Shamus O'Sean Posted September 1, 2019 Share Posted September 1, 2019 50 minutes ago, Gazzala said: Did a side by side comparison tonight Guesses for which is the commercial and which is the home brew. This is a tricky one. Home brew is usually darker, so maybe its the left one. But the right one looks more hazy, indicating a good lot of dry hops. I am going to go with your home brew being the one on the left. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted September 1, 2019 Share Posted September 1, 2019 I reckon the left one is the home brew version too. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerlust Posted September 1, 2019 Share Posted September 1, 2019 On 8/22/2019 at 6:12 PM, NewBrews said: Colour is significantly darker on the kit version but that is to be expected. Probably would leave the crystal out. 400gms of crystal is a fair whack to leave out. If you completely remove all crystal malt from this recipe, I'd expect the balance to change significantly. 11 hours ago, Gazzala said: Did a side by side comparison tonight - aside from the obvious colour difference, they’re actually quite similar. @NewBrews @Gazzala The colour difference is likely due to the EBC level of the crystal malt that was packaged with the ROTM. Nothing to do with it being a "kit version". A rival XPA uses a very low EBC crystal malt in their version (that I also suspect Coopers are using in their commercial version) that still produces a lighter end beer. If making the beer again, look to use a crystal grain in the 20-50 EBC range. To emulate the colour of the commercial version you're looking for an EBC of approx. 13. Interestingly, the DIY version is 17 EBC. I bought some Lemondrop hops recently so will likely give the DIY XPA recipe a go soon. I'll post some side by side pics too when I do. For those that may be having trouble sourcing the Lemondrop hop, perhaps give the Sorachi Ace hop a go in it's place. Cheers & good brewing, Lusty. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MitchellScott Posted September 2, 2019 Author Share Posted September 2, 2019 After being in Melbourne for the weekend I am back home and enjoying another Coopers XPA from my keg. After its had a bit of time to age, there are definitely some things I'd be changing on the next brew of it. I did get 100g of Lemondrop hops so will be brewing it again, but will certainly be dropping the amount of Crystal. Its got a definite sweetness that is too much for my personal liking. I think 200g would be plenty for this brew. As the others have said too, more in the dry hop wouldn't go astray. Its definitely lacking in the hoppiness department for an XPA (in my opinion). This throws it out of balance and makes the end taste quite malty. I still haven't been able to try the commercial version, so can't say how it compares. I'm not sure when I'll get back around to brewing it again, but will post in here with the results once I do :). Mitch. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naughty Corner Brewing Posted September 2, 2019 Share Posted September 2, 2019 8 hours ago, Beerlust said: 400gms of crystal is a fair whack to leave out. Very true and writing it after dinking the king brown and two cans was probably my downfall here. I would definitely halve it but not leave it out altogether as it was purely taste and not colour that was my concern. Alternatively, switching it out for a lighter malt may reduce some of the sweetness as well, but I think I would still reduce the amount to 300g and increase the hop amount. I might even split the batch and treat each slightly differently from a hop and crystal malt perspective to see how it goes. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazzala Posted September 2, 2019 Share Posted September 2, 2019 21 hours ago, Shamus O'Sean said: Guesses for which is the commercial and which is the home brew. This is a tricky one. Home brew is usually darker, so maybe its the left one. But the right one looks more hazy, indicating a good lot of dry hops. I am going to go with your home brew being the one on the left. Yep - definitely the darker one. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazzala Posted September 2, 2019 Share Posted September 2, 2019 10 hours ago, Beerlust said: 400gms of crystal is a fair whack to leave out. I Yeah - I won’t be leaving anything out when I make it again. I’ll adjust the hops, but otherwise I think the flavour is really good. And the colour doesn’t bother me. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulW31 Posted September 3, 2019 Share Posted September 3, 2019 I brewed this all-grain recently, alongside a Balters clone. Used 100g of CaraMunich I (105 EBC) and 100g of Crystal 40 (102 EBC). Coopers don't let on what grade of crystal they use and the method of extraction is completely different anyway. In any case I ended up with 11.3 EBC, compared to the Coopers recipe 17 (this seemed a little amber to me for this style). Been trying to find a can of this to compare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulW31 Posted September 3, 2019 Share Posted September 3, 2019 On 8/22/2019 at 6:42 PM, NewBrews said: Ok. I got the side by side test on the go now. Got a slab of purple cans last weekend and dropped a dozen over the two happy hours at the in-laws, but tonight was the first chance I got to do a comparison. Get on with it I hear you say! Purple can: lively carbonation for a Coopers product, but first time I’ve had one of theirs from a can. Nice malt carrying through very reminiscent of the Pale Ale. Hops are fresh but not as hoppy as I thought it might be. Nice citrus and almost a “fake” lemony taste. The ROTM: Bit flat but carbonation has been slow here. A vigorous pour will generate a reasonable head however carbonation lasting through the glass. Maltiness is similar however a good bit of sweetness carrying through even though I hit the FG target. Hops are somewhat subdued compared to the commercial version, probably could have done with another 5g in each dose. Colour is significantly darker on the kit version but that is to be expected. Probably would leave the crystal out. Overall, both beers are very enjoyable but would I make the kit recipe again? Probably not based on the fact I think I could do a better match using AG. The commercial beer is excellent, based on it being an Australian Pale Ale but amplified, whereas a lot of other XPAs seem to be based on an American Pale Ale base. Would I buy it again - definitely. Is it my favourite XPA? Probably not quite there. Coopers list 13EBC for the can and 17 EBC for the recipe, this is quite a difference. Looks like my gut feel was right. I'd consider dropping to 250g crystal malt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerlust Posted September 3, 2019 Share Posted September 3, 2019 For those interested, I ran some numbers through my brewing calculator. The DIY recipe exactly as is, using Barrett Burston's Caramalt (rated at 50 EBC) as the grain addition, & low & behold, 12.6 EBC for the final recipe. It's the grain I'll be using when I get around to making the recipe. Cheers, Lusty. