AnthonyR1525228508 Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 Just had a couple of these on tap at the Collector in Parramatta. Wow. Just wow. It's been a couple of years since my last ESVA home brew but I am inspired to make this next, as soon as I get the sparkling ale out of the tub and bottled. [biggrin] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TakaM Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 Hi mate, I just bought my recipe kit off the website, Im a newbie, have a Coopers Lager 1 week in bottles, Tooheys dark ale toucan in the fermenter now, and the ESVA is next in line, planning to brew my summer stock before it gets too warm! cant wait to taste, anywhere in Melbourne that has this for me to taste?? Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 Welcome to the forum TakaM! I am not sure about taps but you can buy in bottles from most bottle shops. It's a nice drop [love] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainiac Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 How is the kit? What do you guys do to tinker with it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TakaM Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 Im just going to follow instructions on this one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeM16 Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 I'm going to give it a go myself - the Vintage Ale is brilliant but it's hard to find in WA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted September 15, 2013 Share Posted September 15, 2013 I went to Archive beer boutique last night and on their list of draught beers they had the 2013 vintage ale, but when I asked the barman he said they don't have it on tap any more. [pinched] That place is busy as hell so I just ended up with a pint of something else.. next time though if they have any bottles I'll try one. Really need to go to that place more often, the selection is endless and no mega swill! [biggrin] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramjet Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 A newbie to the Order, but been very happily fermenting and drinking Cooper's brews ever since they released the actual liquid wort in 20 litre or so bladders (or was it poly drums - can't remember exactly). But it was back in the 70's, and I've lost count of the number of their brews I've put down over the years. So I thought I pretty well knew it all.... Having enjoyed immensely their ESVA in stubbies (when away on trips), I ordered a pair of the 2013 ESVA kits which arrived here at the farm last week. Downloaded the recipe sheet, soaked the crystal malt o/n, and thought I'd do the right thing and re-activate the BRY97 yeast before pitching it. Never had an issue with adding yeast before, but got a magnifying glass and read the picture/instructions on the sachet (warm water, 15 minutes, then pitch, etc). Well, next day, nothing was happening - not a sign of activity! So THEN decided to look up the detailed instructions on the Lallemand/Danstar website[roll] By stirring the yeast into the warmish water, I think I drowned it[crying] Anyway, promptly added the two sachets of the Cooper's yeast from under the lids of the two cans, and got it going very happily. Flavour and character will no doubt be different, but at least when I put down the second one next week, I won't make the same mistake again. Bottled the first one today, and I think I'm going to like it - will be nice to see how it develops over the months. Bit hard to keep the temp down to 18C here in Qld (managed a fairly constant 19-20), so looks like being a winter brew. Anyway, just a suggestion to Coopers to maybe include the detailed yeast instructions in the box, or at least somehow highlight the importance of getting on the net and reading them first. Great forum - LOTS to learn here[cool] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 Welcome to the forum Roger! BRY-97 is a slow starter. It usually takes 24-48 to show signs of fermentation but I think it is a great dry yeast. So I don't think you did anything wrong. Stirring the yeast in the water wouldn't have harmed them at all. Another day and you would have seen it happily fermenting. But perhaps a warning of the yeast behaviour is a good idea to stop people panicking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartS2 Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 re: the Recipe....After about 3 days, add the remaining hops to the brew by wrapping them in a mesh cleaning cloth (pulled straight from the packet) and place directly on top of the brew then re-fit the lid. Question: How long do you leave the hops bag in the fermenter for? Cheers Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otto Von Blotto Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Until you bottle it. Just fish it out once you've bottled it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaymondM Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 When I think of brewing ESVA I'm reminded of one that I made when I was still very new to brewing. Something went wrong between activating the commercial yeast and bottling it into the plastic. It was the yeastiest, foamiest, Nelson-Sauvin-stinkingest mess ever lol. My wife and I used it as the ultimate punishment in drinking games. ... then I came back to it six months later and it was as though the beer had forgiven me for my wrongdoings and it tasted amazing! Too bad I wasted so many early on. Must do it again properly and lock it away in a time-delay safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaymondM Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 As a slight variation, the real ale kit could be swapped for English Bitter. Golding hop aroma, slightly more bitterness, darker. I think I'll do that next [w00t] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerlust Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 Hi RaymondM. As a slight variation' date=' the real ale kit could be swapped for English Bitter. Golding hop aroma, slightly more bitterness, darker. I think I'll do that next [w00t'] That is an interesting observation & thought process there, & looking at it from a simplistic view of combining the EB & Pale Ale kits with the hop additions you plan to use, I can't see why it wouldn't produce a very nice beer, given some suitable aging time. [cool] Good luck with the brew if you do put it down, & let us know how it turns out. [wink] Cheers, Anthony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antiphile Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 I've been eyeing off this recipe (ESVA '13) for a while, and finally removed my finger. Soaked the grain overnight and put it in the FV today. Even with only the centennial in it, it smells amazing. I can't wait until fermentation is complete and it has had citra and chinook in it for several days. I noted RaymondM's comments and will see if I can last at least 3 months before the first tester . I admit I was a bit surprised the OG was nearly 