So... hello... complete know nothing here...

[AngerIssues42]

G'Day all,

 

So, quite clearly new here, I suppose an introduction would be the correct order of the day. I'm Chris, I love beer, got quite a large family and I am interested in learning how to brew my own. Hi.

 

That is now done I suppose, well, here's the thing, I would love to brew my own beer because I like to have hobbies as all men and woman do and now that my breeding hobby has been snipped away from me and all my other hobbies are just so damned expensive - Motorbikes, 4wd's, Freestyle multi-rotors, RC Aircraft oh and of course full size aircraft, I thought I'd give my hand in yet another expensive hobby I suppose but at least I wont have to buy beer I guess, sort of, maybe... we'll see.

 

But I have absolutely no idea what I am doing, I understand the process of fermentation, but before that, yeah, nothing.

 

Where would one start? I have seen the Coopers and other kits available at general stores, are these a good kit to see if I will enjoy it, learn enough, make a beer that is drinkable? (I have had some very very not fine homebrews in that past)

 

Now, I am no expert on beer with different flavours and hints of anything coming through, but I know what I like, which is pretty much any Pale Ale and a few lagers, currently my go-to guilty pleasure is 150 Lashes, but 5 kids means that a carton of that is very few and far between (well, where I lived last year, was around the 60 - 70 a carton).

 

So, any tips, suggestions? buy this kit if you can afford it - if not buy this kit, this is kit is total garbage - but this kit will have you're mates over drinking all your beer and never bringing there own because they are cheapskates... hmmmmm...

 

My major concern is all these acronyms that I can't seem to find the meanings of, I did go the the FAQ "before you post" post, but that just told me about the different coopers beer, not what I was expecting and not really all that helpful to me, unless the link has changed or something.

 

Anyway, sorry for the long way around of saying "What the buggery does one do?"

 

Cheers,

 

Chris.

[ben 10]

Do you have anything yet?

 

If not the Coopers kit is good. The Lager that comes with it is probably not.

 

Are you able to control the fermentation temperature?

This helps almost more than anything.

 

zAfter a few beers made with kits this here >>> http://store.coopers.com.au/brewing-info/recipes.html is the next step.

That will help you to understand how to manipulate flavours to what you want.

[Mark D Pirate]

I started a thread a while back when I started called " several stupid questions "

Loads of good in there my friend , the regulars here are both knowledgeable and happy to help .

The Coopers FAQ is very helpful and there's a DIY helpline as well

[Scottie]

Hello Chris

 

Welcome to the Coopers Forum and hopefully to the brewing obsession that is home made craft beer.

 

For my part, grab that Coopers DIY kit, I've only brewed once or twice with the "old school" fermenter and all I can say is that the Coopers DIY is far and a away the better option.

 

I've not really ventured here before do I'm unsure whether I'll be needing a flame suit or not. If you post on AHB they'll probably slag off on Coopers, I wouldn't listen (I don't work for Coopers, BTW).

 

From what I a have read and experienced the DIY fermenter is much easier to clean, easier to monitor the brews progress, no need for airlocks or using glad wrap as a lid. Its clear you can see through it (side and top), you can see the yeast working, the height and consistency of the Krausen layer. When it comes to cleaning the wide opening allows easy access, there are no moulding crevices and I have never had to use more that a clean flannel to clean it and it has never taken more than a couple of minutes work.

 

The Coopers recipe page has many recipes that are easier to follow and guide you through the journey, all recipes are tried and PB2 true.

 

As Ben10 says the Lager kit is probably Coopers worst kit, however I thought it was the best beer I'd ever tasted back in 2011 (see here https://club.coopers.com.au/coopers-forum/topic/8605/ for my comments). It can easily be enhanced with a short boil of Cascade hop pellets - which is really easy).

 

My advice "What are you waiting for"

 

Cheers & Beers

Scottie

The Brewer formally known as *****

Valley Brew

[Titan8]

100% agree with Scottie on this. Lager kit is not the best but gets you going. Pop down to LHBS ( local home brew shop) they might offer same deal with a choice of coopers cans. IPA or English bitter are my personal favorites. Use LDM in place of beer enhancer. Far superior result.

[Graculus]

I too agree the Lager is not very good. I wonder why Coopers persist in putting it in the starter kit.

