Kit Selection Suggestions

[JimInCollie]

I'm fairly new to this forum but not so much to brewing. I would like some guidance on the choice of Coopers kits to stock my keezer with. I have made my own six-tap keezer (pictured, with my wife adding the finishing touches to the paintwork) and stocked it with mostly all-grain beers. I had a party recently and, while all the kegs are still dispensing, I expect them to start coughing in the not too distant future.

This is a golden opportunity for me to try the various Coopers products and choose some favourites.  I have read the promotional emails but there is quite a selection and I am not sure where to start:

• Original Series
• International Series
• Thomas Cooper Series
• Craft Series (Mr Beer)
• Advanced Recipe Packs
• Voyage Series.

As I say, I have 6 taps and would like to to re-fill the keezer with 6 different beers that I can be proud to serve. I would like a variety of styles, colours and flavours including at least one pale ale, and one stout.

I would be much obliged to any of you who can suggest one of the above series, or perhaps individual kits out of differing series.

Many thanks,

Jim   (JimInCollie)

 

[Classic Brewing Co]

48 minutes ago, JimInCollie said:

I'm fairly new to this forum but not so much to brewing. I would like some guidance on the choice of Coopers kits to stock my keezer with. I have made my own six-tap keezer (pictured, with my wife adding the finishing touches to the paintwork) and stocked it with mostly all-grain beers. I had a party recently and, while all the kegs are still dispensing, I expect them to start coughing in the not too distant future.

This is a golden opportunity for me to try the various Coopers products and choose some favourites.  I have read the promotional emails but there is quite a selection and I am not sure where to start:

• Original Series
• International Series
• Thomas Cooper Series
• Craft Series (Mr Beer)
• Advanced Recipe Packs
• Voyage Series.

As I say, I have 6 taps and would like to to re-fill the keezer with 6 different beers that I can be proud to serve. I would like a variety of styles, colours and flavours including at least one pale ale, and one stout.

I would be much obliged to any of you who can suggest one of the above series, or perhaps individual kits out of differing series.

Many thanks,

Jim   (JimInCollie)

Hi Jim,

That is a fine looking set-up, looks really great. It seems you have already done your research on different beers/styles.

You have pretty much got the best of the group in your list. To cater for the hordes I would be suggesting a Draught, Pale Ale, Real Ale, Lager, Stout etc, if you move in to the Thomas Coopers series the more refined Bootmaker Pale is nice, also American style Pale Ales, there are Pilsners, Wheat Beers & all sorts of various styles. If you look at the beer range in most Pubs you will always nearly find a Draught/Lager/Bitter/Pale & usually a couple of crafty styles.

We all have different tastes so it is really down to trial & error & finding what you & your guests like. There are a million recipes on the Coopers website https://www.diybeer.com/recipes

You have probably already seen this but I find it invaluable when you want to try something new.

Cheers

Phil

Edited April 23, 2022 by Classic Brewing Co

[RDT2]

I like the pale ale and the real ale  

I really liked the Pale ale with a kg of ldm Amarillo hop tea and dry hopped with Nelson and with US05. That beer got me into AG thanks to @Bribie Ga few years back it was his suggestion on another forum. 

[Tone boy]

Hey @JimInCollie. I’m a fan of the Australian pale ale kit. It’s great as is with a kilo brew enhancer or a partial mash. 
But it also makes a great pacific ale (what we call it in Aus anyway - not sure where you are). 
For pacific ale I brew it with 1.5kg Coopers liquid wheat malt extract and 25g Galaxy hops as a late (or whirlpool) addition.

The European lager is great too. I’ve brewed it lager yeast and various German hops. 
Cheers from Tone

P.S. Great looking keezer

Edited April 23, 2022 by Tone boy

[Shamus O'Sean]

Hi @JimInCollie, I really liked the American Pale Ale Voyage Recipe Pack.  It uses Simcoe hops which are one of my favourite hops.

If you wait until the Recipe of the Month is released, either 3 or 10th May, Coopers also has free shipping for orders over $80 or $100 (it varies from month to month for some reason).  If you buy one of the Voyage Packs you only have to add a can or two of hopped or unhopped extract to get the free shipping.

The keezer looks outstanding.

[Stickers]

both the dark ale and the canadian blonde would be my recommendations

[Malter White]

Hi Jim.

The keezer is a beauty and the wife being part of the project team is also great. At first glance I thought it was an upright piano.

For your stout tap I'd recommend the Best Extra Stout recipe using reactivated yeast from Coopers commercial beer. It really turned out well when I did it.

[jennyss]

Wow, what an ambitious project. The Keezer looks fantastic. As a new home brewer I have no recommendations on beers to have on tap. Your party must have been fun. 

Best wishes to your wife and partner in crime.

[JimInCollie]

2 hours ago, jennyss said:

Your party must have been fun. 

It was!

My wife asked me: "What would you like to do for your birthday?"

My Birthday was mid-week. I suggested just the two of us have an early dinner at a new pub in our area and then kick on to the theatre, which we did. I also said: "What I would really like to do is to have my closest mates around in the weekend to christen my recently built keezer". I sent out the invites and 9 of us had a wonderful afternoon sampling the 6 beers on tap (plus one more in a corny keg in a bin full of ice - Pluto tap). It was a bucks show. My lovely wife brought out platters of food every 15-20 minutes and the boys enjoyed lively conversation, laughter, and pouring their own beers. Great day!

Thanks to all of you for your comments on my keezer, and for your Cooper's recipe suggestions

JimInCollie

[JimInCollie]

17 hours ago, Tone boy said:

But it also makes a great pacific ale (what we call it in Aus anyway - not sure where you are). 

I live in Collie, a town of around 8,000 people, about 200Km south of Perth, Western Australia.

Collie is inland from Bunbury by about 45Km. Bunbury is a Port city and WA's second largest city. That's where my brew shop is (Lagerland).

[ben 10]

English bitter as per recipe is great

[ben 10]

On 4/23/2022 at 1:24 PM, JimInCollie said:

I have 6 taps

It really is good. I stupidly put my taps close together, silly bloddy idea

[Shamus O'Sean]

3 hours ago, interceptor said:

It really is good. I stupidly put my taps close together, silly bloddy idea

@JimInCollie's look about 6 inches apart.  If one was to attempt such a project, what spacing are yours?  What are the issues with your spacing?  What spacing would you now recommend?

For comparison, what is the actual spacing of your taps, Jim?

[ben 10]

8 hours ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

f one was to attempt such a project, what spacing are yours? 

Pretty much no spacing.

Issues are removing the taps for cleaning and also tightening them. They do occasionally loosen a little.

 

To remove for cleaning they all need to come off.

I'd go evrenly spaced along the whole collar. My drip tray is short - hence my spacing but it is annoying 

[JimInCollie]

Sorry to take a while to get back to you Shamus O'Sean

Question: For comparison, what is the actual spacing of your taps, Jim?

Answer:   125mm between centres   (125mm = 5 inches)

I was lucky in this regard.  When I bought the taps from Lager Land, Australind, WA, the owner of the shop warned me not to put them too close together and showed me the problem you have when you are trying to tilt a large glass, or jug, while filling it from taps that are too close together. I measured the length of the useable space and divided it by 6 which gave me an answer of 125mm which is perfect for me. I would not recommend putting taps much less than this, certainly not less than 100mm apart.

Edited May 12, 2022 by JimInCollie
adding information