Coopers Beer kits?

The brewing supply company coopers on makebeer.net advertises these hopped extract kits that don't require a boil or anything. I'm a college student and as my schedule gets crazier i have less time for brewing, and this looks like a pretty simple, easy and quick way to make some beer at home but it also seems to good to be true. has anyone tried these kits? what were the results?

My first kit was the Cooper's English Bitter. It was good, you just need to modify their directions. Leave it in primary for 4 weeks instead of the 7 days they suggest. After 4 weeks, bottle and condition for 4 weeks instead of the 10 days they suggest. It gets even better if you let them sit a little longer. I'm not sure about the other kits, I've heard mixed reviews - i.e. the Irish Stout is good but the cerveza and lager are not. I would make the English Bitter again.

do you think it would benefit the beer much if i replaced the corn sugar and stuff the provide with some of their unhopped malt extract or just leave the kits as they are?

It's often recommended to use Dry Malt Extract instead of sugar, though that will cost you more. You could use Liquid Malt Extract (unhopped) just as well. Or you could use half and half of DME and sugar (You can buy DME by the pound, but not LME). The more extract you use instead of sugar, the stronger tasting and better bodied the beer.

edb23 said:

do you think it would benefit the beer much if i replaced the corn sugar and stuff the provide with some of their unhopped malt extract or just leave the kits as they are?

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FWIW, I've played around with a lot of Coopers kits over the past two years, for much the same reason as you - lack of time to devote to a proper brew. That said, I've made some darn fine beers with them [and some less than stellar ones, too]. Funny thing is, the "brew Enhancers" that Coopers sell [a combination of DME, Dex, and Maltodex] most times make a better beer than just substituting all malt. either dry or liquid. I've pretty much settled on just steeping some cyrstal and adding some extra flavor and aroma hops.

When I brewed the English Bitter I used DME, which was recommended with the kit. I've heard of others using corn sugar but I haven't tried that myself.

I've pretty much settled on just steeping some cyrstal and adding some extra flavor and aroma hops. [/QUOTE]

I'm trying to get around to doing one recipe of my own done, and then I'm gonna try this with some of the coopers kits and see how it works out. Thanks

I started with the Coopers kits, following the process of: place can in warm water, open can, dump in bucket, add corn sugar, add 1 gallon hot water, stir til everything is disolved, then fill to 5.5 gallon mark with cold water, and add yeast, as per LHBS reccomendation.

While I initially enjoyed the product and its cheapness, easiness, it is not what I could truly call "good beer."

If you want to stick with the Coopers kits, use unhopped malt extract in place of the corn sugar, and boil the liquid for at least 5 minutes to get a better product.

While there is an investment in terms of time and money, I can now generate 5 gallons of all-grain beer of any style more cheaply than buying a Coopers kit, not to mention its really good.

The Cooper's kits are great - I've really enjoy the ones I've tried, which is the Australian Pale Ale and "Lager"... currently lagering some true lager styles (Copper's Pilsener and European Lager) outside in the snow... =)

It's a great way to make good beer, and also a great way for me to get started on the way to all grain production..

well I just got the regular lager kit, which I guess is actually just like a pale ale. I brewed it but first steeped some rye and crystal 40L, and boiled some tettnag hops for 5 minutes. I plan on aging on bourbon soaked oak as well, maybe it'll turn out good.

edb23 said:

well I just got the regular lager kit, which I guess is actually just like a pale ale. I brewed it but first steeped some rye and crystal 40L, and boiled some tettnag hops for 5 minutes. I plan on aging on bourbon soaked oak as well, maybe it'll turn out good.

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Sounds like a really nice tweak you got going on for it! Best of luck. I did the Cooper's Lager as my first beer exactly per their instructions. Of course I'd read on here to let it sit much longer in the fermenter etc but figured it was my first beer so for learning experience I wanted to see what it was like done too young.

The Lager is definitely an unusual tasting beer. It's not bad, but not also not so good. All this while I just pinned it on yeast byproducts left uncleaned up since I bottled it after a week (hydro reading was spot on). But I saw a vid by SteelJan on Youtube and in the comments she says that most Americans probably will find the Cooper's beers off tasting because of their predominate use of Pride of Ringwood hops which taste different than most other hops. What she said seems to be exactly concurrent with the taste I'm getting with the Lager, just a different type of hop tartness to it.

I think your addition of Tettnang will do well to level it out.


Rev.

I have some Coopers Real Ale in the primary now. I started it yesterday with 1.5lbs of Muntons Plain DME and 1lb of corn sugar. From what I have read the kits are made to use both malt extract and sugar. Corn sugar is what Mr. Beer sells in the beer kits to complete their kits, and Coopers sells a mix of Corn sugar and DME in their enhancement kits.

I have made their Real Ale before and it is definately a drinkable beer, I did go 4 weeks in primamry and 4 weeks bottle conditioning.