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Coopers Beer Kit - Yeast


PB2

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The following explains the ink-jetted code on the yeast sachets, supplied with each beer kit:

 

Sachets carry a Julian date code and may also carry letters to denote the type of yeast. For example, if they were packaged on the 25th of September 2007 = 268th day of 2007:

 

Original Series:- Ac (26807)

 

International Series:-

Australian Pale Ale - Ac+L (26807 Int)

Mexican Cerveza - Ac+L (26807 Int)

European Lager - L (26807 P)

Canadian Blonde - Ac (26807)

English Bitter - Ac (26807)

 

Thomas Coopers Selection:-

Wheat - A (26807 W)

IPA - Ac (26807 IPA)

Irish Stout - A (26807 IS)

Pilsener - L (26807 P)

Australian Bitter - Ac+L (26807 PS)

Heritage Lager - Ac+L (26807 PS)

Sparkling Ale - Ac+L (26807 PS)

Traditional Draught - Ac+L (26807 PS)

 

Note:

Ac = Coopers ale yeast (our own strain, not the same as the yeast in our commercial ales, developed in-house and propagated under contract).

 

A = ale yeast and L = lager yeast (these strains are commercially available dry yeast and their details are held in confidence).

 

 

 

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  • 3 years later...
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I've done a few APA's at 18c, which I guess is kind of the boundary between ale and lager temps, and ended up with some decent beer.

 

I've also brewed some of the ale yeast beers at the lower end 18 - 20 and still got decent beer.

 

My most recent effort (bottled today) was a Coopers European Lager, which was brewed at 16c, and seems like it will turn out to be a pretty good drop too.

 

I'd say so long as your temps are steady the yeast/s will know what to do, you really only seem to have problems (or esters), if you have your brew quite warm, or don't keep the temps steady.

 

As PB2 always says, quality ingredients, hygiene, and temp control = good beer.

It's as simple as that.

 

So far as dormancy of ales at lower temps, I guess it depends on the strain of yeast, some ales can still work at quite low temps (12 - 13 c), and some lagers can still work okay at warmer temps, say 20c.

 

I'm sure that PB2 will be able to give you a definitive answer though, seeing as he started the thread.

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Thanks for that beeblebrox the heritage lager was the one I was looking at so it seems just to brew at 18 degrees to be safe, I wondered if you lost anything by brewing that high , or better to get a proper lager yeast,

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I reckon so long as you're within the working range of the yeast/s you should be fine.

I can't remember how many brews I've made since I recommenced brewing about 18 months ago (though I'd say it must be a dozen or more), but I've never bothered to buy any special yeasts, I just go with what comes with the can, and haven't had any probs so far.

 

Having said that, I'm really still just a kits and bits brewer; brew can, some brewing sugar from the LHBS and mucking about with hops just about does it for me.

Temp control is still a rectangular tub with water (to insulate and keep the temp more steady than air temp, and bottles of ice to chill when required).

If it gets really cold I may revert back to towels, blankets and hot water bottles, but keeping it simple seems to have worked so far, and I don't see why I should change if what I'm doing has satisfactory results.

 

So in answer to your question, possibly you may lose something by not having the exact optimum temps for the lager yeast, but that would be why Coopers have the mix of yeasts with those brews; a bit of an each way bet, and insurance to make sure you will still get an acceptable brew.

You could get a special yeast if you want to, but in my experience, you don't go wrong using Coopers yeasts that come with the can, though of course some swear by the choice of yeast strain when brewing, so you may choose to see if it makes a noticeable or worthwhile difference.

It may do, but it will take you into territory that makes brewing more complex and confusing, and I prefer to keep things a little simpler for my easily confused mind.

 

I reckon if you really want to get serious, or spend up on temp control gear, then knock yourself out with a brew fridge and (STC 1000?), but you can still make a perfectly good beer on the cheap, with a little ingenuity.

There are plenty of threads on here talking about other methods of temp control, such as putting the FV in a "jacket" made of foam rubber - such as you'd find at a camping store, or using an aquarium heater to warm up a brew; something I may consider, since I have a spare one and it could easily be used in my tub setup.

 

I think the reality is, the only thing you may lose by brewing at higher temps is the clear lager flavour, which would be replaced by some ale esters, but even then it's a matter of choice and personal opinion whether this is a loss or a gain.

 

Plenty of opinions and experience on this forum, some of it conflicting, some of it helpful, some of it not, but the one thing all home brewers can agree on is it comes down to what YOU as the brewer like; if someone else likes it too great, if not, all the more beer for you!

So experiment, try brewing more in the ale or lager temp range with the mixed brews, and try brewing your ales a bit cooler ( I currently have a Morgans Australian Blonde sitting at 18-20c with an ale yeast, the recommended temp is about 25c, as it's a Queensland Home Brew kit, but I'd never brew a batch that warm). Don't forget too, you can make a perfectly good "steam lager" with a lager yeast at around 18c, which is pretty much what I've done with my recent Coopers European Lager.