 

However just over two years ago when I got my kit and I brewed the Lager with no temperature control, it was still good enough to convince me to carry on brewing. I had no idea about hops then but I'm sure if I'd dry hopped it the Lager would have been pretty good.

 

My favourite is the English bitter, but one my mates wanted an amber ale. So I bought one of the new Coopers Amber ales the other day. I was quite surprised how hoppy it smelt. I'm just going to brew it with a kilo of malt and see how it goes.

 

 

[Gag Halfrunt]

I too agree the Lager is not very good. I wonder why Coopers persist in putting it in the starter kit.

 

However just over two years ago when I got my kit and I brewed the Lager with no temperature control' date=' it was still good enough to convince me to carry on brewing. I had no idea about hops then but I'm sure if I'd dry hopped it the Lager would have been pretty good.

 

My favourite is the English bitter, but one my mates wanted an amber ale. So I bought one of the new Coopers Amber ales the other day. I was quite surprised how hoppy it smelt. I'm just going to brew it with a kilo of malt and see how it goes.

 

[/quote']

 

Brewed a Coopers amber a few weeks back with nothing but 1kg of dry malt as advised by guy at LHBS,

Excellent result.

Sometimes playing the straight bat and not pissing around with the kit can get good results.

[Quokka]

I agree the Lager kit on it's own is not good, but I think they were aiming for a "neutral beer" for newcomers. Save it for later, as it can be a good base for a better beer as long as you include some bittering, and try their basic draught for your first beer. Cooper's yeast really can work up to 27C, but you will have a much better chance if you keep it between 18-22C. If you are coming from regular tap beer you will probably be happy enough with the result to continue...

 

That's where we come in. The Cooper's Beer Enhancers aren't a bad start to exploring better beer, but don't really count until you get to BE3. The first gestalt you will have is when you splash out and buy some Light (spray-) Dried Malt Extract and use it instead of sugar. When you are experienced enough you might use simple sugars again - for light beers, to encourage the yeast in really heavy beers, or to boost alcohol in highly hopped beers - but you will find it hard to ever go back. If you have only ever drunk VB, XXXX, fosters or the like, stick to the Kit and a Kilo of sugar for your first couple, though.

 

The Cooper's fermenter is different to most, and some of us oldies struggle with the idea of not being able to watch an airlock, but it works well and is easy to clean. Forget any suggestions of sterilising with bleach, as un-scented bleach is basically impossible to find except for a certain brand which contains detergent - which is far worse! Boiling water can work if you are experienced, but seriously, you should find a brew shop and buy a no- rinse sanitiser.

[Hoppy81]

The first gestalt you will have is when you splash out and buy some Light (spray-) Dried Malt Extract and use it instead of sugar.

 

I recently used light dried malt for the first time and didn't realize until i cut the bag open it was premium spray malt' date='is there much difference from the spray vs non spray ? all i can find on google is it is dried in a different way but at 20kg at my LHBS i probably wont buy it again as i can buy 5kg LDM for $38 [img']whistling[/img]

[TonySchmidt]

On 2/25/2017 at 7:41 PM, Scottie said:

Hello Chris

 

Welcome to the Coopers Forum and hopefully to the brewing obsession that is home made craft beer.

 

For my part, grab that Coopers DIY kit, I've only brewed once or twice with the "old school" fermenter and all I can say is that the Coopers DIY is far and a away the better option.

 

I've not really ventured here before do I'm unsure whether I'll be needing a flame suit or not. If you post on AHB they'll probably slag off on Coopers, I wouldn't listen (I don't work for Coopers, BTW).

 

From what I a have read and experienced the DIY fermenter is much easier to clean, easier to monitor the brews progress, no need for airlocks or using glad wrap as a lid. Its clear you can see through it (side and top), you can see the yeast working, the height and consistency of the Krausen layer. When it comes to cleaning the wide opening allows easy access, there are no moulding crevices and I have never had to use more that a clean flannel to clean it and it has never taken more than a couple of minutes work.

 

The Coopers recipe page has many recipes that are easier to follow and guide you through the journey, all recipes are tried and PB2 true.

