Coopers Pale ale

[ghost]

Just about to put down my 5th brew an Coopers Australian Pale Ale using there brewenhancer number 2 as recommended but Im also going to experiment a bit and put some POR hops in it to give it a more bitter flavour.What do our readers think.








I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day.
Frank Sinatra

[Oliver]

PoR is a fairly strong hop. I added 20g to a Cooper's Sparkling Ale recently, and found it was too much. I'd suggest starting with 10g, boiled in a bit of malt for 20 mins or so and added to the fermenter.

It's easy to add more hops to your next brew, but not so easy to take the hops out of this one if you add too much

Cheers,

Oliver

[thehipone]

As Oliver said, I'd definitely err on the side of caution when using PoR hops. I've found the flavor to be, well, not my favorite. A while back I did try just what you mentioned with the kit plus a small amount of PoR in a 15 min boil and a small aroma addition. (I think only 5 or 10 g each addition) It turned out ok, strangely enough it was my housemates favorite homebrew.

[Merlin]

Hi ghost,

One of my very first brews was exactly what you've got there - Coopers Australian Pale Ale + Coopers Brew Enhancer # 2. I dry-hopped it with 12g of PoR and it turned out pretty damn good, though it was pretty low alcohol (only about 3.5% off memory).

Cheers,

Merlin

[ghost]

well I put it down an saterday Merl exactly how you done it so I hope its a goodin. I have got the temp down to a costant 21-22 degrees using frozen 2ltr coke bottles and a wet towel in a disused chimney at the front of the house I also have a door on the front of it and its doing a wonderful job will see how it goes when we get 38-36 degree days at the end of the week. my SG was 1044 so well see what the FG is with anticipation







When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading.
Henny Youngman

[dawg waterer]

I also recently tried the pale ale kit, and unlike my usual brews did not add any hops at all. OG 1044, FG 1004, used kit with 500g dextrose, 500g malt. Was pretty happy with result, however there is a slight hint of ginger (the previous brew in that particular fermenter).

Still coming to terms with adding extra hops to kit beers. Sometimes I feel they overwhelm or unbalance the brew (I think I read that elsewhere here a while ago).

But then again, sometimes the beer tastes bloody good. Next pale ale will have added hops.

dawgwaterer

[thehipone]

It is easy to go overboard on the hops when using a just-add-water kit since you don't really know the IBU's to expect from the can.

Since you need to boil anyways it might be a good time to branch out a bit and do an unhopped extract batch and make some style that you just cant get from a kit.

[Antsvb]

What are our general thoughts of this kit???
Is it like the real thing?

I did one (worst beer I've made) but it was the start of my kegging life. Thinking I must have ballsed something up.

[Guest]

Agree totally with dawg waterer. I made the Coopers Pale Ale exactly
to recipe (ie. Kit Muscle No.2) but using Saflager yeast instead of
supplied yeast (which went into the boil). Did not add any extra hops
as I find the results are often disappointing.

The Pale tastes very near to the real thing. I'm really happy with this Ale in all respects. Fabulous frothy head and just a great, easy drinking beer.

I've just bottled my second Pale Ale, but this time used 1kg of dry
Coopers malt. Also used the supplied yeast so will be interesting to compare this one a few weeks time.

[Guest]

you put yeast in the boil? why?

[Dogger Dan]

I guess it was an "OOOpps"

I have those to

Dogger

[Herby]

I've been told that boiling up the unwanted packet yeast makes good yeast nutrient for the liquid yeast you use. Have no idea if this is true or not though.

[ghost]

1 week has gone by, just about to bottle the pale ale as mentioned the SG was 1044 and the FG was 1014 should give me about 4.7% Alch. Looks very golden in color and smell great looking forward in say 3 weeks time to try it. Just about to start a Canadian Blonde just love this homebrew.

[Dogger Dan]

Why wait three weeks? 5 minutes should be good eneough

Dogger

[Jeff]

I love this stuff. So far I've only brewed according to directions and have not fiddles with either hops or malt. will bottle on Sat.

Next brew will be Canadian Blonde with 300 grams of light honey. Have also put down some Coopers Bitter with added Golden Syrup which should turn out similar to Kilkenny. Haven't tried one yet.

[Dogger Dan]

Jeff

Drive on mate, can't miss on the honey.

Dogger

[ghost]

Jeff

I just bottled my first Coopers pale ale on the weekend lovely colour and aroma cant wait to try it . I am also about to do another Canadian blonde the first one came out week as water so this time im going to add some cluster hops(dry Hopped), 500g LDM and 1kg of dex and I was wondering as I do on regular occasions when you add the honey to the brew are you also adding some other extras like dex or malt:?

[Bomma]

Just new to the site and reading through the posts.

I have a Coopers Pale Ale Bottled since 9 Dec 04 and its has come up trumps - unfortunately only a few longnecks left as they get demolished quickly. Used Coopers Brew Enhancer 2 (which by the way you can pick up at my local Woolworths for 3.99) Can Dry Yeast and Morgans Cascade Hops as I like a hoppy beer. 4.9%. and drinkable from very early. Noticing a distinct change for the better 2 months in. Also done one of the new Tooheys Lagers with a PoR Hops and cant knock it either.

Next Brew down a Coopers Pale again with a Liquid Yeast cultured from Coopers Pale stubbies. Will advise.

[Oliver]

Bomma, welcome.

Ghost, do a search for honey and you'll come up with quite a few threads on how much to use and how to use it.

Cheers,

Oliver

[Briza]

I will be doing a Coopers "Australian Pale Ale" tomorrow with the 1kg Brew Enhancer 2.
Do you advise using an extra .5kg of the no 2, what effect would it have on the beer?

Thanks