Just so long as the temps are steady (no rapid drops or rise in temps), you use quality ingredients, and pay careful attention to hygiene, you can't go too far wrong.

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I have two packets of Coopers yeast. One is the common gold pack brewing yeast with the code 31613. The other is a white pack Thomas Coopers yeast with the code 25913 PS?.According to the kit descriptions they should both be Ac+L but the contents look different. What is the difference between these yeasts?

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Hi Superstock

 

For the last few days I've been watching this thread being posted on, and I thought it previously was marked as a Sticky on the old website so I wasn't game to add to it. So, PB2, if it's still meant to be be a non-post sticky, my apologies and don't hesitate to delete this.

 

There are 2 answers to your question. The first is:

 

(a) the short answer to the difference between the two yeasts is 57 days; and

 

(b) the fuller answer is very little. Both yeasts were made after mid-August last year, but there may be some difference in appearance (and some slight difference in viability) depending on the way the retailers have stored the cans before it got to you. Some are stored in air-conditioned premises 24/7, some aren't. Some may have had a a hot time in the LHBS before you bought them, or in transport, and some may not.

 

Don't sweat it though. There should be minimal difference in ultimate performance when you try it in a wort. If you have doubts about the yeast after a few days in the FV, it won't hurt anything to pitch another packet of appropriate yeast.

 

Cheers

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Antiphile, so you can do maths!

I'm not sweating anything.

I said that the yeast in the packet looked different. The gold pack was the normal fawn beige, while the Thomas Cooper pack was a mixture of creamer colour and brown. The gold pack was from the cerveza and the Thomas Cooper pack from the Heritage Lager. According to PB2s list both should be Ac+L but are obviously different. ??????

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The gold pack was the normal fawn beige' date=' while the Thomas Cooper pack was a mixture of creamer colour and brown. The gold pack was from the cerveza and the Thomas Cooper pack from the Heritage Lager. According to PB2s list both should be Ac+L but are [u']obviously[/u] different. ??????

 

G'day, If then they look different are they?

 

Observational results from a small sample group is prone to error.

 

Maybe PB2 could tell us if the Ac+L combination of dried yeast is the same combination in the International series as it is in the Thomas Cooper range.

 

Yes or No would do. wink

 

Cheers.

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Antiphile' date=' so you can do maths!

I'm not sweating anything.

I said that the yeast in the packet looked different. The gold pack was the normal fawn beige, while the Thomas Cooper pack was a mixture of creamer colour and brown. The gold pack was from the cerveza and the Thomas Cooper pack from the Heritage Lager. According to PB2s list both should be Ac+L but are obviously different. ??????[/quote']

 

Hey SS,

 

Seems to me that the answer to your ??????? has been given a couple of times. They are the same yeast. Maybe, as Phil said the the two packets were not stored the same way.

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Dear SS

 

I'll also await a definitive answer from PB2, but I'm pretty sure you'll find they are exactly the same yeast. Same strain, same subspecies etc etc.

 

Perhaps I should have made it clearer, but storage does affect the appearance of the yeast. I've had packets of Ac+L from exactly the same kit that look different. For example, if it has been stored in the fridge at 4C and I take it out the night before an afternoon brew batch it is uniformly the same colour. If I take it out of the fridge about an hour before I open it and pitch it, there is some in the same sachet that is a darker colour (usually the yeast that is adhering closer to the sides of the metallic foil) than the lighter golden coloured yeast in the middle. If I open a yeast within a few miniutes of removing it from the fridge, it more uniformly seems a lighter colour.

 

But I'll leave it up to you whether you wish to give my opinion any credence.

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Wot's the question unsuresideways

 

If a sachet of Coopers yeast carries a Julian date code (five numbers) with no letters it contains Coopers Ale yeast (Ac).

 

If a sachet of Coopers yeast carries a Julian date code followed by "INT" it contains a blend of Ac and a commercial lager yeast (L). This is the sachet packed with the Mexican Cerveza and Australian Pale Ale beer kits.

 

Sorry, whether the "L" in "Ac + L" for International Series and Thomas Cooper Selection is the same strain or not - this is something I'm not permitted to divulge. whistling

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Wot's the question unsuresideways

 

If a sachet of Coopers yeast carries a Julian date code (five numbers) with no letters it contains Coopers Ale yeast (Ac).

 

If a sachet of Coopers yeast carries a Julian date code followed by "INT" it contains a blend of Ac and a commercial lager yeast (L). This is the sachet packed with the Mexican Cerveza and Australian Pale Ale beer kits.

