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Bottled the following on 20/08/06 & opened 1st one last night, & another tonight to confirm my first impression:

1.5kg Coopers Bitter kit to a volume of 11.5L - yep, tossed the last 200g of the kit so as not to overdo the bitterness.

Prepared & stirred in usual manner (no additional fermentables) & added 2 X 7g sachets of Coopers yeast.

OG 1038 @ 26degC on 13/08
FG 1010 @ 20degC on 19/08 & 20/08.

Bulk primed using dextrose @v 8g/L, bottled & stored until now.

Even Mrs C likes it, & she isn't a beer drinker, & she is quick to disapprove of any offerings which meet with her disapproval.

About 4.25% ABV, with a creamy head. Tasty & clear dark amber ale, with nice hoppy bitterness. Will do it again, and use perhaps another 50g of the Coopers kit. The last 200g in one hit could be a bit of overkill, so will proceed softly softly.

Definitely worth a try if you are bored and like a bitter ale that is dead easy to prepare. Not that I was bored.

ossed the last 200g of the kit so as not to overdo the bitterness?????

Why not just fill it up a bit more, have more beer and waste nothing?

But I did one of these brews a few months ago. Was a bit flat (no shit!) and watery, but after 3 months was/is a great drop.

Probably using a malt shovel fermenter which is designed for half-size brews.

Right on rwh! No room for extra volume.

Forgot to mention that next time I will use 1.6kg. That will indicate if it is worthwhile using the full 1.7kg for the third brew.

Also, since my first post, my 19 year old HB son tried one. The bitterness was just a little over the top for his palate which, which thankfully has not had time to fully develop.

1.6kg might prove to be the limit for me, and if so, I will avoid having made a 1.7kg brew which would be, even to my mature taste buds, unpalatable.

At least, I think my taste buds are mature. Will be extremely disappointed if they are not, considering the time & capital I have devoted over the years.