Coopers Lager Kit

[Lees0604]

Hi

I brewed a Coopers Lager kit on Monday night, added 1kg of brewing sugar and 500g of light spray malt. The issue is a have not seen any bubbles from the airlock. I have read reviews of the coopers kits and people say that the kit is pretty active. the kit says to keep 21-28 - the brew is currently at 24-25

I assume that it is all ok even though no bubbles?

Thanks in advance

 

[Slid]

If you can see a sort of scummy type of a slightly uneven line at the liquid line in the fermenter (from the outside) it may be that the initial ferment is over. There are often leaks with plastic fermenters such that no bubbles go through the airlock.

As long as the yeast was in date, I expect it will all be fine, just remember to leave it for a full fortnight before bottling. Paradoxically, a fast initial ferment from a high ambient temp needs longer to finish out, as more by-products are produced at higher temps, which then need to be converted by the yeast.

Coopers yeast has evolved to cope with South Australian weather and is relatively tolerant of high temperatures.

Hope this helps!

 

[Lees0604]

Slid that is a massive help and a bit of a relief, thank you. Its only my second kit so still learning the processes.

I can see a lightly uneven line around where the liquid line is. I did plan on leaving for a couple of weeks before bottling.

I do recall the lager having a very bitter taste when it was brewed and i was taking a ABV reading. I cleaned and sanitized all my equipment - Is there any reason for the sour taste? im hoping this will disappear as heard that lager does generally take longer to get to the desired taste.

I did read that the coopers yeast can take off pretty quickly with some people stating that fermentation was done with 48-72 hours.

 

[Slid]

I would not worry about the initial taste - having made many Coopers Lager kits in the past, they will improve out to 3 months from bottling. There is a reason most HB's don't drink it straight from the FV!

 

[Lees0604]

Good point... i do see alot of people who love the initial taste

I will bottle after 2 weeks and leave for 3 months before tucking in

I think i am going to try the Coopers stout kit or Cerveza kit next - What is the best Coopers kit you have made?

 

[Hengoedbrewer]

Good point... i do see alot of people who love the initial taste

I will bottle after 2 weeks and leave for 3 months before tucking in

I think i am going to try the Coopers stout kit or Cerveza kit next - What is the best Coopers kit you have made?

The stout kit is virtually impossible to mess up and open to endless tinkering. I did a few versions when I was doing kits. You can also use the english bitter as a basis for a porter if you like dark beers.

 

[stephen1546]

Good point... i do see alot of people who love the initial taste

I will bottle after 2 weeks and leave for 3 months before tucking in

I think i am going to try the Coopers stout kit or Cerveza kit next - What is the best Coopers kit you have made?

The coopers Irish Stout is really good and can be drunk when its young around a month after it is bottled.

 

[Lees0604]

I have a Ritches Simply stout i ordered from Amazon on the way, but may grab a Coopers kit aswell. Any tips on recipes?

 

[stephen1546]

I have a Ritches Simply stout i ordered from Amazon on the way, but may grab a Coopers kit aswell. Any tips on recipes?

I like to throw in half a can of treacle and a couple of scoops of coffee (not instant), use 1 kilo of LME or DME and 120g for priming into bottles

 

[Lees0604]

Sounds great. What coffee do you use. i have seen that some people use a few espresso shots in their brew?

 

[Arcs]

I know there is a debate about this, but for stouts and porters, I always veer for the extra dark spraymalt. It gives it so much more body and a better brew. I am currently brewing a coopers dark ale and a cooper's stout. The 500g of spray malt and 750g brewing sugar for that works great.

If you can't get hold of some vanilla pods (this also works well for the Ritches export stout) then use some vanilla extract which works just as well. The Cooper's porter is seriously delicious and can go as high as 9.4% abv if that's' what you want to do.

 

[Arcs]

Furthermore, I would change the yeast as the brews come out better too. The Mangrove Jack's Craft Series Yeast - Empire Ale M15 yeast is good for dark ales and sweet dark ales. Also Mangrove Jack's Craft Series Yeast - New World Strong Ale M42 is also a very good choice for porters, IPA's, stouts and imperial stouts too. But other's here will likely help you out with alternative yeast suggestions

 

[Lees0604]

I like the sound of the vanilla. How much of the extract would you typically use in a 21l batch.

 

[Arcs]

I think I used a bottle as I did not want to overpower the stout with the taste of vanilla - pointless brewing stout if you want just vanilla ice cream beer ;p So I'd go 3/4 to full small bottle bought from most supermarkets. I pitched about 10 days in, came out with subtle but notable flavours of stout and vanilla for a delicious vanilla stout (

 

[Arcs]

Another tip you can do instead of using Amazon and ebay for extract brew supplies is go google your nearest supplier and other suppliers around the country. Those two internet companies have sellers that are in general, more expensive than you can get it directly from their own online store. This is due to the premium they have to pay those companies to sell to customers via their platform. You'll figure it out

 

[Lees0604]

Thank Arcs. i assume you mean the small 35ml bottles?

Good shout, i have just googled a local HBS and found one about 30 mins away, will have to give it a visit

 

[Arcs]

Aye those small ones indeed!

 

[Lees0604]

Perfect, i will pick one of those up and pitch the vanilla at around day 10.

Do you carbonate when bottling with a stout? if so how much do you use

Thanks

 

[user 23602]

Coffee, Chocolate, Vanilla, Oak Chip (Bourbon, Whisky, Brandy, Cognac), Peanut Butter, Syrup (Maple or Golden), Fruits such as Raspberries and Strawberries. The list is endless when it comes to adding stuff to a Stout kit.

This is what I have set aside for after my holiday next week. Although I still think it can be tweaked a little.

20 Litre Batch
5kg Stout Malt Extract
2kg Extra Dark Malt Spray
500g Lactose Powder
20g British Ale Yeast
1kg Brewing Sugar
150g Columbus Hops
200g Roasted Barely
1kg Golden Syrup
100g Cognac Oak Chips Soaked in VSOP Brandy for 1 month

 

[user 23602]

Perfect, i will pick one of those up and pitch the vanilla at around day 10.

Do you carbonate when bottling with a stout? if so how much do you use

Thanks

I carbonate, but not as much as I would with an IPA etc. 93g of priming sugar I use in a 20L batch for a Stout.