Coopers Original Stout Review

[Slayer]

I brewed with 1kg of brewing sugar, 500g of spraymalt and 454g of black treacle and it tastes great. I had a bit of a carbonation issue but it's going down a treat.

But bloody strong! I'll half the brewing sugar next time and maybe use golden treacle to give a sweeter taste as this current batch tastes like Mackesons.
I picked up a stout tin this weekend in preparation. :thumb:

I'm relatively new to homebrewing and am glad that I found and like this kit. I plan to brew it every other batch and experiment in between with other kits.:smile:

 

[terrym]

I'll half the brewing sugar next time and maybe use golden treacle to give a sweeter taste as this current batch tastes like Mackesons.

You will find little difference between using golden syrup (or "golden treacle") and dextrose for "sweetness" since they both ferment out to produce alcohol, so they bring little or no "sweetness" to the brew. I often use golden syrup for making beer including stout, and the only difference between that and dextrose is a slight taste the golden syrup brings, which I like in lighter beers, but is not noticeable in a full flavoured stout.

 

[Slayer]

You will find little difference between using golden syrup (or "golden treacle") and dextrose for "sweetness" since they both ferment out to produce alcohol, so they bring little or no "sweetness" to the brew. I often use golden syrup for making beer including stout, and the only difference between that and dextrose is a slight taste the golden syrup brings, which I like in lighter beers, but is not noticeable in a full flavoured stout.

Thanks Terry, I'm learning all the time! :thumb:

 

[terrym]

Thanks Terry, I'm learning all the time! :thumb:

My standard recipe for Coopers Stout (Original and Irish) is here, which uses Golden Syrup. It starts at about 1.046 and usually end up in the 1.011 region, although for some reason the last one finished at 1.015.
http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showpost.php?p=606342&postcount=38
It is possible that by using 454g of Black Treacle you have introduced the Mackeson effect, since Black Treacle has a very powerful taste. That's why I use 100g Dark Muscovado instead, since although it's similar in taste it enhances the stout rather than overpowers it, plus its easier to handle and weigh out.
Finally if you are really looking for a sweet stout you could try using lactose which is non-fermentable.

 

[Slayer]

My standard recipe for Coopers Stout (Original and Irish) is here, which uses Golden Syrup. It starts at about 1.046 and usually end up in the 1.011 region, although for some reason the last one finished at 1.015.
http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showpost.php?p=606342&postcount=38
It is possible that by using 454g of Black Treacle you have introduced the Mackeson effect, since Black Treacle has a very powerful taste. That's why I use 100g Dark Muscovado instead, since although it's similar in taste it enhances the stout rather than overpowers it, plus its easier to handle and weigh out.
Finally if you are really looking for a sweet stout you could try using lactose which is non-fermentable.

Sound good!
I have a Gaggia coffee machine, I assume the Italian Roast coffee you used were 3 cups of expresso straight into the FV?

 

[terrym]

Sound good!
I assume the Italian Roast coffee you used were 3 cups of espresso straight into the FV?

Yes, that's what I do, from my coffee machine.

 

[legojohn]

I normally do all grain but love this kit! I'm making it up later with 1kg of muscovado,1kg of tate and lyle, a 454g tin of treacle and 500g of pure coca powder. Hopefully it should be have a little kick to it. Tempted to boil up 150g of torriffied barley to give it a great head. What do you guys think?

 

[Slayer]

I normally do all grain but love this kit! I'm making it up later with 1kg of muscovado,1kg of tate and lyle, a 454g tin of treacle and 500g of pure coca powder. Hopefully it should be have a little kick to it. Tempted to boil up 150g of torriffied barley to give it a great head. What do you guys think?

Wow! I did this with 1kg of brewing sugar, 500g of spraymalt and small tin of treacle and it's a strong brew that tastes great!

So good in fact that this weekend I'm buying another FV and can't decide doing another stout or try my first lager. :-? I like the idea of the Coopers European Lager.