 

As Ben10 says the Lager kit is probably Coopers worst kit, however I thought it was the best beer I'd ever tasted back in 2011 (see here https://club.coopers.com.au/coopers-forum/topic/8605/ for my comments). It can easily be enhanced with a short boil of Cascade hop pellets - which is really easy).

 

My advice "What are you waiting for"

 

Cheers & Beers

Scottie

The Brewer formally known as *****

Valley Brew

I actually just made the Coopers Lager kit with Cascade and Motueka hops...tastes ok to be fair!

[Shamus O'Sean]

4 hours ago, TonySchmidt said:

I actually just made the Coopers Lager kit with Cascade and Motueka hops...tastes ok to be fair!

The Coopers Lager kit goes with a ton of brews.  Also loads on the forum.  If folks are expecting the best beer ever from their original kit, they are just scratching the surface.  For most of us, it is enough to continue experimenting.

Thank god for spell-check or at this time of night I might type something completely inappropriate. See two mistakes in that last sentence, fixed thanks to spell-check.

[Journeyman]

 Zombie thread, 3 years dead and now, IT WALKS!  I note the OP never came back (1 post only) - I wonder if he continued?

[iBooz2]

8 hours ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

Thank god for spell-check or at this time of night I might type something completely inappropriate. See two mistakes in that last sentence, fixed thanks to spell-check.

@Shamus O'Sean typing too close to that new kegerator huh!

Or too many inappropriate web site tabs open at the same time and you lost track of which one you were in.  Come on buddy, confess, which one was it?

Cheers - AL

[Shamus O'Sean]

Too close to the kegerator. It is only ten staggers from the computer. Way too easy to just grab one more drink.

I still have some beer in bottles, which when empty I rinse and leave on the sink overnight.  I can have had a big night on a few bottles and some from the kegerator, but SWMBO just looks at the couple of bottles on the sink and thinks I have had a quiet one. 

[Journeyman]

42 minutes ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

I still have some beer in bottles, which when empty I rinse and leave on the sink overnight.  I can have had a big night on a few bottles and some from the kegerator, but SWMBO just looks at the couple of bottles on the sink and thinks I have had a quiet one. 

You am smrt!

Another reason for doing bottles as well as kegs.  

[iBooz2]

On 5/3/2020 at 1:36 PM, Shamus O'Sean said:

Too close to the kegerator. It is only ten staggers from the computer. Way too easy to just grab one more drink.

I still have some beer in bottles, which when empty I rinse and leave on the sink overnight.  I can have had a big night on a few bottles and some from the kegerator, but SWMBO just looks at the couple of bottles on the sink and thinks I have had a quiet one. 

Yep mate, ha ha, we all do that sneaky trick.  I stick the empty ginger beer PET bottle on the sink.  We usually polish off one ginger beer between us each day.  My wife still has not worked out that the two bottles left on the sink are ginger beer bottles and I am drinking beer out of my kegs in the garage.  Walking around with a half full glass of beer most evenings disguises the fact that I may have had a half dozen pints but it looks like I am on the same one.  Then again I am sure she may know but just not letting on.

Cheers - AL

[Journeyman]

1 minute ago, iBooz2 said:

Yep mate, ha ha, we all do that sneaky trick.  I stick the empty ginger beer PET bottle on the sink.  We usually polish off one ginger beer between us each day.  My wife still has not worked out that the two bottles left on the sink are ginger beer bottles and I am drinking beer out of my kegs in the garage.  Walking around with a half full glass of beer most evenings disguises the fact that I may have had a half dozen pints but it looks like I am on the same one.  Then again I am sure she may know but just not letting on.

Cheers - AL

The perfect marriage involves not letting on that the partner is not actually getting away with stuff.

[Instigator]

On 5/5/2020 at 3:37 PM, iBooz2 said:

Yep mate, ha ha, we all do that sneaky trick.  I stick the empty ginger beer PET bottle on the sink.  We usually polish off one ginger beer between us each day.  My wife still has not worked out that the two bottles left on the sink are ginger beer bottles and I am drinking beer out of my kegs in the garage.  Walking around with a half full glass of beer most evenings disguises the fact that I may have had a half dozen pints but it looks like I am on the same one.  Then again I am sure she may know but just not letting on.

Cheers - AL

She probably just thinks your a one pot screamer.