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MitchellScott Posted September 20, 2019 Author Share Posted September 20, 2019 Well my Coopers XPA keg is about to blow I reckon and I was having one last night actually enjoying it much more than I was when it was a bit younger. Not sure why, or whether I'm just acquiring the taste. I still think it would be a better brew with say 200g Crystal instead of 400g, but I must say I quite enjoy it now. Whether it has actually improved or my taste buds are just more accepting I don't know 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazzala Posted September 20, 2019 Share Posted September 20, 2019 I reckon it might be improving Mitch - mine seems to be... I’m very happy with my XPA - this and the Centenarillo are my best brews yet. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MitchellScott Posted September 20, 2019 Author Share Posted September 20, 2019 13 minutes ago, Gazzala said: I reckon it might be improving Mitch - mine seems to be... I’m very happy with my XPA - this and the Centenarillo are my best brews yet. Funnily enough we both have the same brews at the moment My other keg that is on tap is the Centenarillo Ale. Agreed it is quite nice, although I think it could've had a dry hop/steep. Maybe the XPA is improving then! Who knows, I'll just keep drinking 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazzala Posted September 20, 2019 Share Posted September 20, 2019 I did do a dry hop of the centenarillo - 20g Amarillo, 80g Centennial. Turned out very nice. I’ll definitely brew both of these again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MitchellScott Posted September 20, 2019 Author Share Posted September 20, 2019 God damn, what did I say Keg gooooooone.. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loch Brewer Posted October 5, 2019 Share Posted October 5, 2019 On 6/11/2019 at 1:43 PM, karlos_1984 said: I'll try it on tap before I make this recipe. I tried it on tap at the "Coopers CUB malthouse" in Southbank about a month ago. Didn't think much of it. But then tried it last week from Dan Murpheys (From a can in a glass) and was blown away! Can't wait to try and replicate this brew!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo2450 Posted October 7, 2019 Share Posted October 7, 2019 Balter XPA is my favourite. But at nearly $25 for a four pack!? Yes a four pack. Lucky my LHBS has a clone recipe and it was on the money! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naughty Corner Brewing Posted October 8, 2019 Share Posted October 8, 2019 17 hours ago, Cosmo2450 said: clone recipe Care to share @Cosmo2450? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo2450 Posted October 8, 2019 Share Posted October 8, 2019 I also put 250g of dry wheat malt...I think. I also did 30g of centennial and 15g each of the infusion. But not even kidding, I did a blind taste with help from the missus. I could not pick it at all! Visually tho the home brew one is darker 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerlust Posted November 2, 2019 Share Posted November 2, 2019 Hi guys. Just a follow up to what I was suggesting earlier in this thread about the colour of the DIY recipe & how you can lighten it to more like the commercial version etc. I have the DIY recipe on the go atm using the CaraMalt I mentioned I'd use. Looks pretty light & close to the colour of the commercial version to me. Sample tasted good to. It's still @ 1.018 atm, but the DIY recipe suggests fermentation will be complete within 9-12 days, so it still has a good 2-5 days more to finish off. I added the dry hops as well & re-roused the yeast while I was at it to just make sure it keeps going. Hopefully the remaining points come off in the next few days. Cheers & good brewing, Lusty. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamus O'Sean Posted November 3, 2019 Share Posted November 3, 2019 Nice work @Beerlust. I am going to follow your lead when I do the Coopers XPA. Use a lighter grain. Also planning to use the Mexican Cervesa can (because I already have one in stock) instead of the Australian Pale Ale. IBU's are similar and the Cerveza can is paler again. The colour of yours looks very close to the commercial version in @NewBrews side by side taste test photos. I look forward to your comparison. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MitchellScott Posted November 3, 2019 Author Share Posted November 3, 2019 That looks great @Beerlust! Keep us updated! Mitch. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted November 3, 2019 Share Posted November 3, 2019 It'll probably look a bit darker in a beer glass though, hydrometer sample tubes aren't very wide Still, probably not nearly as dark as some of the other examples posted recently. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerlust Posted November 11, 2019 Share Posted November 11, 2019 Hi guys. It's been a while between posts. Have been crook for a good week with some lingering issues around some food poisoning I suffered this time last week, & also just got back from Whyalla visiting some relatives & a mate I have down there. Anyways... The DIY XPA has been cold conditioning for the past 3-4 days, so I'll likely keg it tomorrow, & will then pour a side by side pic of it with the commercial version. Aromas were really good when i removed the dry hop before setting the fridge to cold condition before I left for Whyalla on Saturday morning. The combo of Lemondrop & Simcoe was quite potent for the smallish amounts used. I'm expecting a very nice beer to drink. I hope all have been well & brewing up a storm! Cheers, Lusty. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerlust Posted November 16, 2019 Share Posted November 16, 2019 Hi guys. My apologies for the delay on posting a pic of my CaraMalt DIY version of the XPA vs the commercial version. A number of you have experienced some problems regarding the EBC by following the DIY recipe or from your brewing of the DIY recipe pack. See below. Forgive the clarity of the photo I took, but the colour of each is undeniable. What is the commercial & what is the DIY XPA? If you can pick the difference, you tell me. Trust in the EBC from your calcs for your recipes against the commercial versions & their listed numbers. When looking to reproduce a clone beer based on a commercial beer, always do your homework. Cheers & good brewing, Lusty. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now