 

Sorry' date=' whether the "L" in "Ac + L" for International Series and Thomas Cooper Selection is the same strain or not - this is something I'm not permitted to divulge. [img']whistling[/img]

 

It appears from the tone of your reply that there is a difference. I'm not into industrial espionage so that is good enough for me. What I really want to know, is what is the recommended (narrow range) optimal brewing temperature for each type.

By the way, what does the PS stand for.

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I have two packets of Coopers yeast. One is the common gold pack brewing yeast with the code 31613. The other is a white pack Thomas Coopers yeast with the code 25913 PS?.According to the kit descriptions they should both be Ac+L but the contents look different. What is the difference between these yeasts?
The yeast with code 31613 is the Ac yeast and it will ferment quite happily down as low as 16C. However, if you don't have tight temperature control it is best to shoot for the 21C mark.

 

PS stands for Premium Selection. Way back when, we had Brewmaster Selection (IPA, Irish Stout, Pilsener and Wheat Beer) and Premium Selection (Australian Bitter, Heritage Lager, Sparkling Ale and Traditional Draught). In recent years, these two groups were merged together under the Thomas Cooper Selection.

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After not getting very far with my question about the difference between the two types of Ac+L yeast packs and ultimately the preferred ferment temperatures, I spent some time this weekend doing my own searches for preferred temps and adding my results to Coopers list of kit & yeast, as Coopers coulda/shoulda. Most of this information comes from Coopers own web site and their answers to forum questions.

 

Sachets carry a Julian date code and may also carry letters to denote the type of yeast. For example, if they were packaged on the 25th of September 2007 = 268th day of 2007:

 

Original Series:- Ac (26807) with the Coopers Original Series - Lager, Draught, Real Ale, Dark Ale, Bitter and Stout) will ferment as low as 16C and it produces clean “lager like” characters. But you need to have much higher pitching rates than 7g to 23litres - more like 1g per litre (about 3 sachets to a 23 litre brew or grow up the 7g culture in a 500ml-1litre mini-wort). At 12C it is most likely to fall out of suspension. Recommended temp 18-21’c. (21’c preferred.)

 

 

International Series:-

Australian Pale Ale - Ac+L (26807 Int) preferred ferment temp 18’c (18-21’c recommended)

Mexican Cerveza - Ac+L (26807 Int) “ “ “ 18’c (18-21’c recommended)

European Lager - L (26807 P) “ “ “ 13-15’c

Canadian Blonde - Ac (26807) “ “ “ 18’c

English Bitter - Ac (26807) “ “ “ 18’c

 

Thomas Coopers Selection:-

Wheat - A (26807 W) “ “ “ 24’c

IPA - Ac (26807 IPA) “ “ “ 18’c

Irish Stout - A (26807 IS) “ “ “ 21’c

Pilsener - L (26807 P) “ “ “ 13-15’c

Australian Bitter - Ac+L (26807 PS) “ “ “ 13-15’c

Heritage Lager - Ac+L (26807 PS) “ “ “ 13-15’c

Sparkling Ale - Ac+L (26807 PS) “ “ “ 13-15’c

Traditional Draught - Ac+L (26807 PS) “ “ “ 13-15”c

 

Note:

Ac = Coopers ale yeast (our own strain, not the same as the yeast in our commercial ales, developed in-house and propagated under contract).

 

A = ale yeast and L = lager yeast (these strains are commercially available dry yeast and their details are held in confidence).

If you plan to ferment at low temperatures you need to increase pitching rates. In most cases, it's a good idea to start the brew at 22C-24C for the first 12 hrs then draw it down to the low ferment temp. You only need to go down to 13C-15C to get good results with most strains of dry lager yeast.

 

PB2 correct me if I am in error with any of this info.

 

 

 

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  • 4 months later...

Hi all I bought a diy kit with European lager followed the dvd to the T it didn't foam up like it was meant to its at 22° today is teusday 21/10/2014 I made it saterday the 18th theres a small head on it just wondering is this normal

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Sounds fine Nedder. The Euro kit comes with a lager yeast and they don't tend to produce huge krausens.

 

By the way, 22 degrees is a bit high for a lager yeast. You should try to ferment that one below 15 degrees. 10-12 degrees is perfect.

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Did you make the Original Series Lager or the Euro lager?

 

The OS Lager comes with an ale yeast and is perfect fermented around 18-20 degrees (a couple of degrees higher won't hurt). This is the kit used in the DVD.

 

The Euro Lager comes with a lager yeast.

 

The sediment at the bottom is perfectly normal and is mainly the cold break and yeast.

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The kit came with an Australian lager but the guy in the shop changed it for a European lager im in ireland so I said chance the European beer first and see what it was like the first reading I got was 1035 checked it yesterday and it was gone down to 1022 so it seems to be doing what its meant to do but theres a good bit of white sediment in the bottom but its smells like beer when I took the sample and a big head came up in the sample so I had to de gas it hopefully it is ok

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