Coopers Original Stout Review

[Toffee]

Yeah 4 weeks conditioning. 2 warm, 2 cold.

 

[DoctorMick]

DM, just my tuppenceworth but I really wouldn't 'sink' it (heh heh! See what I did?) for at least a few months. I've read too many posts where lads have done that only to find an overlooked bottle or two a year later at the back of the garage and discovered that time had somehow transformed it into the best beer they'd ever drank. At the very least I'd save a few bottles as a long term experiment. Hope it improves mate. Hope mine does too, come to that..


Toffee, I'm assuming that's 4 weeks conditioning, not since starting it?

I found my coopers stout improved for the first 2 months and then started to go the other way so for me a long condition didn't benefit.

 

[BruinTuns]

"I found my coopers stout improved for the first 2 months and then started to go the other way so for me a long condition didn't benefit".

Interesting. This kit ferments out really quick so perhaps it has a correspondingly short shelf life. Thanks for the warning, I'll keep close tabs on mine.

 

[Toffee]

I had another "sample" of mine last night, after 32 days in the bottle. The recipe I used was here: http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showpost.php?p=466794&postcount=549

I think it's really nice. The black treacle taste is still a little bit too strong. glad I only used around half a tin. gonna try to leave it another week before sampling another, see if that mellows a bit. Nice winter warmer though for a cold night (ABV came in around 6.1% with priming)

 

[mickthetrick]

personally i think the coopers Irish stout is far superior to the original stout. taste if much better imo
ive made a three can imperial stout with the cooper original stout, a wilcos pilsner and Geordie winter warmer kits plus 1kg sugar. after 6 months it really is a great tipple.
if anyone likes an imperial stout i wholeheartedly recommend trying this version.

 

[TheSalad]

As to poor head retention, I boil 100g Crushed Wheat Malt for about 30 minutes in 1L of water and add to the FV. I always get a nice head. I have done this kit loads of times, always comes out lovely.
☺

I am going to try this. Do I just boil the Crushed Wheat Malt loose and then sieve it in to the FV?

 

[proost]

I am going to try this. Do I just boil the Crushed Wheat Malt loose and then sieve it in to the FV?

I put it in a muslin grain bag but you could put it through a sieve straight into the FV

 

[Jcdonnan]

Iv had mine in the warm for two weeks so moved it out to the shed today.

Always have a sample so put one in the fridge earlier!

Tastes very nice but no head at all, used 1 carb drop per 500ml bottle. Will this develop after time? This was only my 3rd kit and first time doing a stout. As I said it does taste nice, maybe a bit strong on the alcohol taste at the minute, it did work out about 6.7%.

My first kit was coopers lager, the head on it wasn't great either had a small one and kept it the whole way down. Used 1.5 carb drops in this. My 2nd was coopers European lager, it's been 2 weeks warm and 2weeks cold, tried a few earlier, still tastes a bit yeasty but again very little head, not loads of fizz and head disappears after a few minutes. Used 2carb drops per 500ml bottle.
Am I doing something wrong with these kits?
Don't get me wrong they taste nice, the first kit I done was drank in 2weeks, thought it was lovely. The stout and European need more time. But no head won't stop me drinking them.

 

[clibit]

I would put i the bottles back in the warm til they carbonates sufficiently.

 

[DoctorMick]

Iv had mine in the warm for two weeks so moved it out to the shed today.

Always have a sample so put one in the fridge earlier!

Tastes very nice but no head at all, used 1 carb drop per 500ml bottle. Will this develop after time? This was only my 3rd kit and first time doing a stout. As I said it does taste nice, maybe a bit strong on the alcohol taste at the minute, it did work out about 6.7%.

My first kit was coopers lager, the head on it wasn't great either had a small one and kept it the whole way down. Used 1.5 carb drops in this. My 2nd was coopers European lager, it's been 2 weeks warm and 2weeks cold, tried a few earlier, still tastes a bit yeasty but again very little head, not loads of fizz and head disappears after a few minutes. Used 2carb drops per 500ml bottle.
Am I doing something wrong with these kits?
Don't get me wrong they taste nice, the first kit I done was drank in 2weeks, thought it was lovely. The stout and European need more time. But no head won't stop me drinking them.

Is it fizzy with poor head or just generally flat? My first kits has severe head issues, turned out it was because I was cleaning the bottles with washing up liquid. Since I've stopped doing that things have improved although to be honest it still isn't what I'd call great.

