Coopers Sparkling Ale

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Coopers Sparkling Ale

Postby Anna » Tuesday Oct 27, 2009 12:03 pm

Had my first taste of CSA on the weekend and have decided that is the taste for me! Yum yum! Now I want to try to clone it (but only kits and bits of course). Can anyone suggest a recipe using Coopers kits? BTW - I thought it had a similar taste to - forgive me - VB! Is it possible that Coopers also use POR and is that the similar taste?

ALSO - was in Dan Murphy's and spotted a bottle of Chimay Blue, so just HAD to buy it to see what it tasted like after reading that it's supposed to be the bees-knees of beer. ($10 for a stubbie - eeek!). Well..... um..... er......maybe I need another 10 years or so to develop my beer taste a little more..... :roll: Anna
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Re: Coopers Sparkling Ale

Postby drsmurto » Tuesday Oct 27, 2009 1:31 pm

Coopers Sparkling does indeed contain POR.

But you wont need to add any to a K&K clone it since you only need POR for bittering.

Am sure its been done to death but.....

1 can Coopers Sparkling Ale
1.5kg of LME
250g dextrose

OG 1.054, FG 1.010 (that seems low but the coopers yeast is a hungry beast) for an ABV of ~5.7%

And the crucial part is the yeast which requires you to re-culture some out of the yeast in the bottom of the bottle. I prefer to use the CPA bottles as its lower in alcohol and the yeast is likely to be in better shape.

Now when i do an AG version its a tad more complicated (torrified wheat, caramunich) but i don't add any hops other than to bitter with as all that wonderful aroma comes from the yeast and the malt. The dry yeast under the lid is not even close to the real deal IMO.

We are lucky enough to have this on tap at a large majority of pubs here in Coopers home town. A few good pubs age the kegs in their cellar first before releasing it to the public.

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Re: Coopers Sparkling Ale

Postby Anna » Tuesday Oct 27, 2009 3:21 pm

Thanks Doc! Guess I'll just have to buy a couple more bottles of Sparkling Ale so I can culture the yeast (darn!). :mrgreen: But I still don't really understand whether it's the POR, the yeast or the malt which gives it that distinctive taste (the similar to VB taste). It's the first taste that hits your mouth and nose - can't really taste it after the first couple of mouthfuls. :?: Anna
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Re: Coopers Sparkling Ale

Postby Anna » Wednesday Oct 28, 2009 9:28 am

Hey Doc - when you mentioned re-culturing the yeast from the CPA bottles I thought the process was mentioned somewhere on the forum and I wouldn't have to bother you again, but alas, I can't find it. Would you mind terribly outlining the "starter from commercial bottles" process for me if you have a minute? :? Anna
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Re: Coopers Sparkling Ale

Postby gregb » Wednesday Oct 28, 2009 10:36 am

See Starting Wyeast in this sticky. Instead of smacking the pack & letting it swell, carefully decant yeast dregs to the DME/Water mix.
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Re: Coopers Sparkling Ale

Postby drsmurto » Wednesday Oct 28, 2009 10:59 am

I wont make a new thread as this has been done before and is similar to making a starter from a Wyeast smackpack (Whitelabs vial) as explained here - Link

So here is my method - re-culturing yeast from a bottle.

1. Chill the bottles of CPA or CSA for a few days to make sure the yeast settles to the bottom of the bottles. Check the best after dates, the fresher the better.

2. Gently pour the beer into a glass leaving the yeast behind. Drink the beer :lol:

3. Give the bottle a swirl and pour the yeast remaining into a sanitised jar/flask.

4. Make a starter - I would start small and go for a 250mL starter (25g LDME, 250mL boiled, cooled water). Add this to the yeast and either add an airlock or cover with gladwrap/rubber band. Shake the starter until your arm is about to drop off. Every time you walk past the starter give it a good shake.

5. You need to 'step' this starter up and in practice its best to do this at high krausen rather than letting the fermentation finish. Its not really an issue if you let it ferment out as sometimes the first step wont show much of a krausen. Don't be concerned if it takes 24-48 hours to show any signs of fermentation.

6. Make a 2L starter (200g LDME, 2L of boiled, cooled water) and pitch the entire 250mL starter into this.

I would let this ferment out completely, crash chill and then pour off the beer and pitch only the slurry, particularly if you ferment the starter in the mid 20s as the coopers yeast will produce banana esters my the truckload at that temperature.

Try to ferment your CSA clone at 16-18C. Any higher and you will get banana esters. I actually don't mind banana in this beer as long as its not overpowering. At 16-18C it produces pear/apple esters.

This a a pic of step 4 - the 250mL starter. You can do this in a PET soft drink bottle. Cover in gladwrap and secure with a rubber band.
Image

And this is the step up to 2L. Again, you can do this in a plastic container, you will need at least 3L for this step. This was my 3L flask until i broke it. :cry:
Image

Clear as mud?
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Re: Coopers Sparkling Ale

Postby Anna » Wednesday Oct 28, 2009 11:20 am

That's very clear, thanks Doc. I'll print it out and clip it into my "Brewing Bible". I guess I could use a 3L plastic juice bottle for the 2L starter bottle ? (as I haven't got any sexy scientificky bottles like you!)?

And "Crash chill" means just sticking it in the coldest part of the fridge for, what, an hour? :roll:
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Re: Coopers Sparkling Ale

Postby warra48 » Wednesday Oct 28, 2009 11:24 am

Anna wrote:That's very clear, thanks Doc. I'll print it out and clip it into my "Brewing Bible". I guess I could use a 3L plastic juice bottle for the 2L starter bottle ? (as I haven't got any sexy scientificky bottles like you!)?

And "Crash chill" means just sticking it in the coldest part of the fridge for, what, an hour? :roll:


I don't want to intrude unnecessarily, but those 3 litre juice bottles are fine. It's what I use.
Crash chilling needs to be done for about 24 hours, to give the yeast time to drop out. I do mine in the coldest part of the fridge. An hour is not long enough. You'll know when it is ready, as the beer on top will have cleared, and you will have a lovely looking whitish layer of yeast on the bottom.
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Re: Coopers Sparkling Ale

Postby Anna » Wednesday Oct 28, 2009 11:26 am

Hi Warra! Thanks for adding that. So I guess you'd need to start culturing the yeast about a week before you want to make the brew eh?
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Re: Coopers Sparkling Ale

Postby drsmurto » Wednesday Oct 28, 2009 11:28 am

Glad I am not the only one who thinks Erlenmeyer flasks are sexy :lol:

I may or may not have polished the 5L flask last night in a sodium percarbonate bath last night after using it to make a lager starter recently :shock:

3L plastic juice bottle would work fine just don't put the lid on it. Gladwrap and a rubber band or even alfoil.

Crash chill is overnight as it will take this much time for most of the yeast to flocculate and drop to the bottom of the flask. I do this is my conditioning fridge which is set to 1C.

EDIT - Warra beat me to it! And yes Anna, it will take ~5-7 days to build up a starter from 3 stubbies. Of course, if you drank a 6 pack it means more yeast and more beer for you!
Last edited by drsmurto on Wednesday Oct 28, 2009 11:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Coopers Sparkling Ale

Postby warra48 » Wednesday Oct 28, 2009 11:29 am

Anna wrote:Hi Warra! Thanks for adding that. So I guess you'd need to start culturing the yeast about a week before you want to make the brew eh?


That's about my schedule.
However, I'm retired, so I can brew whenever it fits my golf days, and whenever the starter is done!
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Re: Coopers Sparkling Ale

Postby Anna » Wednesday Oct 28, 2009 12:11 pm

OK, got it! One more dumb question though: If the yeast just needs sugar to feed on, why use LDM for the starters, why not just plain sugar?
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Re: Coopers Sparkling Ale

Postby randomiser » Wednesday Oct 28, 2009 1:34 pm

Hi,
To answer why you need malt for a starter-from Brewing Classic Styles by Jamil Zainasheff and John Palmer

'It is important to use malt based sugars for your starter. Do not use table sugar, corn sugar or honey or they will cause the yeast to quickly lose the ability to ferment maltose, the main sugar in making beer.'

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Re: Coopers Sparkling Ale

Postby Anna » Wednesday Oct 28, 2009 1:59 pm

Wow - how interesting! Funny stuff, yeast. Thanks for that. Anna
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