Started a Coopers kit

[Wookie Monster]

Just set off a 40-pint brew this afternoon:

• 1 Coopers Real Ale kit
• 750g light malt extract
• 250g dark malt extract

Will see how it turns out

 

[Pirate_Pete]

Sounds all right. Nice amount of malt and no sugar.
It'll be a good un.

What temperature are you fermenting it at? And is it a constant temperature?

 

[Wookie Monster]

It's in a warm corner of the kitchen! That's all I've done for previous brews and its worked out alright. Means I can keep an eye on it for any eruptions or other bad things happening.

 

[The Baron]

Sounds ok to me will be slightly stronger than normal but not massively

 

[terrym]

Should be OK. It's a kit and a good quality kilo.
I made up this kit some time back and suggest a hop tea might raise it if you have access to some hops, Fuggles, Styrian Goldings, First Gold or EKG perhaps. Not sure if citrus hops would suit though.
However I did find it very 'fruity' so it might be a Marmite beer.
Hope it works out for you

 

[Pirate_Pete]

Should be OK. It's a kit and a good quality kilo.
I made up this kit some time back and suggest a hop tea might raise it if you have access to some hops, Fuggles, Styrian Goldings, First Gold or EKG perhaps. Not sure if citrus hops would suit though.
However I did find it very 'fruity' so it might be a Marmite beer.
Hope it works out for you

Yes I think all those hops would go well.
I too made this beer. A while ago now. In fact one of my first brews, when I didn't really know what I was doing.
I used Pride of Ringwood hops for what reason, I have no idea.
It wasn't until much later I found out that PoR is basically a hop used for bittering.
Now bear in mind that this is already one of, if not the most, of Coopers beers.
To say the end result was bitter is a major understatement.
Funny thing is I took some to work for one of the homebrewers. He took four home, but unknown to me he brought two back.
Fast forward a couple of years and we moved premises. Boss asks who the beer in the fridge belongs to.
I take it home and open one. It was bloody lovely.
I should probably try this one again, although I'm having a bit of a break from Coopers at the moment.

 

[terrym]

Yes I think all those hops would go well.
I too made this beer. A while ago now. In fact one of my first brews, when I didn't really know what I was doing.
I used Pride of Ringwood hops for what reason, I have no idea.
It wasn't until much later I found out that PoR is basically a hop used for bittering.
Now bear in mind that this is already one of, if not the most, of Coopers beers.
To say the end result was bitter is a major understatement.
Funny thing is I took some to work for one of the homebrewers. He took four home, but unknown to me he brought two back.
Fast forward a couple of years and we moved premises. Boss asks who the beer in the fridge belongs to.
I take it home and open one. It was bloody lovely.
I should probably try this one again, although I'm having a bit of a break from Coopers at the moment.

My guess is they also use Pride of Ringwood hops in this kit, which for me have quite a distinctive taste, and which in the end I decided I am not too keen on.
And my experience as well in the one or two Real Ales I did was that it needs a lot of conditioning to mellow out.

 

[Pirate_Pete]

My guess is they also use Pride of Ringwood hops in this kit, which for me have quite a distinctive taste, and which in the end I decided I am not too keen on.
And my experience as well in the one or two Real Ales I did was that it needs a lot of conditioning to mellow out.

I think PoR is the hop Coopers use to bitter most of their beers.

I bought a 50 gram packet. I can post you the other 25 grams if you want Terry. It's still in the freezer.

 

[terrym]

I think PoR is the hop Coopers use to bitter most of their beers.

I bought a 50 gram packet. I can post you the other 25 grams if you want Terry. It's still in the freezer.

I actually did a similar thing to you. I had come by some cheap Admiral hops and for some unknown reason decided to use them as a dry hop in one of these kits. I should have done my homework (which I now do for hop additions) since I found they too have a very distinctive flavour and are also a bittering hop. Anyway in went 50g Admiral and the end result took about 4 months before it became properly drinkable (though none went down the sink )

 

[Wookie Monster]

Well it's in the barrel Transferred the beer from my old boots keg into the new one this afternoon. First sample shows promise! Flat as anything but tastes like beer

 

[dwhite60]

Keep us updated, please.

All the Best,
D. White

 

[Wookie Monster]

Drew off half a pint to test it tonight. Now on the second half nice malty flavour, not too bitter, decent colour too. Will make it again!

 

[dwhite60]

Thanks for the update.

All the Best,
D. White