Improving Coopers Kits?

[Degsie]

Cheers for the advice Geezah! Been to the homebrew shop and got some hops, hop pellets, some muslin bags
and a can of Coopers APA - it's looking like a very happy new year!

Well I say Geezah! Just opened a bottle of your suggested APA recipe made with some challenger hops, its only been out in the garage
for two days. Tastes pretty damn good already - all right I know it's a little early and it's still a little cloudy but I salute
you for the flavour of this one! It's got bags of hops and body to it (and thats coming from a bloke who usually prefers
dark porter/ stouts)!
Cheers indeed my friend

[Geezah]

Happy your enjoying the brew mate
I have made the Coopers APA many times now and not twice the same, or any of them not liked.
My current 1 is slow on the consumption but I put that down to a heavy xmas and a need of change, but its still very quaffable.
I'm now trying out a Coopers IPA with DME/Sugar... will prolly expand on this as I get to know it too.

[canarytim]

How did the Coopers IPA turn out, Geezer? I have a tin of it burning a hole in my sideboard and I'm wondering what to do with it.

I was thinking of trying the Coopers Authentic IPA recipe:
http://www.coopers.com.au/the-brewers-g ... hentic-ipa

Which calls for 1kg LDME and 500g dex. Has anyone tried this?

Also what's 'double dropped'?

[Goat]

How did the Coopers IPA turn out, Geezer? I have a tin of it burning a hole in my sideboard and I'm wondering what to do with it.

I was thinking of trying the Coopers Authentic IPA recipe:
http://www.coopers.com.au/the-brewers-g ... hentic-ipa

Which calls for 1kg LDME and 500g dex. Has anyone tried this?

Also what's 'double dropped'?

Ive got a coopers IPA in the fermenter atm
added 1kg of amber DME and 1kg of maris otter
and an extra handful of cascade
planning to dry hop aswell

Will update when its ready

[Geezah]

How did the Coopers IPA turn out, Geezer? I have a tin of it burning a hole in my sideboard and I'm wondering what to do with it.

I was thinking of trying the Coopers Authentic IPA recipe:
http://www.coopers.com.au/the-brewers-g ... hentic-ipa

Which calls for 1kg LDME and 500g dex. Has anyone tried this?

Also what's 'double dropped'?

I made the kit up to 20 litres and added 1 kilo of light DME and 300g of brewing sugar.
After the intial foaming fermentation (5 days) I racked it off the sediment into a fresh FV and left it there for another 2 weeks. This Double Drop is supposed to cary only the strongest, live yeast cells over to finish off the fermentation.
I have had some yeasty flavours recently off the Coopers kits and was putting it down you the beer sitting on the yeast in primary and in the keg... i'll have to wait and see how this 1 turns out.
Its been in the keg for 2 weeks now in the warm and its tasting rather nice.... definately a hoppy flavour.. just got to get it in the shed for a fortnight now to condition.

[canarytim]

My Coopers IPA (with 1kg Light DME and 500 gr dark muscavado), put on last Sunday, has dropped from OG 1050 to 1008 and has remained therefor 3 days. Tasting ok but perhaps missing a little something. I was thinking of double dropping it, but, without the addition of more fermentables as it's already had a lot. I can't see how much see how much lower it can go.

Presumably you can dry hop while you double drop. Would be adding more dark sugar or DME be an idea?

[Spud395]

My Coopers IPA (with 1kg Light DME and 500 gr dark muscavado), put on last Sunday, has dropped from OG 1050 to 1008 and has remained therefor 3 days. Tasting ok but perhaps missing a little something. I was thinking of double dropping it, but, without the addition of more fermentables as it's already had a lot. I can't see how much see how much lower it can go.

Presumably you can dry hop while you double drop. Would be adding more dark sugar or DME be an idea?

It shouldnt taste right, it's not conditioned.
I wouldnt add more fermentables untill you add the priming sugar when you're bottling/kegging.
Give it a bit of time to condition and it'll be good.

[canarytim]

The coopers website has an ashes ale receipe for their apa.from memory its as follows: Simply add 500 light dme to 4 l boiling water then its a 30 min boil of 20 gr hops of your choice (I used challenger) plus 20 gr at flame out.leave for 20 min then transfer to FV. top up to 20 l, add the apa and 300 gr sugar then pitch winsor yeast. dry hop with another 20 gr hops 3 days into primary (cascade in my case). It suggests 'the adventurous' could steep 200 gr of speciality grains in the boiled liquor beforehand, which I did (my first use of crystal malt). It will be drinkable next week, I hope!

This turned out very well, by the way. A summer style hoppy light ale. Second in our local beer club tasting last night. Cascade is becoming my favourite aroma hops.

[canarytim]

My Coopers IPA (with 1kg Light DME and 500 gr dark muscavado), put on last Sunday, has dropped from OG 1050 to 1008 and has remained therefor 3 days. Tasting ok but perhaps missing a little something. I was thinking of double dropping it, but, without the addition of more fermentables as it's already had a lot. I can't see how much see how much lower it can go.

Presumably you can dry hop while you double drop. Would be adding more dark sugar or DME be an idea?

It shouldnt taste right, it's not conditioned.
I wouldnt add more fermentables untill you add the priming sugar when you're bottling/kegging.
Give it a bit of time to condition and it'll be good.

The IPA turned out great, btw. Not particularly hoppy but a fine and very clear drop (must be the double dropping). Also primed with only 90 grams of cane sugar (unlike my ESB clone where 1 in 5 bottles turned into a fountain upon opening!)

I will try double dropping all brews from now on.