 

[terrym]

I normally do all grain but love this kit! I'm making it up later with 1kg of muscovado,1kg of tate and lyle, a 454g tin of treacle and 500g of pure coca powder. Hopefully it should be have a little kick to it. Tempted to boil up 150g of torriffied barley to give it a great head. What do you guys think?

With all those fermentables you may find you underpitch if you only use the kit yeast, even though the supplied 7g of Coopers kit stout yeast performs well under 'normal' circumstances.
Also I read somewhere that the fat in cocoa powder can kill the head on your pint. Perhaps others can advise on this

 

[sdt7618]

So coming to the end of my first batch, simple golden sugar and a good glug of vanilla essence, even the wife has enjoyed this. So on goes batch two. Bit different in that went with a small can of treacle(452 gr i think), 500 gr or extra dark DME and 250 gr or sugar to make up the ABV.

Set this lot of last night and is going good guns this morning.

shame to have so little left of the first batch, but have popped 3 pints away to see how they age and will open after Christmas.

 

[Oneflewover]

I know it's all been said before, but this is such a great kit - bombproof. My last brew was put on just over 2 weeks ago (500g spraymalt, 500g dex, 250g golden syrup, 250g treacle to 20 litres). Brewed out within 3 or 4 days, clearing nicely by day 9.

Tried one last night that had been in bottle a week. Lovely, carved up well, yeast already stuck to the bottom of the bottle. Can't believe it can be so good so young.

 

[Clint]

Just sneaked another in between a couple of wheats. ..simply bang on! I've got around 10 left...Xmas stock now! I was hoping to put my endeavours ipa on next but might try and squeeze another stout on...should be drinkable, just,for Xmas and new year.

Cheers

Clint

 

[Clint]

Kit bought as well as 3x extra dark spraymalt. Just wondering. ...any advice on treacle...?

Cheers

Clint

 

[BeerisGOD]

Kit bought as well as 3x extra dark spraymalt. Just wondering. ...any advice on treacle...?

Cheers

Clint

I used some but Tbh its made it too sweet for me.
If you don't add sugar than it may come off ok

 

[terrym]

Kit bought as well as 3x extra dark spraymalt. Just wondering. ...any advice on treacle...?

Cheers

Clint

I use only 100 g of dark muscovado sugar, which has a similar taste to black treacle. The reason I don't use more is because I don't want it to overwhelm the stout. I have seen others on here use as much as one tin of black treacle in a Coopers Stout. So it really seems to be a question of personal taste.
On the other hand I regularly use golden syrup in brewing (it's a form of invert sugar) and it does bring a very slight taste which I enjoy in lighter beers, but its not noticeable when I use it in stout.

 

[Clint]

Thanks. ..I might just use a bit of extra brewing sugar to bump the abv as I don't want it sweet..

Cheers

Clint

 

[BeerisGOD]

Thanks. ..I might just use a bit of extra brewing sugar to bump the abv as I don't want it sweet..

Cheers

Clint

Remember to respect the amount of yeast in relation to the fermentatables. Over pitching is better than under goin by many discussions on this site and others
that's if you decide on the extra sugar/treacle as I'm sure the coopers can just about cope

 

[Clint]

Ah yes..good point! I have a couple of Coopers yeast spare. ..should I double up? It would be about 13g..

Cheers

Clint

 

[BeerisGOD]

If your adding more than the normal recommend amount of fermentatables then yes I would.

 

[Clint]

Well I bunged two packets in for a total of 14g. ....it rattling the blow off tube! Interestingly when I made this earlier in the year on checking my notes I used 1.5kg of light spraymalt from malt miller. The og was 1040. This time I used 1.5kg of muntons extra dark spraymalt and the og was 1050..both at 23l. The only difference was the pitch temp...24*c the first time and 20*c this time. The first one went down to 1008.

Cheers

Clint

I think the kit suggests adding 1 kg of sugar so it would be a bit over. The Youngs AIPA I've got going as well had 3kg of malt plus 1 kg brewing sugar and 20g of yeast. ..that's bubbling away nicely too!