Coopers Bitter recipes

[Boozer]

Alright fellas,

I'm about to put down my first brew of bitter for the boys at work. I'm going to do a double brew (46L).

I'd like to hear some recipe suggestions. I'm after a high(ish) alc% (6%??), tasting similar to a Boddington's Bitter.

Here's what I have available to me here in the Middle East:

* 2 x 1.7kg tins Coopers Bitter malt extract.
* Yeast supplied with Coopers kits (no idea what it is???)
* 2 x 1kg bags Coopers BE1.
* 1 x 1kg bag Coopers LDME.
* 100g Fuggles hop plugs.
* 2 x 250g "Steepaks" from TWOC homebrew supplies (Perth). These are basically just a mixture of grains to enhance the basic extract kits. I got the "Britpak" formulated for bitters.
* Assorted other crap I can get my hands on here like honey, sugar etc.
* Limitless supply of bottled water

I don't have the facilities here to do a full boil as yet, only partials.

Waiting for the replies to roll in...................

Boozer

[InCider]

Boozer,

I suggest you get on with it sharpish before the lads find out you're faffing around. Must be easy to get a thirst in the ME, don;t keep them waiting a moment more than necessary.

If only I had limitless supply of clean water - and I'm in QLD!

Are you using 2 fermenters, or have you scored a big one from surplus?

Keep up the good work, and send a pic of the boys with glass in hand when it's done please.

Cheers,

InCider.

[bkmad]

Boozer, just bung it all in. A favourite catch phrase of mine when cooking - "bung it all in", with disasterous results sometimes when it comes to chilli

I'm not sure if you've done specialty grains before, but I'll assume you haven't.
Steep the grains in say 2-3L of water per kg of grain at 70 degrees or so for 0.5 to 1 hour then strain into a pot with a strainer or collender or similar. Rinse another few litres of 70 degree water through the grains until you 3/4 fill your pot.

Bring this liquid to the boil and add some hops. I haven't used plugs before, but I understand that they are just compressed hop flowers, so fresher than pellets. You should have enough bitterness from the cans so I'd be looking at flavour hops only. In the spirit of "bunging it all in", I'd add say 50g of hops, boil for 15min and then add the rest and stop boiling straight away.

Use this liquid along with the cans + BE1 etc to make up your 46L and away you go.

A note of caution, my "bung it all in" method doesn't always work and I am a little drunk at present.
Cheers
BK

[Boozer]

I suggest you get on with it sharpish before the lads find out you're faffing around

Incider, they already know! There's about 6 of us out here that brew, (2 Aussies & 4 Canuks), but only the other Aussie & myself can knock up a decent brew. The Canadians are doing ok, but they insist on bottling their brew in the crappy plastic water bottles that their brew water came from - they just don't hold any pressure so they end up drinking flat shite!

The other Aussie & I use 500ml Coke bottles fitted with new caps. Glass stubbies are non-existent out here, except for the Heineken "near beer", but there's NO WAY I'll be buying loads of cases of that stuff just to get the bottles!

Fermenters, well I have 6 x 50L, plus 4 x 25L......(gotta love that laboratory budget!!!) We're getting a bar built here as I type, so I'm gonna hit the boss up this arvo & get him to give me US$2000 to get a decent kegging setup, lines, CO2, taps etc etc.....

Bkmad, I'm an ex-brewer for CUB so I do know what I'm doing with grains Thanks for the advice anyway......

Anyone know how to post photos on this damn site? I have a load to post!!

[InCider]

Boozer, you bloody champion. I went weak at the knees with the "keggage" you've got. 400l of cider will get me over there for a visit to make sure all's in order.

I'll name my Morgans Pilsener "Boozers Boddingtons Pilser & Lab Cap Ex."

It will power cars and trucks like in Brazil, and make your teeth whiter.

Women will swoon, and men will idolise those who drink it.

Made at the Landsborough Yacht Club, QLD.

InCider.

[Boozer]

Landsborough Yacht Club

Isn't Landsborough up in the hills on the Sunshine Coast hinterland???
Must be a bastard launching your yacht up there
Do you compete against the Alice Springs Yacht Club in the Henley-on-Todd regatta each year?

