Anzacpaul Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 If you have temp control and you're chasing banana esters' date=' try not to go above 24C. Even so, your not guaranteed to get banana... [/quote'] Thanks PB2 for the prompt reply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farls Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 The good people at Coopers sent me a can of the Family Secret Amber Aleand adjuncts, not as part of the competition, but as a greatly appreciated extra when I had requested a replacement fv tap after mine stuffed up after only a brews. I feel very looked after as a Coopers customer. Anyway I brewed it up with a can of light liquid malt sent as the adjunct and it is ready to bottle, just need to sneak out to the garage between nappies, baths, tantrums, dinner etc (sometimes the kids do those too). Taste tests along the way we're good and what I expected from an amber, sweet/toffee/caramel, subtle hops. For my tastes it needs an extra whack of hops, but I'd have hops in everything if I could. One thought, many of my favourite recipes of late include the coopers liquid amber malt. Seems like the family secret can could replace it and/or be used for doing 'toucan' brews. An easy one would be coops pale ale, the family secret and American hops (I love combos of cascade, centennial and chinook, but mosaic is a current favourite too). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tas_spark Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Its great that Coopers offered the opportunity for some members to brew a new beer on their dime. And as much as putting new flavours out there is a good thing, I have to ask, why remove tried and tested, not to mention favorite brew tins from the Coopers range. My favorite one was the TCS IPA, it is the base for many of my tweaked extract recipes, and now the only IPA choice is the new Brew A, which if brewed by the original listed recipe is with two International Australian Pale Ale Tins. Any chance of bringing a few back? such as the IPA, Aussie Bitter and Traditional Draught? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonesy Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 Hi guys' date=' The Preachers Hefe (that was so kindly sent to me from Coopers) is in the later stages of primary fermentation. I kept the recipe very simple and used my new Cool Brew bag to maintain the recommended temperature. The details are: 1.7kgs Coopers Preachers Hefe Kit 1.5kgs Coopers Wheat Extract 2 x 7gr Wheat Yeast Made up to 23ltrs (half DS Water, half Tap water) Fermented @ 21 degrees (approx.) I followed the instructions on the label and pitched the yeast straight on top of the wort and had signs of fermentation with 8 hours, with a good size krausen (@ 10cm) within 24hours. Wonderful bread aromas with a slight sour note. Took a sample yesterday and it poured a pale gold almost white-ish colour with a nice lacey head. Taste was somewhere between an Erdinger Weiss and Hoegaarden without the citrus/spice. So far, the new Preachers Hefe appears to be an absolute cracker of a kit for such minimal effort but I will post an update once the brew is bottled, carbed and tested. Cheers[/quote'] Would love to hear a bit more about this when it's ready to taste. @Pb2, can we expect any banana flavours from the coopers wheat yeast if brewed a bit warmer? Hi guys, Well the brew has been in the bottle for just under 2 weeks thus far, but as usual my impatience has got the better of me! I cracked a bottle a couple of days ago, only to pour it down the sink as it clearly was not ready to drink. I decided to chill 1 yesterday (after 4 days of ridiculously high temp's here in Perth) and I was pleasantly surprised. A good level of carbonation and a very nice head that lasted the whole glass. Taste was still a little 'green' but starting to show some real promise. Slightly tart to begin with but finishing with a nice balance of sweetness/bitterness with a hint of vanilla. I will pour another 1 tomorrow night (2 weeks in the bottle officially) and report back with my findings. I have drunk my fair share of Weiss and Wit beers throughout Germany and Belgian and to me this beer kind of sits in the middle. The addition of grains and hops could produce a lovely Weiss or add some coriander and bitter orange to get a Wit although the colour certainly favours a German Weiss. Initially I was confused as to what to expect when the Preachers Hefe was released due to the fact the name suggests a German (Hefe) Wheat Beer but the label says Belgian Style. Now, I can see that it would make a great kit for either style. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 If you have temp control and you're chasing banana esters' date=' try not to go above 24C. Even so, your not guaranteed to get banana... [/quote'] So, is it very similar to WB-06? Perhaps not WB-06 but very similar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Ruddager Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 Well, the video is on the way. My overall summary though is light, fruity and otherwise very middle-of-the-road for a porter. Not as roasty as commercial ones, but it's a decent kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Ruddager Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 Aaaaaaand ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Chop Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 Nice review. Do you think it would benefit with a tweak or two? My Bootmaker I plan to bottle tomorrow after 17 days in the FV, tasting will be in three more weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 I didn't get around to doing this one earlier but I put it down on Sunday night. 