Improving Coopers tins

[Malter White]

Not much to see here for the more experienced brewers out there but for those in the same category as me i.e. novice K&K brewer, you might find this of interest.


https://ilikekillnerds.com/2016/02/improving-coopers-australian-pale-ale-extract-tin-tips/

[BlackSands]

Quote

"The yeast that you get under the Coopers can lids is rubbish. It has possibly been sitting there for a year or so, perhaps longer. You do not know what temperatures the yeast has been exposed to during travel and the quality of preparation. Coopers are not exactly forthcoming about what kind of yeasts you get with the Pale Ale tin either."

Just one comment on these tips: the yeast provided with that APA can is a ale/lager blend.  It's actually pretty good and a favourite for some.     There is possibly some concern with kit yeast with regard to storage conditions as suggested but I certainly never had issues with the kits yeasts provided other than the minimal 7g quantity supplied.    Other comments in the article regarding yeasts are also somewhat debatable, but otherwise...   a good simple overview for kit brewers.  

[Marvin]

I've had a few Thomas Cooper series yeasts show no sign of life after a day so I've added something else.

When I buy them they aren't short dated and the yeast goes straight in the fridge.

I've got some APAs to do in a couple of months, I'll use a can of light malt and two yeast packets in each.

[Beerlust]

8 hours ago, MUZZY said:

Not much to see here for the more experienced brewers out there but for those in the same category as me i.e. novice K&K brewer, you might find this of interest.

https://ilikekillnerds.com/2016/02/improving-coopers-australian-pale-ale-extract-tin-tips/

For the most part the advice offered is helpful, but in some areas is quite misguided & comes from a lack of firsthand practical brewing experience & knowledge.

The author's comments regarding "ignore the instructions", "throw out the tin yeast", & "don't use sugar" are just filled with BS & a lack of knowledge & are not helpful to kit & extract brewers at all as aspects of these areas are very important parts of kit & extract brewing to produce certain types of beer.

One of the best beers I've ever brewed used the original series kit ale yeast.

The best source of information for brewing Coopers kits & extract brews is right here on the Coopers website in the recipe section.

Just my 2 cents,

Lusty.

[Gus96]

3 minutes ago, Beerlust said:

 

The best source of information for brewing Coopers kits & extract brews is right here on the Coopers website in the recipe section.

 

Lusty.

Yep I have to agree,

following/adapting the Coopers recipes has certainly worked for me

[Otto Von Blotto]

I don't know why the Coopers kit yeasts get bagged so often. From my experience using them they are pretty decent quality yeast, even if the quantity isn't always enough. The comments about pitching temperature are largely rubbish though. You will not kill the yeast pitching above 24 (try 40+), where the hell he got that from I have no idea, and then later he advises rehydrating it in warm water (contradictory much?), and as long as the brew temp is brought down pretty quickly it's unlikely to cause any off flavours either. That said I do believe pitching at ferment temp is the best approach. The longer it is left at an elevated temperature, the higher the risk of introducing off flavours. 

Rehydration instructions are a bit off, it should be sprinkled in and left sit but after the 15 minutes stirred into a cream. If you've ever done it you'll know not all of the granules end up in the water just sitting there for 15 minutes.

I'd partially agree with not taking much notice of the instructions but primarily around the advised fermentation temp. As we all know, mid 20s isn't really ideal for most beers. Otherwise, from my recollection the instructions aren't bad.

I don't agree with completely ditching sugar/dextrose. It certainly has its place, just not in huge amounts. I occasionally use a small amount of raw sugar in my English ales.

Overall, there is some good advice in there but there is also a fair bit of misinformation and flat out crap. Knowing which is which isn't always easy for newbies...

Edited May 29, 2019 by Otto Von Blotto

[Malter White]

2 hours ago, Beerlust said:

For the most part the advice offered is helpful, but in some areas is quite misguided & comes from a lack of firsthand practical brewing experience & knowledge.

The author's comments regarding "ignore the instructions", "throw out the tin yeast", & "don't use sugar" are just filled with BS & a lack of knowledge & are not helpful to kit & extract brewers at all as aspects of these areas are very important parts of kit & extract brewing to produce certain types of beer.

One of the best beers I've ever brewed used the original series kit ale yeast.

The best source of information for brewing Coopers kits & extract brews is right here on the Coopers website in the recipe section.

Just my 2 cents,

Lusty.

You know what, Lusty? You're right.
I still found the article of interest but this forum is my go to for sage advice.
I use the kit yeasts and have enjoyed most of the brews I've made. Curiosity makes me want to try different yeasts but my frugality says stick with the kit.

[Otto Von Blotto]

I would encourage trying different yeasts but not because the kit yeast is shit. It's good to try them and see the differences they make to the flavour of the beer. 

Anyway, I wouldn't be taking much yeast advice of someone who thinks it dies at about 24 degrees and still uses a wet towel for temperature control. Maybe he's improved in the 3 years or so since that was written but the article itself isn't great. 

[karlos_1984]

The article is a bit dated. Good for a first time basic guide I suppose but I've learnt more from having a crack, using a bit of initiative/improvisation and following advice on here. The Cooper's kit yeasts are fine, I've made some of my best beers with it. I've still got half a dozen or so in the fridge from when woolies were selling the Mex cervesa cans for $6. I'm not gonna waste them. 

Old mate forgot to mention sanitising a hop sock. I had a few dud brews due to my hop sock not being cleaned and sanitized properly in the early stages of my home brewing. He crapped on about sanitising overnight early on in the article so missing the hop sock is a massive oversight.