Put the brew down last night as follows:

2 x cans Coopers Bitter extract
1 x 1kg Coopers BE2
1 x 1kg Deliverance "Boost-1"
1 x 500g LDME
2 x 250g "Steepaks" of crystal & wheat malts steeped for 1 hr @ 70C

Made up to 46L (couldn't be arsed doing a boil, too much hassle here with hot work permits, fire watchers standing by etc etc). Dry hopped with 40g Fuggles hop plugs.

OG 1.040

Pitched 500ml yeast starter (Coopers kit yeast).

Wort has turned out a lot darker than I expected - looks like a Dogbolter! Maybe next time I'll only use one "Steepak"

[InCider]

Boozer,

I will forthwith appoint you my official Cartographer. Yep Landsborough. I' nestled against some bush at the Maleny end of town. I still don't know why the choppers swoop over here from Beerwah to Mooloolah..maybe they are looking for the Cannabinoids in the hops of us homebrewers. They seem to make the papers from time to time.

The Yacht is hard to launch I'm not exactly girt by sea and the yacht is imaginary. I am thinking of getting Lisa Curry-kenny to take a few moments to make up my imaginary crew

I'm going to make your brew in a week or two when I've got enough tallies. Tomorrow a Morgans Pilsner goes down - 750Dex 250 Corn + Saaz hops. I had a couple of XXXX Golds today after work and they taste like they have Sars hops after homebrew. I needed more tallies - so what could be more fair dinkum than inviting your mates for a beer, telling them you'll buy the grog - and making them chip in so you can keep the glass? Bewdy. One of the Kiwis nicked my NSW Blues stubby holder!

If you need a fire permit, don't bother - just get up early like we do here in Landsborough. 5am pyros, done at 6am no probs.

InCider.

[Grumpywolf]

Boozer

If you're interested Malthouse Homebrew Supplies (on Welshpool rd) has glass bottles for sale (crown seal type). They are 650ml and are sold in boxes of 28 for $28.

[Boozer]

Cheers Grumpywolf....................

The problem is carting all those bottles half way around the world to the Middle East mate

[Grumpywolf]

I take it you're not in Freo at the moment then

[Boozer]

Ummmmmm, nope...................
I'm in the middle of the desert in Yemen

Cannabinoids in the hops of us homebrewers

Incider, did you know hops & cannabis are from the same botanical family? I've been told (by a botanist) that you can actually graft a hop plant onto cannabis rootstock & get a psychoactive hop flower!!

Now THAT would be cool!!!!

[InCider]

Boozer,


I didn't know you could graft hops to a regular roostock - but I was thinking of getting a hops plant if they will grow ok this far north. And I should be able to see my way clear to rootstock

Here's how it works from the http://www.BrewCellarnews.com.au

Familia Cannabinacea
/ | \
Humulus | Cannabis
/ \ | \
Lupulus Japonicus | Hemp
|
Nettles (Urticaceae caccea)

Maybe it could also be grafted to tomatoes (for munchies) or even tobacco or chillis? I might have to head down to the Man Shed and sort out some good soil and the hothouse for the QLD winter to see how the hops goes. I do think the "funny flowers" would be a great achievement!

I think there is some strong Australian influence in Yemen, and one of the best domain names I've seen in ages.
http://www.yobserver.com/


What do you use for bottling? Empty plastic or are there plentiful local softdrink bottles? I'm assuming Yemen is dry...

InCider

[Boozer]

Yeah I use empty 500ml PET coke bottles. Soon to go to kegging.....

Yemen isn't dry as such, they tolerate us bringing booze in but we don't flaunt it. Maybe it has something to do with us working for a multinational oil company

Wouldn't want to chance it if I was travelling as a tourist though.......

[Oliver]

Anyone know how to post photos on this damn site? I have a load to post!!

Boozer,

Upload the pic to a server, then put the full URL of the pic (including http://) into a post, highlight the URL then click the Img button, above. That will place the tags around the URL and display the image in the post.

Oliver

[Oscar]

Ummmmmm, nope...................
I'm in the middle of the desert in Yemen

Cannabinoids in the hops of us homebrewers

Incider, did you know hops & cannabis are from the same botanical family? I've been told (by a botanist) that you can actually graft a hop plant onto cannabis rootstock & get a psychoactive hop flower!!

Now THAT would be cool!!!!

As you can graft a tomato plant onto a gunga (dope plant) stem & get a real buzz out of the tomato. Invite the in-laws around for some Ham & tomato toasted sandwiches hehe