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Was going to do an AG CPA this week end but the two six packs of CPA have failed to produce an active starter. However, I have a can of CPA and a Kolsch to keg. Would like to here thoughts about throwing the CPA can onto the Kolsch yeast as a quickie .

Hirns

Well, I must report back on this one as I appear to have discovered something special. Made this with the Cooper's Pale Ale on the Kolsch yeast cake. Nearly climbed out of the 30l fermentor. I'm drinking this now and it is the best kit brew I've ever done (13 years). In fact it tastes nicer than the Kolsch AG beer that was the donor of the yeast cake. Whilst it's no boutique beer it is certainly a crowd pleaser (but better than megaswill) with a fantastic head and lacing that's still in the class well after! The emphasis is on the malt. Suprisingly, I would not pick the CPA base in a million years. I like my AG little creatures bright ale better by a mile, but as a quick easy beer this has the goods and I can see it becoming a house beer for guests!

Excellent! Awesome discovery, hirns.

Yeah, I should have also added that I've made 15 or more standared CPA kits for comparison and also the fact that what I'm most suprised about is the lack of the kit 'twang'. Aditionally, it is a pseudo lager and drinks as a lager(albeit commercial) rather than an ale.

Good onya for giving it a go, and succeeding!
Cheers

"I like my AG little creatures bright ale better by a mile"

Hi Hirns,

Would you be generous enough to post that AG recipe ?

Cheers,
Chris

Grog wrote:"I like my AG little creatures bright ale better by a mile"

Hi Hirns,

Would you be generous enough to post that AG recipe ?

Cheers,
Chris

Well, it's not mine personally, its Tony's from AHB forum and I assure you after a few months aging, you won't get closer than this! I cannot recomment it enough!

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum// ... recipe=301


Cheers Hirns

Thank you Hirns...

What sort of yeast was it Hirns?

Anna wrote:What sort of yeast was it Hirns?

Sorry Anna, it was "Wyeast 2565 - Kolsch" at roughly 19/20C to be specific.

Cheers

Hirns

Thanks Hirns.

If I try this again I might try the Cooper's standard lager as the Kolsch is sort of a quasi lager yeast I believe and I have a gut feeling it would be better yet suited again. The CPA can was the last that I had in the cupboard since going all grain and I thought what the hell, let's get the bang for buck out of the expensive yeast, and that I believe I surely did. Even had a VB drinking neigbour(not a direct attack Anna) over this arvo who usually tries half a glass and then turns to a few VB's who was a little disappointed when the keg blew after his third(not as much as I though ).

Cheers

Hirns

If you don't mind me saying so, hirns, I'd suggest that you try this with the hertitage lager tin rather than the standard. I've always found the standard lager tin to be a little on the sub par side and it'd be a shame to throw a good yeast at it, IMO. No offence meant should you still go that way.

Bum wrote:If you don't mind me saying so, hirns, I'd suggest that you try this with the hertitage lager tin rather than the standard. I've always found the standard lager tin to be a little on the sub par side and it'd be a shame to throw a good yeast at it, IMO. No offence meant should you still go that way.

No that is good advice, no offence taken. I had thought about it myself but have had bad experiences with the heritage series(shelf life & storage of stock of LHBS). However, for those who can get fresh tins I would certainly aggree this is the better way to go .

Hirns

hirns wrote:.... Even had a VB drinking neigbour(not a direct attack Anna) over this arvo who usually tries half a glass and then turns to a few VB's who was a little disappointed when the keg blew after his third(not as much as I though ).

Cheers

Hirns

You're forgiven Hirns ! So.... IF (see, that's a big "if") one were to try to clone VB for a "friend" , does anyone have any idea of which way to go? I was thinking maybe Coopers Draught, BE1 and a big dose of late POR??

And fellas, try really hard not to come back with a barrage of put-downs huh? To each his/her own...

Anna

Anna, no late hopping in VB, it's debatable whether there are any 'hops' used in VB. My money would be on isohop.

I think there would be too much hop flavour and aroma in most kits to clone VB. Use the most bland kit you can find and thats not a dig at you, simply pointing out VB doesn't taste of much.

Lots of sugar. Lager yeast.

Cheers
DrSmurto

p.s. How you go about recreating the smell of an aussie lager is beyond me. Which is scary, since chemistry is my game and that smell is not natural so must be synthetic.

Hmmm, i could put some VB through a GC to try and identify the compound. My money is on a variant of butyric acid.

Your opinion is always valued Doc. GC? butyric acid? Does sound scary!!

I put the question to the guru at Coopers and he says to try their Australian Bitter, which was apparently developed for us plebs! To be made with a can of LME and nothing else, so you're obviously on the mark re no late hops.

But I don't understand your comment about no flavour in VB - from the (fairly limited) tastings I've had of highly hopped beers, I reckon VB has heaps more flavour/aroma (albeit a manure flavour!), and certainly more than any HB I've made to date.

MY GOD - this is heresy here huh?? Will I have my membership revoked if I keep this up?

... just trying to keep OH happy... ( )

There is plenty of aroma in VB.

Google butyric acid and you'll understand the aroma i am referring to.

As for more flavour in VB than your HBs having had one of your beers there was a hell of a lot more going in in that 1 beer than in a swimming pool full of VB.

You are still new to this hobby and if you keep spending as much time on this forum as you have then you will slowly leanr more and try a wider variety of beer/kits/grain/hops/yeast etc etc.

To drag this thread kicking and screaming back to the OP take kolsch (the style and the yeast) as an example.

I brew a kolsch, i have one in a keg lagering at the moment although i used another yeast (a german ale WY1007). Kolsch is a very clean, easy drinking beer, a bit like a lager in that its dry and crisp but the yeast has a few unique esters that give it an almost wine like aroma.

It's the only beer i have ever brewed that my partner has voluntarily poured herself a glass of and asked for more. The reason she prefers this beer over any other including german and czech pilsners is the low bitterness and low hop flavour/aroma. She is a pure blonde/superdry drinker.

And its a style that i think you could brew well using a kit but the yeast is crucial. No kit yeast will come close. No dry yeast will come close.

Just before I go to Google, I've just got to say that if I'm ever going to become a beer connoisseur, I've got some wonderful teachers on this forum! Thanks for bearing with me Doc.... and I'm completely zonked by your comment about the beer I sent you! (Happily so..)

... still gonna try that Aussie Bitter though....

Oh - re the kolsch - you wouldn't like to suggest a K&K recipe for me to try would you?