cooper's kits, yeast

[c45116]

After reading a few forums it appears to me that the type of yeast used in brewing plays a major part in the final beer quality. So, has anyone used different yeast than supplied?

 

If yeast is a determining factor why is the choice limited to two varieties in Cooper's beer kits?

[Oliver]

If yeast is a determining factor why is the choice limited to two varieties in Cooper's beer kits?

 

 

 

It's not. There are several types of yeast used by Coopers, including one for the original series, a lager for the pilsner, ale/yeast blends for pale ale, sparkling ale and heritage lager, and another for the wheat beer.

 

 

 

Here's a list of some known yeasts: www.homebrewandbeer.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=571

 

 

 

Not using the yeast that comes with a kit is common. You can buy yeasts from your homebrew store (Saflager and Safale are two common types of dried yeast. There are liquid yeasts, too), or you can culture yeast from a bottle of commercial brew that's bottle-conditioned (Coopers Stout, Pale, Sparkling, Mild and Dark are all bottle-conditioned, meaning you can harvest the yeast and use it to brew your beer with).

[c45116]

Thanks Oliver, thats great. Have you ever added hops to a kit?

 

 

 

Bill

[Oliver]

Many times. You can really change the character of a kit by adding some hops. Even adding 10-15g at the end of the boil adds lovely aroma and flavour. You could also try adding some grain, which, depending on which grain you choose, will add flavour and/or colour to your beer.

 

 

 

There's a fairly comprehensive list of hop varieties and their uses at www.homebrewandbeer.com/hops.html

 

 

 

You'll find heaps of info on this site about using grains and hops, or head over to www.homebrewandbeer.com (another shameless plug :wink: ).