Cooper's English Bitte Pre-hopped Liquid Malt Extract Review

This kit is to replace their "bitter" kit from before. I have made (2) batches with it, and both have been giant hits. The color is very attractive, people think they are drinking a real craft beer (and they are). It has considerable more body than the typical light beer (obviously), without being a mouthful. The taste has a little twang on the front end (similar to most extracts), but it does packs a surprising spicey punch at the back end of the sip.

As with most English Ales it has a quick turnaround, and the beer was incredibly full flavor after just 4 weeks in the bottle.

The Cooper's guidelines for formulating this recipe need tweaking to ensure full body, flavor and gravity, but I highly recommend this for beginners who wants to make a high quality beer to intermediate brewers who need a quality quick turnaround ale when life gets hectic and has a difficult time squeezing in an all grain.

Did you use the 1 kit with brew enhancer?

SMOKEU said:

Did you use the 1 kit with brew enhancer?

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I'm curious as well, as I sometimes, GASP, have been known to brew a Coopers kit! I've added a mix of dry malt extract, dextrose and malto-dextrin and found that it makes a decent beer. It sure is a quick and easy brew day!

No. I used 3# munton's light DME, along with 1 ounce Willamette @ 10 minutes. It made 5.5 gallons @ 1.048 SG.

petep1980 said:

No. I used 3# munton's light DME, along with 1 ounce Willamette @ 10 minutes. It made 5.5 gallons @ 1.048 SG.

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I've never added hops to a Coopers kit, but I might have to try this!

The first time I used the kit I went w/o any additional hops and thought the recipe lacked some flavor. Adding the hops, and scaling back some grains really helped.

Sounds good. I want to add some hops to my Coopers kit and this is what they say about it on their site.
I'd like to add some hops to my Coopers Lager kit. I don't think I'll add extra grains this time though. This is how they say to do it per their web site. Can anyone advise if this is effective or if there is perhaps a better way.

Step 1
If your recipe calls for use of specialty grains, heat your brewing water to just under a boil, then allow to cool to <180°F. (about 5-10 minutes). Put your steeping/specialty grains into an oversized nylon bag, tie off the bag and steep grains for 15-20 minutes at 150-180°F, then remove bag. You can squeeze bag to remove any extra color and flavor if you wish. If you are adding additional hops, go to Step 2, if not, proceed to our How to Homebrew instructions.

Step 2
Bring your brewing water back to a boil and add your first addition of hops. Your total boiling time will be 30 minutes. Add any other hops at the times called for in the recipe.

After 30 minutes turn off the heat and remove your pot from the heating element. Proceed with How to Homebrew instructions. There is one additional step. When transferring your wort to your fermenter, you will want to run your wort through a strainer to catch the hops. This may require two people.

Don't think I'll mess with grains this time around. Is this method o.k.? Any other good alterations for a Coopers kit. I'm doing a Lager.

PHillBrewCo said:

Sounds good. I want to add some hops to my Coopers kit and this is what they say about it on their site.
I'd like to add some hops to my Coopers Lager kit. I don't think I'll add extra grains this time though. This is how they say to do it per their web site. Can anyone advise if this is effective or if there is perhaps a better way.

Step 1
If your recipe calls for use of specialty grains, heat your brewing water to just under a boil, then allow to cool to <180°F. (about 5-10 minutes). Put your steeping/specialty grains into an oversized nylon bag, tie off the bag and steep grains for 15-20 minutes at 150-180°F, then remove bag. You can squeeze bag to remove any extra color and flavor if you wish. If you are adding additional hops, go to Step 2, if not, proceed to our How to Homebrew instructions.

Step 2
Bring your brewing water back to a boil and add your first addition of hops. Your total boiling time will be 30 minutes. Add any other hops at the times called for in the recipe.

After 30 minutes turn off the heat and remove your pot from the heating element. Proceed with How to Homebrew instructions. There is one additional step. When transferring your wort to your fermenter, you will want to run your wort through a strainer to catch the hops. This may require two people.

Don't think I'll mess with grains this time around. Is this method o.k.? Any other good alterations for a Coopers kit. I'm doing a Lager.

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1. I usually try to keep my steeping water below 170 degrees and go for about 30 minutes of steep. I also will drain and LIGHTLY squeeze the bag, but don't squeeze too much or you could extract some of the tannins.

2. Since it's a pre-hopped extract, I'm guessing 30 minutes would add a little bitterness, but not be too much. For a normal non-hopped kit you'd normally boil the bittering hop addition for at least 60 minutes, but this method would probably be okay for a Coopers kit. I probably wouldn't bother running the wort through a strainer, give it a few weeks in the primary and I think a lot of that stuff will settle to the bottom.

Thanks, Shooter!

The hops are in there no matter what, so the length of boil doesn't mean too much. I did mine for ~ 25 minutes I think.

I took the last 6-pack to a party last night and the guy who drank them decided he has to learn to homebrew.

I didn't steep grains with mine. I would be tempted to do so next time, I think my batch was ever so slight on the body.