 

[Jcdonnan]

Is it fizzy with poor head or just generally flat? My first kits has severe head issues, turned out it was because I was cleaning the bottles with washing up liquid. Since I've stopped doing that things have improved although to be honest it still isn't what I'd call great.

The European lager and normal lager is fizzy, I used more carb drops in the European so would have thought it would have been fizzier than the normal lager but it's not. And the bottles are firm so I presumed carbonation was done. I'll move them back inside to see if they improve.

The stout is just completely flat. Although i have a mixture of glass and plastic bottles of the stout and I'm wondering could it be my capper as iv only tried to glass bottles. I'll try a plastic one later.

I'm cleaning with vwp sanitiser and rinsing 4/5 times with cold water then onto my bottle tree.

The first pic is the European, not much head and fizz,
The 2nd normal lager good fizz and head but head disappears pretty quick

 

[Jcdonnan]

Pic of european

 

[Jcdonnan]

Finally pic of the stout

 

[Brewed_Force]

I brewed the Coopers Original Stout in November last year, with 500g dark DME, 500g dark muscovado sugar and 500g lactose.

I too find that it has very poor head retention, which seems to be getting worse with time. I'm sure the bottles I opened at xmas had a better head than the ones I've opened this week. I pour from a height to get a nice head but it quickly dissipates into a few millimetres.
I wash my glasses in a dishwasher, so detergent shouldn't be a cause.

Incidentally, I find that the lactose hasn't imparted as much sweetness as anticipated, and the taste of the dark muscovado sugar is now more pronounced than ever. Maybe next time I would substitute DME for the sugar to give a maltier flavour.

 

[clibit]

I think you would get what you want by using little or no sugar and dropping the lactose, and using DME and steeping grains instead. A kg of light DME should be enough, and steep crystal malt which will add sweetness and improve the head. Use about 250-300grams. You could also put some roast grains in the steep, roast barley and or chocolate malt. Around 100 -150g. Wilkos don't do grains but homebrew shops do, and lots of online sellers. You just put them in hot water for half an hour, strain, boil, add to FV with kit and extract and top up.

 

[sloth]

5 and a half weeks cold conditioning now, when's it supposed to improve?! Still a very strong alcohol taste and no depth of flavour, as for a head, the froth from serving vanishes within a minute or two. It's also rather sweet for my liking, drinkable, but only if there's nothing else ready. I'll leave it another month, which should be easy, but I don't think I'll be doing this again unless there is dramatic improvement. Shame really, given the hype...

 

[Ben-Harrison]

Hi Guys

I have just bought this kit and im looking to start this soon.

Looked at a few post and I want to makes this quite a high ABV. So my question is am I able to do the following to get the higher percentage?

500g Dextrose
I tin of Treacle
Can of coopers original stout
but I want make this a 15 litre instead of the recommended 23l (im only looking to Bottle 20 500ml bottles)
Standard yeast with coopers tin

Also I have some Yeast nutrient is it worth using this when rehydrating the yeast as normally I just put it in dry.

Will this work?

Man Thanks
Ben

 

[BruinTuns]

Treacle with this kit seems to be a Marmite thing and a whole tin in just 15 litres might be a bit much unless you're sure you'll like the result.
I always re-hydrate my yeast as so many people advise it, apparently dry pitching is a popular suspect for stuck fermentations.
I asked a similar question about adding nutrient. The consensus was not to bother but I can't remember why, I'll try to find the post.

 

[clibit]

My advice would be not to just use forms of sugar to boost the alcohol - get some malt extract, 500g would be good, and add up to 500g of sugars. If you want more strength, use a kg of extract.

I think 250g of treacle is plenty, with 250g dextrose. It will cost a bit more to use extract (maybe £4 per 500g instead of £1 for dextrose), but it will be worth it. You can buy a kg of extract for £5 or £6 in home brew shops.

 

[Ben-Harrison]

Treacle with this kit seems to be a Marmite thing and a whole tin in just 15 litres might be a bit much unless you're sure you'll like the result.
I always re-hydrate my yeast as so many people advise it, apparently dry pitching is a popular suspect for stuck fermentations.
I asked a similar question about adding nutrient. The consensus was not to bother but I can't remember why, I'll try to find the post.

Thank you, I was thinking of maple syrup instead of the treacle, just fancied experimenting a bit.

Think I will try the rehydrate and look for a video or post on doing this.:wha: