Coopers Original Stout Review

[terrym]

@micklupulo
Use this to calculate priming rates.
https://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/
Irrespective of what the instructions may or may not suggest 8 g table sugar per litre gives 2.9 volumes which is far too much for a stout and for that matter many other beers.
I would be aiming for one tsp sugar per litre (about 4.5g/litre) which will give about 2 volumes, and for lagers and AIPAs etc 1.5tsp per litre giving about 2.5 volumes. Others may do it differently.

 

[micklupulo]

@terrym

Thanks for reply which is helpful and confirms my view that a half tsp. should be about right for an ale.

 

[micklupulo]

Still a bit puzzled about the Coopers Real Ale which despite being over carbonated seemed OK after a month in the bottle. Tried another one last night a month further on and it took me back to 1972 and fizzy metallic Watneys Red Barrell which was the only pub beer I ever left unfinished. Any suggestions about the likely cause would be welcome.

 

[Llamaman]

Still a bit puzzled about the Coopers Real Ale which despite being over carbonated seemed OK after a month in the bottle. Tried another one last night a month further on and it took me back to 1972 and fizzy metallic Watneys Red Barrell which was the only pub beer I ever left unfinished. Any suggestions about the likely cause would be welcome.

Unfortunately, my experience of British pub best bitter type kits is exactly that - thin and slightly metallic. I think it’s just a really hard style to pull off with extract kits because it’s all about subtlety and balance.
Heavily hopped pales, roasty stouts or yeast-driven Belgians etc all seem to fare better. It may be that the stronger flavours mask the off tastes from the kit.
The good news is that the metallic taste will sometimes fade with time. My own-recipe ESB was pretty naff at first but got better after a few months. My Brewferm Gallia kit never got better though, and half went down the drain.
My solution is that I’ve stopped trying to make this type of beer and just buy it. I’ll homebrew other styles I have more success with. If I ever get around to all grain I’ll have another go, as I suspect it’s the extract production that generates the off flavour and plenty of homebrewers produce good bitters so it must be possible! There’s a theory the fresh extract is fine, but as I buy all my stuff mail order I have no way of checking dates when I buy.

Sorry if this isn’t the answer you were looking for!

Edit: I should have said most of experience with bitter kits is from 15 years ago. I expect modern kits are better, but aside from the Brewferm I’ve not tried any yet. Once bitten, twice shy and all that...

 

[micklupulo]

Unfortunately, my experience of British pub best bitter type kits is exactly that - thin and slightly metallic. I think it’s just a really hard style to pull off with extract kits because it’s all about subtlety and balance.
Heavily hopped pales, roasty stouts or yeast-driven Belgians etc all seem to fare better. It may be that the stronger flavours mask the off tastes from the kit.
The good news is that the metallic taste will sometimes fade with time. My own-recipe ESB was pretty naff at first but got better after a few months. My Brewferm Gallia kit never got better though, and half went down the drain.
My solution is that I’ve stopped trying to make this type of beer and just buy it. I’ll homebrew other styles I have more success with. If I ever get around to all grain I’ll have another go, as I suspect it’s the extract production that generates the off flavour and plenty of homebrewers produce good bitters so it must be possible! There’s a theory the fresh extract is fine, but as I buy all my stuff mail order I have no way of checking dates when I buy.

Sorry if this isn’t the answer you were looking for!

Edit: I should have said most of experience with bitter kits is from 15 years ago. I expect modern kits are better, but aside from the Brewferm I’ve not tried any yet. Once bitten, twice shy and all that...

Thanks Llamaman and as I have both bottles and space to spare I will not chuck the "Red Barrel" away yet and will retry in a couple of months or so though am a bit concerned that as it appears to have deteriorated there might be a progressive problem. 25 years ago I was able to produce really good A.G. bitters but after a long break in brewing have reverted to kits which in general do seem to have improved though the first attempt at an English style bitter has been a disappointment,; the over carbonation cannot have helped. Agree entirely that the elusive objective is a subtle balance of flavours but I will persist and try another kit maybe a Simply or Youngs Bitter or Yorkshire Bitter which seem to come out quite well in the reviews but am open to suggestions for a light tawny coloured bitter with a nice balance of hops and malt.