1.7kg TC Preachers Hefe 1.5kg Liquid Wheat Malt 21 litres 2 x kit yeast Easiest brew day I have had for a long time I won't bother with an extended crash chill with this one so it should be right to keg in a week. I will probably chill it for a day so that it is cold when I keg it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 PB2, I'm not sure if you are able to say but is the new Preachers Hefe the same kit as the old TC Wheat kit with the only change being the yeast? Or have some changes been made to it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PB2 Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 The bitterness has been bumped up a few notches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 Thanks Paul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonesy Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 Hi guys' date=' The Preachers Hefe (that was so kindly sent to me from Coopers) is in the later stages of primary fermentation. I kept the recipe very simple and used my new Cool Brew bag to maintain the recommended temperature. The details are: 1.7kgs Coopers Preachers Hefe Kit 1.5kgs Coopers Wheat Extract 2 x 7gr Wheat Yeast Made up to 23ltrs (half DS Water, half Tap water) Fermented @ 21 degrees (approx.) I followed the instructions on the label and pitched the yeast straight on top of the wort and had signs of fermentation with 8 hours, with a good size krausen (@ 10cm) within 24hours. Wonderful bread aromas with a slight sour note. Took a sample yesterday and it poured a pale gold almost white-ish colour with a nice lacey head. Taste was somewhere between an Erdinger Weiss and Hoegaarden without the citrus/spice. So far, the new Preachers Hefe appears to be an absolute cracker of a kit for such minimal effort but I will post an update once the brew is bottled, carbed and tested. Cheers[/quote'] Would love to hear a bit more about this when it's ready to taste. @Pb2, can we expect any banana flavours from the coopers wheat yeast if brewed a bit warmer? Hi guys, Well the brew has been in the bottle for just under 2 weeks thus far, but as usual my impatience has got the better of me! I cracked a bottle a couple of days ago, only to pour it down the sink as it clearly was not ready to drink. I decided to chill 1 yesterday (after 4 days of ridiculously high temp's here in Perth) and I was pleasantly surprised. A good level of carbonation and a very nice head that lasted the whole glass. Taste was still a little 'green' but starting to show some real promise. Slightly tart to begin with but finishing with a nice balance of sweetness/bitterness with a hint of vanilla. I will pour another 1 tomorrow night (2 weeks in the bottle officially) and report back with my findings. I have drunk my fair share of Weiss and Wit beers throughout Germany and Belgian and to me this beer kind of sits in the middle. The addition of grains and hops could produce a lovely Weiss or add some coriander and bitter orange to get a Wit although the colour certainly favours a German Weiss. Initially I was confused as to what to expect when the Preachers Hefe was released due to the fact the name suggests a German (Hefe) Wheat Beer but the label says Belgian Style. Now, I can see that it would make a great kit for either style. Cheers Hey guys, Its been a little over 4 weeks in the bottle now so I thought I would give another review. The twang has certainly subsided now and its turned out to be a very pleasant beer indeed. If I were to compare the taste to commercial beers, then I would say its somewhere between a Leffe Blonde and an Erdinger Weiss, to my palate anyway. Like my previous post, the addition of certain grains, hops and yeast could take it to either Germany or Belgium. Thanks so much to Coopers for providing me the opportunity to try their new Wheat Kit. Overall, I am very impressed and I would recommend it to anyone wanting a subtle wheat beer or a great base kit to experiment from. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anzacpaul Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 Did you get any banana at all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonesy Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 Did you get any banana at all? A very faint banana aroma. Not sure what yeast is supplied but I would suggest its a medium floc. yeast as each beer I have poured is only mildly cloudy. Hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 I tried the Preachers Wheat beer tonight but it needs some more time. This beer was a little rushed; 7 days in the FV and 4 days in the keg. The beer has a nice clovey characteristic but it still has the sweetness you get from young extract/kit beers. I'm hoping some extra time in the keg, along with a little extra carbonation rounds this out. I always found kit wheat beers to be brews that didn't really need any extra additions of grain or hops. Just the kit, malt and yeast. I