1.070 though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerlust Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Hi Sir Les. I've been eyeing off this recipe (ESVA '13) for a while' date=' and finally removed my finger. Soaked the grain overnight and put it in the FV today. Even with only the centennial in it, it smells amazing. I can't wait until fermentation is complete and it has had citra and chinook in it for several days. I noted RaymondM's comments and will see if I can last at least 3 months before the first tester [img']pinched[/img]. I admit I was a bit surprised the OG was nearly 1.070 though! Good move putting the ESVA down. It's a sensational kit based brew I reckon. I bottled a slightly altered version of the recipe back in early October of last year. If you like hoppy beers, it does drink very well within the first 2 months or so while the hop characteristics are still at the forefront of the beer flavours & aromas. At about 3 months aged, I did begin to notice the flavour profile starting to change. The obvious hoppy notes gradually drop off to become secondary to the malt flavours of the beer. I enjoy hoppy beers, so admit I would prefer to drinker it younger rather than aged. I've still got about 9-10 longnecks of it left that I'm saving for our winter period, & am very much looking forward to drinking them then. P.S. I remember a few of the boys who brewed the 2013 recipe quoting very high attenuation levels from the BRY-97 yeast. From their gravity readings, they were reaching ABV levels of around 8.5 - 9.0%!! Good luck with yours Sir Les! Cheers, Anthony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antiphile Posted February 19, 2014 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Thanks for the info from your experience, Beerlust. I'll change my taste-tester routine for it now; from your suggestions it'll probably be starting at four weeks, then each week/fortnight after that. I didn't have BRY-97 (or even Coopers Cultured yeast), so I was thinking about using the kit yeasts. Then I checked the Coopers yeast thread in the forum (thanks PB2), and decided to use the yeast from the Coopers Aus Pale Ale {Ac+L (26807 Int)} and the pure ale yeast from the TCS Irish Stout kit {A (26807 IS)}. I'll make a note of the attenuation and let you know how it goes. Thanks Big Lustful One! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antiphile Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 I enjoy hoppy beers' date=' so admit I would prefer to drinker it younger rather than aged. I've still got about 9-10 longnecks of it left that I'm saving for our winter period, & am very much looking forward to drinking them then. [img']cool[/img] P.S. I remember a few of the boys who brewed the 2013 recipe quoting very high attenuation levels from the BRY-97 yeast. From their gravity readings, they were reaching ABV levels of around 8.5 - 9.0%!! Cheers, Anthony. Hoodles to BrewDesire All your predictions and experience are coming to fruition. I dry-hopped the Citra and Chinook yesterday, and today I took the first post-pitching SG reading (of 1.015) on Day 5. Since I didn't use the BRY-97, I don't know what the FG will be yet, but I'm expecting (hoping) it to be around 1.011. After bottle fermentation, this should make it close to 8.5% (not as high as some of the BRY-97-ers, but still one heck of a punch). I couldn't waste the sample, and like you said, it really has amazing hop flavours already. I could taste what I assume to be the Citra, but I'm not sure what to expect the Chinook to impart (this is the first time I've used either of them). It's only one day of those hops, though, so I suspect they will become a bit more obvious with time: I'm like an expectant daddy. Thanks for the heads up, and hope I can keep to the tasting schedule! Cheers The Philby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antiphile Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Abandon all intelligence ye who enter my brewing cavern! It now seems I'm not going to get anywhere near the attenuation the BRY-97s did. I did another reading/tasting now, and using the more accurate hydrometer, it's showing it went up to 1.016. Of course, I know it was most likely a sloppy reading yesterday, and in truth its finished primary fermentation. Looking through the FV it was clearing very nicely to about the halfway mark. But I'm not complaining at all since it already tastes very nicely indeed! Certainly lime/lemon notes from the Citra, and possibly some "earthiness" from the Chinook (?). I'm guessing the lovely bitterness is mainly from the Centennial steep. It's a damn shame to have to wait till later in the week before crashing it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antiphile Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 ... If you like hoppy beers' date=' it does drink very well within the first 2 months or so while the hop characteristics are still at the forefront of the beer flavours & aromas. At about 3 months aged, I did begin to notice the flavour profile starting to change. The obvious hoppy notes gradually drop off to become secondary to the malt flavours of the beer. I enjoy hoppy beers, so admit I would prefer to drinker it younger rather than aged. I've still got about 9-10 longnecks of it left that I'm saving for our winter period, & am very much looking forward to drinking them then.[/quote'] G'day Ale Coveter Today was day 28 post-bottling, and I opened the first bottle for a taste (with a nice Vintage Cheddar & crackers - very appropriate). The flavour profile was just superb, but perhaps still just a tad too strong for me. I'm thinking (which is a very unusual experience for me), that in another month or two it will be absolutely spot on! I know you suggested it was great from about the 2 month mark, but I was getting impatient. Even if the profile does change a bit with time, I can't imagine it will ever become anything less than magnificent. Thanks, big boy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben 10 Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 I put one down a while ago too. I used Amarillo, Citra and Centennial. Stunning drop, well up on bitterness and I really like it. Add that to the 8.5% Saison I have coming on and there is too much strong beer. Love it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerlust Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 Finished off the last longneck of my October homebrew version of the ESVA. Enjoyable to the last drop. The named combination kit base will be a mainstay for a brew of mine each year. The malt base is delicious, & I like the ability to experiment with hop combinations on top of that knowing it will age well. Yum Yum, miss Yum Yum, re-brew Yum Yum... Cheers, Anthony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
not so newb now Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 just tried my ESVA #2013. awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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