Coopers English Bitter

[ukphiltr7]

I have the Coopers English Bitter kits, that I have been looking forward to brewing now for some time. However, due to relocation, it has been put on hold, but it will soon be its time :-)

I have the kit itself, a tin of light malt extract, English ale yeast and some Mangrove Jack hops, that I intend to dry hop a few days/week before bottling. I have two questions really:

1. Would you use anything else with what I have listed above, or do you think that will give me a nice drink at the end?
2. Normally I use two card drops per 740ml PET bottle. However, I do not want a really fizzy English bitter, so I am thinking of using just one per bottle. Do you think this will work and will it give me the traditional 'flat' like beer I am looking for, without adding no drops?

 

[Brewed_Force]

The kit and a tin of LME sounds good to me, what type of hops have you got?

 

[ukphiltr7]

That is good to hear that I am on the right tracks :-)

The hops that I was given when I brought the tins was the mangrove jack Goldings finishing pellets.

 

[Brewed_Force]

With the Amarillo you're heading into American pale ale territory, but if you are not after a traditional English bitter then go for it.

 

[terrym]

This is the HBF review of this kit. You may find some ideas in there
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/coopers-english-bitter.20216/
And I suggest you use something like EKG or fuggles or perhaps styrian goldings to dry hop your beer which is more in keeping with the style (unless you want to use the Amarillo hops). You can get these online from Crossmyloof Brewery at a good price.
I usually suggest to people they are wasting money by using carbonation drops. Granulated sugar does the job just as well and you can adjust the priming rate to suit the style of beer much better. In your case I would use about 4-6g of sugar per litre of beer to give the right level of carbing for the style or between two thirds and one tsp sugar for your 740ml bottle.

 

[ukphiltr7]

Oh no
I am after the traditional English Bitter taste and really hope that this is going to work out nice. When I started home brewing it was this and a cider that I wanted to do. All the others are just a bonus/ trail lol.

What ones would you recommend to get the traditional English Bitter taste?

 

[ukphiltr7]

Thanks terrym, we must have posted our replies at the same time.

I think a trip out to get different hops in in order the weekend. Not particularly want to use these hops, but that is what the guy at the shop suggested, so I went along with it.

Think when these carb drops are all used up, I will go down the sugar route.

 

[Clint]

Check out Coopers web site they have some really good recipes using their kits. I done the broadside clone when I was doing kits and it was smashing.

 

[terrym]

I think a trip out to get different hops in in order the weekend. Not particularly want to use these hops, but that is what the guy at the shop suggested, so I went along with it.

Try this for a description of many widely used hops (other guides are available ) to get clued up before you buy rather than something 'the guy in the shop' wants you to buy.
https://www.crossmyloofbrew.co.uk/hop-guide
You could also consider a hop tea instead of or as well as the dry hop. Hop teas are more about flavour whereas dry hopping is more about aroma.
Either way look for dual purpose or finishing hops (not bittering hops).
I did this kit twice some time back and used 25 g EKG on one and then 25g First Gold on the other and it probably could have stood some more hops. So if I was going to dry hop this beer again using a mildish English style hop I would be thinking 25g minimum up to say 50g hops.

 

[ukphiltr7]

I have had a look at the locak brewing shop and they either sell Brewer Hops - Vacuum packed leaf hop-100g or Finishing hops teabags. I think the teabag option may be the way to go for my first time. Thanks guys for the advice, as you can tell this is my first time.

 

[Clint]

With it being your first time just enjoy yourself....as long as you do everything will be ok.

 

[ukphiltr7]

Thanks Clint

 

[ukphiltr7]

I opened the Mangrove Jack pack today to check it and they re in a tea bag. That is great as it means that I do not have to get a strainer or muslin bag this time around. It makes it easy for me the first time. So I will use the one that I currently have for the Geordie Winter Warmer that I currently have on the go and buy some more (Bitter specific was thinking East Kent Goldings or Fuggles) for the English Bitter.

 

[peebee]

… Normally I use two card drops per 740ml PET bottle. However, I do not want a really fizzy English bitter, so I am thinking of using just one per bottle. Do you think this will work and will it give me the traditional 'flat' like beer I am looking for, without adding no drops?

I wouldn't worry. You can't get "traditional 'flat' like beer" from bottles, though plenty try. Hence what you want is also called "cask conditioned". Enjoy the bottled beer a bit "sparkly", but maybe not as sparkly as some bottled beers. This situation lead to the belief that bitter sold in bottles is actually "pale ale" and visa-versa (it is wrong, but in reality it often plays out like this). And if it's "sparkly" I think anything goes when it comes to hops.

If you really want "traditional 'flat' like beer" I got involved in quite a long discussion about it a couple of years ago (EDIT: I try hard to be younger - it was three years ago) both here and on other forums: https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/cask-conditioned-nearly-real-ale.60134/. My last post in that thread has a link to my "treatise" that came of it. WARNING: It might persuade you to switch to "all grain" brewing!

I have made my Christmas "traditional" bitter. Last Saturday! (i.e. 5 days ago). It'll go in a keg (cask if you like) tomorrow, more then enough time to be ready for Christmas.

 

[ukphiltr7]

@peebee thanks for that, I will have a look at the thread asap. I am thinking that I will just put half the amount of sugar in the bottles for priming and not the full amount. I must admit that I do like the flat bitter.

 

[ukphiltr7]

Today, I brought a pack of 'East Kent Goldings Hops' to go into the brew when I set it off in a few week.