'll let you know how I get on.

 

[Stu]

be very careful with those tubs.

I might just be unlucky, but I bought one also from asda and mine leaked after a couple of weeks. In the end, I've ended up putting them (clearly very, very clean) straight into the FV. I've modified my FVs to do this (hole in the top, glue the wire through a rubber grommet which requires unwiring the plug).

However, what Mick says about the 300w ones is true for me too. Once it gets up to temperature (which is very quick), if it turns on for once an hour for more than a minute I'd be surprised.

To be fair they are available much cheaper

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Submersible-A ... 0873446508

Unfortunately, the importer that I bought mine from has decided not to sell them any more so has a few left, but for some reason at £14 (I paid £6.69 for both my 300w ones). I doubt there's much in it of the quality - all the ones quoted are cheap tat made in China.

 

mmmm very sad this is nearly all gone now ... .
im down to my last 8 bottles...
its totaly lush..... :drink:

regards mick... :hat: .

 

ok so as rod stewart once sang tonights the night ...

so its time to try my coopers stouts...
one primed with treacle ...
one with sugar...

first the one with sugar it tastes just like my first stout totaly lush but with no head...

now the treacle one this one has a great head to start with but about 15 mins in it goes down to a small head...
but stays nearly all the way to the end of the pint...

the taste is not great its got a a burnt bitter sweet after taste but its defo moreish...

the both are a bit thin but have a Silky Smooth texture ...

both have been in the fridge for 8 hours ...

so ill try them both again 2moro night but ill not fridge them ...
as i normally drink stout at room temp.. :thumbup: .

heres some picks.. :drink: .

regards mick... :hat: .

 

[mickthetrick]

looks a nice drop mick.
black treacle in my opinion needs to be added in a small amount. it can be overpowering if too much is added.
i read were a full 454g tin was added. now i would never add that amount :nono:
room temp is the best way to drink it. its lovely

 

looks a nice drop mick.
black treacle in my opinion needs to be added in a small amount. it can be overpowering if too much is added.
i read were a full 454g tin was added. now i would never add that amount :nono:
room temp is the best way to drink it. its lovely

i think it was 94g of treacle for priming but that was for about 20ish bottles
and yes i do normally drink it at room temp theres always more taste...

i just thought id try them chilled for a change ... :thumb: .
ill not do that again... :nono: .

regards mick... :hat: .

 

[BrewBilly]

All the above posts are very interesting, thank you for the pictures.

I'm busy drinking the Coopers Irish Stout, its lovely. I did a little experiment using left over carbonation drops and dark demara sugar.

I had a fantastic result, both methods gave good carbonation, but the demara sugar had better head formation and retention. There also seemed a something added to the flavour using the demara sugar. All in all a good result.

Fantastic thread - well done, very useful

 

All the above posts are very interesting, thank you for the pictures.

I'm busy drinking the Coopers Irish Stout, its lovely. I did a little experiment using left over carbonation drops and dark demara sugar.

I had a fantastic result, both methods gave good carbonation, but the demara sugar had better head formation and retention. There also seemed a something added to the flavour using the demara sugar. All in all a good result.

Fantastic thread - well done, very useful

thank you very much billy.. .

ill have to try some demara sugar some time how much did you prime with i always batch prime my brews i find it easyer ...

regards mick... :hat: .

 

ok so i tried them both at room temp...

i think they both need more time theres still no head on the sugar one...
and to be honest it looks like a pint of coke... :shock: but it tastes ok ..

now the treacle one tastes like a dog smells after its thats been out in the rain yuk..
ill leave them longer and go back to them in a week or 2 as i no they will be much better well i hope they will... :pray: .

here they are 2night...

no need for me to tell you which is which .. .
regards mick... :hat: .

 

[Grunaki]

Did this kit and just bottled it tonight.. Left it in a sealed FV for going on 4 weeks and seems to have done the job.. I know everyone here's all about doing it properly and taking gravity readings, but I'm kind of working on the premise of 'if it foams like a ******* for the first few days, it's probably going to work'. And this one did.

I have a bottling attachment for my siphon which I stick in a pint glass if I have to stop between bottles for some reason, and it usually fills up a couple of times.. So I have to empty it.. :whistle:

I have to say, this one filled up more than most.. (Especially like it as stout doesn't really need to be all that fizzy - or cold).. And yeah, that-thar yeast definitely did its job! :thumb:

Got a 'Munton's Dublin Stout' kit for my next batch, and will be interested to see how it compares...

 

Did this kit and just bottled it tonight.. Left it in a sealed FV for going on 4 weeks and seems to have done the job.. I know everyone here's all about doing it properly and taking gravity readings, but I'm kind of working on the premise of 'if it foams like a b*****d for the first few days, it's probably going to work'. And this one did.

I have a bottling attachment for my siphon which I stick in a pint glass if I have to stop between bottles for some reason, and it usually fills up a couple of times.. So I have to empty it.. :whistle:

I have to say, this one filled up more than most.. (Especially like it as stout doesn't really need to be all that fizzy - or cold).. And yeah, that-thar yeast definitely did its job! :thumb:

Got a 'Munton's Dublin Stout' kit for my next batch, and will be interested to see how it compares...

it sounds to me you have a great time bottling this brew .

it will be interested to see how it compares with the Muntons Dublin Stout...
i hanvent seen that one ...
but it would be nice to no what its like... :thumb: .

regards mick... :hat: .

 

[BrewBilly]

All the above posts are very interesting, thank you for the pictures.

I'm busy drinking the Coopers Irish Stout, its lovely. I did a little experiment using left over carbonation drops and dark demara sugar.

I had a fantastic result, both methods gave good carbonation, but the demara sugar had better head formation and retention. There also seemed a something added to the flavour using the demara sugar. All in all a good result.

Fantastic thread - well done, very useful

thank you very much billy.. .

ill have to try some demara sugar some time how much did you prime with i always batch prime my brews i find it easyer ...

regards mick... :hat: .

Mick

Apologies for the extremely late delay in replying to your question.

I used a bakers teaspoon of demara sugar per 500ml bottle and got fantastic results.

Cheers
BrewBilly