Coopers Australian Pale Ale Can - What exactly did I buy?

[AntComo]

Hi guys! Newbie here.

I'm yet to do my first batch as I'm waiting on a delivery of some bits. However I found the Coopers range in the supermarket here of all places and picked one up having been promised by the can that 'everything' was included.

Obviously not everything is included at all, and seeing as the instructions are only available once you destroy the packaging I was disappointed to learn that a lot of assumptions are made by the producers.

Anyway, after finding some phone signal and searching online this forum once again came to my aid in explaining that what's missing is the fermentable, and whilst plain white sugar can be used (as well as a lot of other combinations of sugars recommended by much more experienced brewers) it left me wondering what the hell did I actually buy??

I presume this is a can of pre-hopped LME judging by the videos I've seen. But then why ask me to buy extra sugar and materials to add to it? There are already sugars in the LME so why not make the can bigger and include enough for the batch? Or am I missing something here?

A cynic might think they want you to buy the 'recommended Beer Enhancer 2 by Coopers' which is written on the side of the can. By 'recommended' they probably mean 'essential' but hey-ho...

So I've resigned to ordering the Brewing Enhancer but it still leaves me wondering what it is I have in my hands. Is this just the LME from a recipe that also requires DME that I need to buy separately? And if so I have to wonder how many of these cans they can possibly sell at the supermarket when they don't stock the DME...

 

[Slid]

What you have is a hopped liquid malt extract can 1.7kg. You want to add circa 1kg dry weight of other fermentables to give you around 20L of fairly weak (4% ABV?). It could be just sugar - white sugar or "brewing" sugar will give roughly the same outcomes. Better is to make some of your extra fermentables more malt extract - in either liquid or dry form. Half and half dme and sugar is approximately the same as a Brew enhancer. Other than a home brew shop, Wilko have a Homebrew section in most stores and they sell this malt extract stuff.

Good Luck and Welcome to the Forum!

 

[Rodcx500z]

Hi Ant, when I started I never used the enhancer I used dme instead and brewing sugar, and you may finish up with something like this I used to dry hop as well, lots of ways to pimp a kit don't get down hearted you will get to love brewing your own beer, here's a vid from coopers website

 

[terrym]

What you have is a hopped liquid malt extract can 1.7kg. You want to add circa 1kg dry weight of other fermentables to give you around 20L of fairly weak (4% ABV?). It could be just sugar - white sugar or "brewing" sugar will give roughly the same outcomes. Better is to make some of your extra fermentables more malt extract - in either liquid or dry form. Half and half dme and sugar is approximately the same as a Brew enhancer. Other than a home brew shop, Wilko have a Homebrew section in most stores and they sell this malt extract stuff.

Good Luck and Welcome to the Forum!

+1 on that, especially the bit about not using all sugar
The AuPA kit is one I have used many times as a basis for producing several different beers.
On its own it will produce a light beer not too heavily bittered, and is a good basis to start brewing.
Coopers one cans are amongst the best in that group in my view so be assured you have not bought a dud.

 

[AntComo]

Thank you guys!

So I guess Coopers package it this way to leave the door open for a bit of customisation and experimenting then? Makes sense.

I'm pretty positive - just being in the mountains here means I need to get everything online so it'll be another wait before the right stuff arrives.

That said the beer kit I'm due from Northern Brewer should have everything so I might learn the ropes with that. Thankfully I also have How to Brew with me to explain the reasoning behind everything.

I'll let everyone know how the first batch goes!

 

[terrym]

Thank you guys!

So I guess Coopers package it this way to leave the door open for a bit of customisation and experimenting then? Makes sense.

The Coopers kits are a good platform to expand your brewing skills, like additional dry hopping and grain steeping and partial mashes. Thats what many on this forum do, including me. But one step at a time.
In the meantime this might be useful
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/...de-to-brewing-your-own-beer-from-a-kit.57526/