will give it some more time and report back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gigantor Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Hi Everyone' date=' Sorry if we have created any confusion regarding the recent new label changes. Here's what’s happening: Original Series - Lager, Draught, Real Ale, Dark Ale, Stout - label change but no change to product in the cans International Series - Australian Pale Ale, European Lager, Mexican Cerveza, English Bitter, Canadian Blonde, - label change but no change to product in cans with the exception of the addition of an all new Irish Stout in the style of Murphys Irish Stout - available in approx 2 weeks Thomas Cooper Series - completely new range - new labels and all new product in the cans - available on line and in most LHBS now. - unlike some commercial "craft" beers, the stories attached to the TC varieties are all true (you'll have to read the book) Old Thomas Cooper Series - will be fazed out. Expect it will take appprox 4 - 6 weeks to go depending on the variety. New addition to the Brew Enhancer range - BE#3 - available in approx 1 week Anything else new? - yes some more new products coming early 2016 We also have 10 x cans of the new Thomas Cooper series with recommended adjuncts to give away to the first 10 members who put up their hand to test them for us. Just post your response and tell us which variety you prefer - proviso is that you give us an unbiased review. Cheers! [/quote'] Apart from what is written on the new cans, are there any recipes available online for the new cans? e.g. I saw a recipe in the last Beer & Brewer that used the Bootmaker Pale Ale that also used CaraMunich grains etc. I've got cans of : Amber Ale, Porter, Brew A and Pils. Thanks, Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaffeinatedSentryGnome Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Wouldn't those come out as ROTM? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gigantor Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Wouldn't those come out as ROTM? Maybe yes. But not seeing anything in the recipe library. Thought there might have been a few for each new can when they were launched. Cheers, Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 I tried the Preachers Wheat beer tonight but it needs some more time. This beer was a little rushed; 7 days in the FV and 4 days in the keg. The beer has a nice clovey characteristic but it still has the sweetness you get from young extract/kit beers. I'm hoping some extra time in the keg' date=' along with a little extra carbonation rounds this out. I always found kit wheat beers to be brews that didn't really need any extra additions of grain or hops. Just the kit, malt and yeast. I will give it some more time and report back.[/quote'] I tried this again last night and it is much better. Not sure whether it has improved or I was just desperate for a beer It should be a decent drop in another week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaffeinatedSentryGnome Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Wouldn't those come out as ROTM? Maybe yes. But not seeing anything in the recipe library. Thought there might have been a few for each new can when they were launched. Cheers' date=' Pete[/quote'] Maybe they are still being invented Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gigantor Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Wouldn't those come out as ROTM? Maybe yes. But not seeing anything in the recipe library. Thought there might have been a few for each new can when they were launched. Cheers' date=' Pete[/quote'] Maybe they are still being invented My comment was more about the fact that these days marketing campaigns ensure that they have all collateral ready to go at launch. Also in the Summer issue of the Beer & Brewer magazine they did an article on concentrate brewing where a number of manufacturers submitted recipes. One of these was from Coopers using their new Bootmaker Pale Ale (see attached). So having seen this recipe using the new Bootmaker pale ale I assumed that there would be a couple of recipes for each of the new cans. And yes, I am aware that there is some suggested ingredients on the Coopers Store page for each of the new cans (i.e. use with LDME and carbonation drops etc.). I work in the marketing world and every campaign looks at the product/service being promoted and how to support the launch with supporting collateral to ensure a smoother take-up of the product/service. Or create a competition and ask home brewers to create their favourite brew with the new cans and share with the Coopers community, which then vote on their favourite? My comments were NOT a complaint - just a comment on typical marketing campaigns these days and customer expectations. Cheers, Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Chop Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Welp I tried the Bootmaker pale ale today. Made to recipe with two packs of Bootmaker kit yeast supplied, 1.5 kg Coopers LDM, 23 litres, 18 days in the FV at 19°C then bottled with carb drops, stored at room temp for another 18 days. Initial notes: Kit had a nice hop aroma when mixing the wort. Fermentation was up and running pretty quick. Pouring notes: It poured nicely after 24 hrs chilling with