Australian Sparkling Ale

[Arminius757]

Thanks for sharing! Yeah if all goes well I will be working on this over the wknd. I’m looking forward to trying out these comet hops and Verdant yeast.

Did you actually taste swiftness or was it a mouthfeel thing? All the brews I’ve ever added a sugar, agave, or honey to all dried out very well with no sweetness except for one I added brown sugar and it was a strange result I don’t care for again.

I'm fairly confident that it was not an oxidation issue, as mentioned above, as it was not a cardboard flavor or staleness, and no one in the compition feedback suggested it to be oxidation. And it was definitely a sweetness, almost like molasses (not really sulfur). I mean, turbinado sugar is raw sugar, and i have gotten a character from molasses as you suggested, so i would suggest using corn sugar over turbinado. Just don't use table sugar haha

 

[Slim M]

I'm fairly confident that it was not an oxidation issue, as mentioned above, as it was not a cardboard flavor or staleness, and no one in the compition feedback suggested it to be oxidation. And it was definitely a sweetness, almost like molasses (not really sulfur). I mean, turbinado sugar is raw sugar, and i have gotten a character from molasses as you suggested, so i would suggest using corn sugar over turbinado. Just don't use table sugar haha

Looking back at your recipe it might have been the Carmel Malt that added the sweetness, but who knows.

 

[ba-brewer]

I had not tried coopers sparkling ale, I was more interested in just creating a beer that fits the style guidelines and for something to do with the Australian yeast I have. The discussions here got me to go out and see if I could find some coopers.

I was able to find both the sparking ale and their pale ale but wish I had looked closer at the bottles as they have a best used after date, sparkling ale was 4/7/21 and the pale was even older at 1/5/21. Both did show a little oxidation and the sparkling being a little worse, not sherry more wet cardboard, but still drinkable. I did not get any citrus or fruit from either beer but it seems there was a hop presence in the aroma, slightly herbal with earthy/leather/tobacco aroma (some of that could be oxidation or skunking I guess as these beer were sitting warm on the shelf of a mega mart liquor store). I tried to not get any yeast in the pour but I don't think I was able to do it with the sparkling ale as the carbonation level was just under a gusher. Actually quite amazing how much carbonation was present in the sparkling ale. For having so much carbonation it still had a decent body, I did not notice any carbonic bite either. I did not get much if any hop flavor from either beer fairly smooth malt with bitterness at the end. I am sure a fresh bottle would be a totally different beer.

I have a few couple bottle sitting in the fridge to see if a little cold conditioning will clean them up a little. The last ones had been in with my kegs at ~45F just long enough to get to temp. I plan to try to cultivate some of the yeast sediment to see how it compares to WLP009 and WLP059.

Might also allow a beer to go flat to check it's gravity as I am curious how a 5.8%ABV beer with a 1045 starting gravity and so much carbonation can have so much body.

 

[Slim M]

I had not tried coopers sparkling ale, I was more interested in just creating a beer that fits the style guidelines and for something to do with the Australian yeast I have. The discussions here got me to go out and see if I could find some coopers.

I was able to find both the sparking ale and their pale ale but wish I had looked closer at the bottles as they have a best used after date, sparkling ale was 4/7/21 and the pale was even older at 1/5/21. Both did show a little oxidation and the sparkling being a little worse, not sherry more wet cardboard, but still drinkable. I did not get any citrus or fruit from either beer but it seems there was a hop presence in the aroma, slightly herbal with earthy/leather/tobacco aroma (some of that could be oxidation or skunking I guess as these beer were sitting warm on the shelf of a mega mart liquor store). I tried to not get any yeast in the pour but I don't think I was able to do it with the sparkling ale as the carbonation level was just under a gusher. Actually quite amazing how much carbonation was present in the sparkling ale. For having so much carbonation it still had a decent body, I did not notice any carbonic bite either. I did not get much if any hop flavor from either beer fairly smooth malt with bitterness at the end. I am sure a fresh bottle would be a totally different beer.

I have a few couple bottle sitting in the fridge to see if a little cold conditioning will clean them up a little. The last ones had been in with my kegs at ~45F just long enough to get to temp. I plan to try to cultivate some of the yeast sediment to see how it compares to WLP009 and WLP059.

Might also allow a beer to go flat to check it's gravity as I am curious how a 5.8%ABV beer with a 1045 starting gravity and so much carbonation can have so much body.

Interesting observations. I got my grain & stuff delivered yesterday. I’m going with an English yeast strain, US pale ale malt, and US hops.

I know it’s a mix match of ingredients of sorts but the English yeast strain should be relatively authentic given Coopers original yeast prior to mutation was most likely an English strain. The comet hops appears to match up with ringwood pretty close, and I don’t think my choice of US pale ale malt will be to far off given I’ve never seen Joe White in the states. Will report back with results.

 

[Slim M]

Well things went pretty well today I think considering how the night went prior. Last night I done my routine workout, ate, & crushed my grain. Things went down hill from their my dog got sprayed by a skunk and it made for a long night.

I slept about 3 hours and the got up at 5am to get the brew day rolling and I was mashing by 6am. I had everything picked up and cleaned by 11am. This is what I went with and I’m a Biab guy so keep that in mind and yes I squeeze the bag and drip it.

