Coopers Bitter

Paleman · Post by **Paleman** » Monday Apr 03, 2006 10:50 pm

Just tasted a couple of Coopers Bitters that the next door neighbour had brewed up.

He made the brew with a standard Coopers Bitter can, and a Brew Enhancer #2.

What a fantastic beer !! So tasty, and creamy. Very malty. Bitter bite without going over the top. It is a great winter beer for sure, and can be a summer quencher aswell. I actually didnt want my glass to end. The head beaded all the way down.

Ive heard extract, partial, and full mash brewers say you cant make a great kit beer. Well the Coopers Bitter is it fellas. I defy mash brewer to make a better Bitter, than the Coopers Bitter.

I'm licking my glass as i speak......i dunno, maybe my next neighbour got it right somehow, or Coopers have hit the jackpot.

Give it a go. Coopers Bitter, with a Brew Enhancer #2. Better than any Coopers Commercial products, except maybe the Stout.

Big Al · Post by **Big Al** » Tuesday Apr 04, 2006 8:12 am

I agree Paleman, I made a Coopers Bitter a year ago and had one the other day and was very impressed, smooth creamy and held head all the way down. Great winter beer or anytime. I made it just with a Brew Booster 5oog dex, 250g LDM, 250g Maltodextrin, I am no expert brewer and very simple so I think Coopers might be on a good thing.
Big Al

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Tuesday Apr 04, 2006 12:27 pm

Paleman,

I just made up an X-Tract bitter by mistake. (It was labelled as a pale ale, but was definately a bitter).

I made it up to 20L, and added 250g vienna grain. I used the CPA yeast.

It was pretty damn good. I'm still pissed it wasn't a PA though.

ex0ja · Post by **ex0ja** » Tuesday Apr 04, 2006 10:41 pm

I might give the Coopers Bitter a shot for my next brew. Although I wanted to try a different brand this time!

What kind of yeast should I use?

tcc · Post by **tcc** » Tuesday Apr 04, 2006 11:05 pm

i love the cooper's bitter can too

id imagine safale would work pretty well

personally ive done it with the kit yeast and also most recently with WLP051 which was very nice with some crystal and ldme

Boozer · Post by **Boozer** » Tuesday Apr 04, 2006 11:36 pm

I've just brewed a double batch (46L) this week

r.magnay · Post by **r.magnay** » Thursday Apr 06, 2006 7:02 am

G'day Paleman,
Coopers bitter has been my main beer forever, I read with interest when I see comments about Kit and kilo beers being second rate by full or part mashers, I often think while I am drinking it, "How can anybody make a better beer than this?" I also agree, I prefer this beer to any commercial beer, including Coopers! I use 750 Coopers BE2, to make it a bit less Alc. prime with white sugar, and use glass and/or pet bottles. Providing the glasses are OK, it has and holds a top creamy head and tastes, as we say in the trade, shit hot. I love it.

r.magnay · Post by **r.magnay** » Thursday Apr 06, 2006 7:06 am

ex0ja,
I only ever use the supplied yeast, if it is not broken, don't try and fix it!

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Thursday Apr 06, 2006 10:09 am

I'd use a coopers sparkling ale yeast. It works nicely in amber ales.

JAZZA · Post by **JAZZA** » Wednesday Apr 19, 2006 9:51 pm

I was so impresssssed by your remarkes that I will have to give the Coopers Bitter a go

CHEERS

JAZZA

Paleman · Post by **Paleman** » Thursday Apr 20, 2006 4:06 pm

Give it a go JAZZA, but try and keep your temperature down. Try and brew it between 18- 22..... 22 at the very highest.

You can let it ferment for 7-8 days, then rack it for another 7. Bottle it with white sugar. You wont be sorry, its delicious.

Paleman · Post by **Paleman** » Thursday Apr 20, 2006 5:34 pm

r.magnay wrote:G'day Paleman,
Coopers bitter has been my main beer forever, I read with interest when I see comments about Kit and kilo beers being second rate by full or part mashers, I often think while I am drinking it, "How can anybody make a better beer than this?" I also agree, I prefer this beer to any commercial beer, including Coopers! I use 750 Coopers BE2, to make it a bit less Alc. prime with white sugar, and use glass and/or pet bottles. Providing the glasses are OK, it has and holds a top creamy head and tastes, as we say in the trade, shit hot. I love it.

Gday r.magnay, ive made many kit beers in my home brewing career. The Coopers Bitter i have made half a dozen times. All of them times the Bitter has turned out spectacular.

My neigbour put one down a while ago. Gives me a bottle or two, and it was fantastic.

I'm having thoughts of learning to keg. Then kegging a Coopers Bitter...would be Mothers Milk.

Shaun · Post by **Shaun** » Thursday Apr 20, 2006 8:30 pm

Paleman stop thinking and do you will never look back with all that Coopers Bitter on tap

Paleman · Post by **Paleman** » Thursday Apr 20, 2006 11:06 pm

Shaun wrote:Paleman stop thinking and do you will never look back with all that Coopers Bitter on tap

Nearly convinced me Shaun

Mmmmm creamy beer from a keg !!

Iron-Haggis · Post by **Iron-Haggis** » Friday Apr 21, 2006 12:38 am

Paleman do you think any added hops will go well with a Coopers Bitter. I'm thinking of making a nice bitter beer for the old boy.

JAZZA · Post by **JAZZA** » Friday Apr 21, 2006 6:30 pm

Just for old times sake I use to make Coopers Bitter for my old man for my old man around 1985 and then they took it off the market and replaced it with Real ale my old man was not impressed so I wrote a letter to Coopers they replied saying they were very sorry.

Any way it is great to see it back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CHEERS,

JAZZA

Paleman · Post by **Paleman** » Friday Apr 21, 2006 7:00 pm

Iron-Haggis wrote:Paleman do you think any added hops will go well with a Coopers Bitter. I'm thinking of making a nice bitter beer for the old boy.

Most definately would i imagine Iron-Haggis. Some nice aroma hops. Theres plenty of bitterness, so maybe dry hopping would be the way to go.

Wassa · Post by **Wassa** » Friday Apr 21, 2006 10:23 pm

Sorry guys, but i have tried both Coopers bitter and real Ale and don't like eiher of them.

But, however, there Lager,Pale Ale, Bavarian Lager, Canadian Blonde and pilsner are FANTASTIC!!!!

It would be a boring world if we all liked the same thing though. Wouldn't it?

Simo · Post by **Simo** » Sunday Apr 23, 2006 11:39 am

howd o you guys think some Hallertau would go in a Cooper bitter with 1kg BE2?
I have some i nthe fridge and think it would be interesting. maybe only 5g or so for a few minutes, what do you think?

ex0ja · Post by **ex0ja** » Sunday Apr 23, 2006 5:17 pm

Wassa wrote:But, however, there Lager,Pale Ale, Bavarian Lager, Canadian Blonde and pilsner are FANTASTIC!!!!

Damn, I have both a Coopers Bavarian Lager and Bitter in the cupboard waiting to be brewed. I was going to brew the Bavarian Lager next, but then I read this thread and thought I'd go the Bitter instead.

Now I don't know what to do!