a nice fine creamy head, well carbonated and had the usual cloudy haze that my usual APA kit recipes produce that I don't CC. The yeast sediment in the bottle seemed quite fluffy and didn't really stick to the bottom of the bottle as much like the US-05 that I usually use in my brews and drink at about the same vintage (3 weeks). Personal notes: First tasting today was somewhat of a disappointment. Nothing bad but I think I was just expecting more from the kit + malt. I'm far from an expert beer taster but I do know what young (green) beer tastes like and that's what I got when tasting it. If I were to describe the taste I would say Granny smith apple, but please don't get me wrong there is no cider flavour or infection in this brew, I feel it just needs some more time in the bottle or perhaps it's just a yeast flavour I'm not akin with. There was plenty of bitterness in the kit for me but I feel it was missing the hop aroma/flavour from my usual brews that include some additions that I have grown to enjoy. In summary: Plenty of malty flavour with a nice amount of bitterness but young in taste @18 days in the bottle. I will report back after it has aged a little more as I really feel that is all it needs to become quite a nice beer. I do have another Bootmaker kit in the cupboard and I have plans in the making for it. A big thanks to Coopers for the opportunity to test run one of the new brew kits. Frosty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LazyDave Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 As people may know, I've experienced dead yeast with the new range, as also has my neighbour, we have now thrown out 4 new brews between us. After playing catch up the past 3 weeks and brewing 3 successful brews using the old Pale Ale, Uk Bitter and Real Ale, I decided to brave the Brew A IPA. (See profile pic for day 4 of this brew) Yep, it's dead as a dodo - again, just a thin layer of hop, not a jot of activity. Coopers don't seem to care, however I would at least like to know why the freebies that were sent out contained 2 yeast sachets. This question has been asked by others but not answered. There's only one sachet in the purchased cans. I gotta wonder why they would send 2 packs? Maybe cos they know a dodgy batch of yeast got sent out? My neighbour didn't risk the next one and added old UK bitter yeast to the Innkeepers just to ensure it worked, desperate stuff, and still no official recognition of these problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerlust Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 Hi Frosty. Welp I tried the Bootmaker pale ale today. Made to recipe with two packs of Bootmaker kit yeast supplied' date=' 1.5 kg Coopers LDM, 23 litres, 18 days in the FV at 19°C then bottled with carb drops, stored at room temp for another 18 days. Initial notes: Kit had a nice hop aroma when mixing the wort. Fermentation was up and running pretty quick. Pouring notes: It poured nicely after 24 hrs chilling with a nice fine creamy head, well carbonated and had the usual cloudy haze that my usual APA kit recipes produce that I don't CC. The yeast sediment in the bottle seemed quite fluffy and didn't really stick to the bottom of the bottle as much like the US-05 that I usually use in my brews and drink at about the same vintage (3 weeks). Personal notes: First tasting today was somewhat of a disappointment. Nothing bad but I think I was just expecting more from the kit + malt. I'm far from an expert beer taster but I do know what young (green) beer tastes like and that's what I got when tasting it. If I were to describe the taste I would say Granny smith apple, but please don't get me wrong there is no cider flavour or infection in this brew, I feel it just needs some more time in the bottle or perhaps it's just a yeast flavour I'm not akin with. There was plenty of bitterness in the kit for me but I feel it was missing the hop aroma/flavour from my usual brews that include some additions that I have grown to enjoy. In summary: Plenty of malty flavour with a nice amount of bitterness but young in taste @18 days in the bottle. I will report back after it has aged a little more as I really feel that is all it needs to become quite a nice beer. I do have another Bootmaker kit in the cupboard and I have plans in the making for it. A big thanks to Coopers for the opportunity to test run one of the new brew kits.[/quote'] I am somewhat relieved to read your views on this kit. I too brewed the recommended recipe a short while back, & was of a very similar opinion in each of the areas you described about this kit. I found it quite piney/winey hop-wise lacking any real citrus notes. I forwarded my views to Coopers via email (about a month or so back) as I didn't wish to appear negative on the open forum about the new kit. I had personally hoped the new Bootmakers Pale Ale kit would encompass some obvious cascade tones that were evident in the now discontinued TC Traditional Draught kit, & approach something resembling the style of the Craft 1.3kg North West Pale Ale kit so that us full volume (23 litre) brewers have something comparable we can brew without necessarily having to hop it up a great deal. Cheers, Lusty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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