10 lbs of Briess pale ale malt
.5oz Midnight Wheat
1.5lbs Cane Sugar at 15min
1oz of 10 aau Comet for 60 min
1Pack Verdant IPA yeast pitched at 68f

Total batch size 5.8 gallons = 5.5 gallons in fermenter plus plenty for a sample.

5 gallons strike water @ 159f = 151f with grain added & ambient around 84f. Mash for 75 minutes and removed bag, squeeze, & drain drip.

Total water used 7.5 gallon

Pre-boil gravity 1.035
OG 1.054

Fermentation chamber temp 64f starting tomorrow I will begin ramping the temp up a degree a day until I hit 70f

 

[Slim M]

I researched this style for a few weeks prior to brewing by reading various articles, post, & looking at supposedly historical info. I tried to take everything I read or heard into consideration prior to brewing because I was going for something semi historically accurate to earlier versions of this style. I admit most of the truly Australian ingredients are not readily available to me so I tried to make educated substitutions.

The one thing I think that sticks out after looking back is that most the stuff I read seemed to mention this was a style born out of the fact British ale being imported did not always make the trip in good shape. The other thing I remember being mentioned is that traditional British brewing practices did not suit the Australian environment which no doubt is much warmer than the UK. If the climate in Australia was not suitable for traditional British brewing I wonder why all the ASA recipes seem to recommend ferm temps in the traditional British style range? It just seems a little contradictory. Your thoughts?

 

[ba-brewer]

I decarbed one of the coopers sparkling ales and got a hydro reading of 1006 and a refractometer reading of 5.7brix. Using the beersmith tools it says the original gravity was 1050. That gives an attenuation of 88%.

Also added some sterile starter wort to the bottle dregs to see if I can get to come back to life.

Kegged my sparkling ale the other days, I am not going to naturally carb it but I did divided it up so I can try some different carb levels.

 

[Slim M]

Got the ale in the keg this morning after an 8 day fermentation, really wanted to leave it a bit longer at 70f but if I didn’t do it today didn’t know when I would be able to with the schedule I got coming up.

I started at 64f & held it for 24 hours then worked up temp a degree a day until I hit 69 and held it. I saw no visible signs of fermentation for after day 3. When I popped the lid this morning I was a little worried I saw krausen still on top and took a gravity reading and it was at 1.005 after temp correction. I overshot the fg a little but I’ve never used this Verdant yeast before so I didn’t know exactly what to expect. So og 1.054 fg 1.005 abv around 6.4%. I was shooting for 5.8% guess I should have mashed a little higher or used less sugar. O well.

 

[Slim M]

I was wondering why Coopers did not package and sale a dry version of the house yeast they use but instead packaged and sold something else fore home brewing. I was doing a little reading and I seen where they admitted they have made several attempts to dry it and sale the same strain that they use in the ales but they have never been able to get the strain to perform reliably after the process. Wish I would have book marked it so I could post the article but didn’t think about it at the time in apologize.

 

[Beer-Baron]

I was wondering why Coopers did not package and sale a dry version of the house yeast they use but instead packaged and sold something else fore home brewing. I was doing a little reading and I seen where they admitted they have made several attempts to dry it and sale the same strain that they use in the ales but they have never been able to get the strain to perform reliably after the process. Wish I would have book marked it so I could post the article but didn’t think about it at the time in apologize.

I've also been trying my hand at brewing a ASA recently. I just did the Peter Symons recipe from the video posted. It's fermenting now.

I used Coopers yeast cultured from the dregs in the bottom of the bottles.

 

[Slim M]

I've also been trying my hand at brewing a ASA recently. I just did the Peter Symons recipe from the video posted. It's fermenting now.

I used Coopers yeast cultured from the dregs in the bottom of the bottles.

Best of luck hope it turns out the way you want it. I’m jealous of your yeast though

Honestly though I was going for the I guess earlier 1927 style from the chart in the video and I bet the Verdant come close. I know it certainly can attenuate, it went a little further than I anticipated. May pull a pint of the keg this wknd, everyone says drink it young.

 

[Beer-Baron]

I'm on track to brew the meanbrews recipe next week. Will also be using the cultured yeast. That really is the secret.

Can you not get any Coopers where you live?

 

[Slim M]

I'm on track to brew the meanbrews recipe next week. Will also be using the cultured yeast. That really is the secret.

Can you not get any Coopers where you live?

Unfortunately not anymore. There was a place I use to go that was the only place that carried Coopers Sparkling & Pale that I knew of sadly they are no longer in business.

I tasted a glass of mine after a week of forced carb and it’s seemed like it was going to be close to what I remember even though I’m using the Verdant. I’m giving it another week to mellow out in the keg though it was ever so slightly green still.

 

[Beer-Baron]

Unfortunately not anymore. There was a place I use to go that was the only place that carried Coopers Sparkling & Pale that I knew of sadly they are no longer in business.

I tasted a glass of mine after a week of forced carb and it’s seemed like it was going to be close to what I remember even though I’m using the Verdant. I’m giving it another week to mellow out in the keg though it was ever so slightly green still.

I'm drinking a clone recipe of Coopers Pale. Tasty stuff.

How is yours?

 

[Slim M]

Mine was good enough it’s gone. Had a little help from others but it was nice and will probably do it again. With the Verdant yeast it was at its best around week 4 in my opinion.