Coopers Brewmaster IPA

[Parp]

Hi All,

I fancied trying out Coopers Aussie yeast, so i bought one of their kits.

For just over £15 I got the kit, 500g spraymalt, a kilo of dextrose and some coopers carbonation drops.

Expensive yeast!

Anyways, Ive put the ingredients for the kit through BeerSmith and its come up as a beer of about 3.4%.

Is this correct ?

1.7kg hopped malt extract (the kit)
500g light spraymalt
300g dextrose

made up to 23L

Amount Item Type % or IBU
0.50 kg Light Dry Extract (15.8 EBC) Dry Extract 20.00 %
1.70 kg Pale Liquid Extract (15.8 EBC) Extract 68.00 %
0.30 kg Corn Sugar (Dextrose) (0.0 EBC) Sugar 12.00 %



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.035 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.010 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.009 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.005 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 3.40 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 0.65 %
Bitterness: 0.0 IBU Calories: 90 cal/l
Est Color: 10.6 EBC

[Parp]

I've decided to keep the coopers to use in a head to head (same recipe) with US-05.

I've done a starter with some Burton Ale Yeast (White Labs) that expires on 16/07/2008.

I'm going to use that in the coopers kit tomorrow.

I'm going to probably brew it to 17L, which BeerSmith estimates the final abv as 4.51%.

[Parp]

This is what the coopers website says about the kit.

Surely something's amiss?

A strong ale with robust malt characters and very high hopping levels. Intended to be mixed with 500g Coopers Light Dry Malt and 300g Coopers Dextrose to 23 litres.

Colour - 230EBC, Bitterness - 710IBU

I take it that the zero's above are a mistake!?

Hehe

[Parp]

I wouldnt call 3.4% strong though.

Strong bitterness, aye.

3.4% ab vs 71 IBU - heysoos!

[Parp]

I was going to try 17 L, giving 4.51%.

Did you make it up to 23 L ?

And did you bottle or keg?

I emailed the Aussies about it.

[Parp]

I've just worked out, at 17 L it would produce 87.6 IBU's !

Eek!

Did it taste way too bitter to you ?

[Parp]

Amount Item Type % or IBU
0.75 kg Light Dry Extract (15.8 EBC)
1.70 kg Pale Liquid Extract (15.8 EBC)
15.00 gm Iso Hop [40.00 %] (60 min)
0.20 kg Corn Sugar (Dextrose) (0.0 EBC)
1 Pkgs Burton Ale (White Labs #WLP023)

I might go with this then, haven't got a full kilo of spraymalt

Edit - to the proposed 23 L

Wouldnt mind trying bottling a Sparkling Ale kit, my LHBS didnt have one though.

[Parp]

The Aussies got back to me ;

Hello Keith. No, your software is not correct. Does it take into account the second fermentation, or are you kegging your beer and carbonating with liquid CO2? You can estimate the potential alcohol in this way:

1.7kg can: 2.7%
500g LDM: 0.8%
300g Dex: 0.6% (4.1% subtotal – no second ferment)
180g Dex: 0.4% (second ferment)

Total: 4.5% alc/vol after second fermentation. Assuming 23 litre brew.


No, all figures for bitterness and colour# are correct. You must apply a dilution formula according to the total volume you make the brew up to. For example:

Colour: 230*1.7/23 = 175 then add 1.0 for 500g LDM and allow for 10% losses during fermentation: 16 EBC

Bitterness: (710*1.7/23)*90% = 47 IBU

It would be meaningless to supply figures for the fermented beer because home brewers don’t necessarily make brews up to the recommended volume or use just the can and recommended adjuncts.


#Liquid malt extract darkens with time

Regards,

Frank Akers
Home Brew Advisor
Coopers Brewery
Adelaide, SA

There, I'm going to make it to 23 L then.

The only difference is that I'm going to use the Burton yeast thats bubbling away behind me.

[ChrisG]

Drinking this just now, its a good kit, still not as good as John Bull IPA though.

[Parp]

Just made this up now.

Seems like good extract, stinks of hops too

Made with the recommended 500g spraymalt and 300g dextrose.
Up to 20 L.

Burton Ale WLP023 starter used.



Waiting for a couple of degrees drop in temperature.

[thesaintv12]

Just kegged and carbonated mine. I have to say it tastes lovely! A nice citrus afterbite.

[Parp]

Hehe!

Cracking extract though in those cans.

Did the job of smelling like 'concentrated brewers wort'.

Hopefully it will survive the fermentation better than the twangy, Woodfordes/Muntons/Brupaks kits.

Everyone of them gives a familiar 'fruity?' flavour.

I used to love it in the wherry kits some years ago, but it gets a tad tiring when every liquid malt extract kit has the same 'signature'.

[thesaintv12]

After chilling mine it has gained a slight haze, but the flavour is still great. Even though I am now doing AG brews, I will be ordering this kit again.