 

[terrym]

Still a bit puzzled about the Coopers Real Ale which despite being over carbonated seemed OK after a month in the bottle. Tried another one last night a month further on and it took me back to 1972 and fizzy metallic Watneys Red Barrell which was the only pub beer I ever left unfinished. Any suggestions about the likely cause would be welcome.

Although this a thread about the Coopers Stout not bitters or Coopers Real Ale, a short observation.
I brewed the Real Ale sometime ago. I found it quite harsh. It's quite a bitter beer relative to other Coopers kits and maybe one of the kits in which Coopers use Pride of Ringwood hops, which is not one of my favourites. So that may be the answer to your question.

 

[micklupulo]

Although this a thread about the Coopers Stout not bitters or Coopers Real Ale, a short observation.
I brewed the Real Ale sometime ago. I found it quite harsh. It's quite a bitter beer relative to other Coopers kits and maybe one of the kits in which Coopers use Pride of Ringwood hops, which is not one of my favourites. So that may be the answer to your question.

Thanks for the tip and apologies for being off topic but am new on here and have not yet mastered navigating the site.

 

[terrym]

Thanks for the tip and apologies for being off topic but am new on here and have not yet mastered navigating the site.

No problem. We were all new on here at some time.

 

[gar]

hi all
i've read this thread after just getting hold of a Coopers stout!
i also have 1kg of brew enhancer and 500g of med DME.
hoping for an ABV of about 4.2
my only concern is, will the med DME make this a little sweet?
any thoughts?

 

[Linalmeemow]

hi all
i've read this thread after just getting hold of a Coopers stout!
i also have 1kg of brew enhancer and 500g of med DME.
hoping for an ABV of about 4.2
my only concern is, will the med DME make this a little sweet?
any thoughts?

Nope, it'll be fine. Cooper's Stout is bombproof, you've got to really try hard to bollocks it up!

 

[Cheyne_brewer]

I made mine with 1kg Muntons beer enhancer and made it slightly short - about 21L - to give it extra body to be more like a commercial stout. This ended up around 4.3% abv I think, primed the barrel with dark sugar and enjoyed greatly :)

Paul.

 

[Arcs]

hi all
i've read this thread after just getting hold of a Coopers stout!
i also have 1kg of brew enhancer and 500g of med DME.
hoping for an ABV of about 4.2
my only concern is, will the med DME make this a little sweet?
any thoughts?

As a brewer of this stuff and many others over the past year, I can tell you it's the extra dark spray malt you are after for the extra body and flavour -works a treat. And the brand does not matter neither >< But with that much dextrose going into it, expect a wee bit more than 4.2 hehe xD

 

[gar]

Just bottled, you're right, 5%

 

[WelshD]

i brewed this with 1kg dark malt and its stopped bubbling after just 3 days?
is it stuck? i have a pack of yeast us 05 i could throw in?

 

[Arcs]

What yeast did you use? Is it at the right temp? Are you absolutely sure it has stopped or it just may be brewing a little on the cool side for you to notice a great deal of fermentation?

 

[WelshD]

i used the normal coopers yeast, i think its been 18/19 temperature

 

[Arcs]

Ah, sounds like slow fermentation due to low temperature. Take a gravity reading over the next couple of days to make sure that fermentation has stopped. If it stays the same then you probably have a stuck fermentation. It's a little on the cool side so if you can find somewhere to raise the temp of your brew it will most likely kick off again.

 

[Arcs]

Unless that it has actually reached final gravity which after 3 days on that yeast I would highly doubt it.

 

[WelshD]

Unless that it has actually reached final gravity which after 3 days on that yeast I would highly doubt it.

i only brewed it to 21l, will that make a difference?

 

[Pirate_Pete]

i only brewed it to 21l, will that make a difference?

Not much.
As Arcs said. Take a gravity reading.
When you take a gravity reading don't throw the sample away. Leave it next to the FV with the hydrometer in.
Saves taking samples and you should see the hydrometer drop over the days.
Just because there are no bubbles doesn't mean it's stuck. Fermentation would have just calmed down.