Home Brew - compare Coopers Lager to Brewtec Lager

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ageorge

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#284055 28-Mar-2021 18:06

Hi years ago I used to make Coopers Stout as it was really hard to stuff up. Recently, I put another brew down, using a variation of my old method which was to use a clean plastic bin; now Im using 1.25l water PET bottles for brew and store.

Anyway, I digress. The question is to those who have made Coopers and Brewtec lagers opinions of each please?

I found in the old days Coopers Lager was quite bitter and usually if we wanted a lager we made it ourselves. Of course, each unto their own, and various methods can enhance the end product.

Regards, Al.

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#2682065 28-Mar-2021 18:22

The Cooper's Lager is OK, but not great. The Brewtec is definitely the inferior brew in my humble opinion. If you're considering the Brewtec, I'd suggest grabbing 2 cans of the Lion Draught kit instead, and make it up to 26 litres. It gives a much better mouth feel than the normal kit+dextrose way of doing things.

If you really want to get fancy, ditch the included yeast and grab a sachet of the Safale US-05 yeast from your local homebrew shop instead. I've had homebrew beer snobs impressed by this combination.

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jpoc

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#2682067 28-Mar-2021 18:37

You were using the big cans of Cooper's Lager malt?

How up to date were the cans?

If you make up a brew with a can of malt that has reached the best before date on the can then you may well find the result is a brew that is darker and more bitter than you expected.

Personally, I aim to buy cans of malt that will not reach their best before for 12 months.

Where are you based? In Auckland, I would recommend "Hauraki Homebrew" on the shore. They take care about the dates on their cans of malt.

Other shops are less concerned. Last month I was in Great Epectations in Lower Hutt and I spotted cans that were past their dates.

I mentioned it to the owner and he said that it didn't matter.

ageorge

626 posts

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#2682069 28-Mar-2021 18:55

Gurezaemon:

I'd suggest grabbing 2 cans of the Lion Draught kit instead, and make it up to 26 litres. It gives a much better mouth feel than the normal kit+dextrose way of doing things.

Great idea, I will get 2 from PakNSave if they have them locally, but there is a Lion Lager and a Draft have you tried both?

As for used by date that is an interesting point thanks.

My recent stout Ive made a few changes including using 1/2 tin Chelsea golden syrup.

I checked the contents of Coopers Brew enhancer 1 and that has a similar composition to the golden syrup.

The next stout will use my home made golden syrup, which is thicker and longer inversion time.

I make 1/2 brew at a time eg 1/2 tin coopers stout due to lack of storage in our villa.

BTW I got a couple of alcohol meters from China. One is a wine one, which you invert and it goes by stickyness of the fluid. It seems accurate with beer and wine, but the other floating one seems to be way out (Chinese) water its showing alcohol content, and when I drop it into the beer and spin it, despite I cant see any bubbles it floats way over the '0' level eg minus alcohol. The wine one is showing 6%.

Thanks for valued inputs.

panther2

370 posts

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#2682072 28-Mar-2021 19:04

Found coopers larger a lot better..

Gurezaemon

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#2682100 28-Mar-2021 20:43

ageorge:

Great idea, I will get 2 from PakNSave if they have them locally, but there is a Lion Lager and a Draft have you tried both?

As for used by date that is an interesting point thanks.

BTW I got a couple of alcohol meters from China. One is a wine one, which you invert and it goes by stickyness of the fluid. It seems accurate with beer and wine, but the other floating one seems to be way out (Chinese) water its showing alcohol content, and when I drop it into the beer and spin it, despite I cant see any bubbles it floats way over the '0' level eg minus alcohol. The wine one is showing 6%.

Thanks for valued inputs.

I've never been particularly impressed with the Lion Lager to be honest. The Draught is not the best beer out there, but at less than half the cost of a Black Rock brew, it has its benefits.
Don't underestimate the difference that a decent yeast will make though - I was a big sceptic until a friend nagged me to try one, and I rarely use the yeasts that come with the kits any more. The difference is very noticeable, in a good way.
I usually brew 3-4 tanks at a go, and have one mammoth bottling session every few months.
Other brews that I would recommend are Black Rock's Wakatu Pilsener (a lovely drop) and their Riwaka Pale Ale.

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jpoc

1043 posts

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#2682795 29-Mar-2021 22:11

ageorge:

...

I make 1/2 brew at a time eg 1/2 tin coopers stout due to lack of storage in our villa.

So you have a half full opened can sitting around for a couple of weeks? That will boost the ageing process and increase the bitterness of the end result.

If you only have the possibility to make half batches, may I suggest another route?

Just use the whole can, do not add sugar or anything like that and make it up to 11.5 litres (the half quantity.)

That will give you a better result and obviate the problem that half of your batches are made with stale malt.

If you are not sure, consider the Wakatu Pilsner recommended by another poster. The manufacturer recommends making a 23 litre batch using two cans and no additional sugar.

panther2

370 posts

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#2682797 29-Mar-2021 22:20

Found 15litre brews great vs 20litre. More flavour and higher alcohol% start around 1062

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ageorge

626 posts

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#2684044 30-Mar-2021 12:46

Gurezaemon:

The Cooper's Lager is OK, but not great. The Brewtec is definitely the inferior brew in my humble opinion.

Have you done a compare of the Lion Lager vs Coopers Lager?

Thanks, Al.

Gurezaemon

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#2684092 30-Mar-2021 15:11

ageorge:

Gurezaemon:

The Cooper's Lager is OK, but not great. The Brewtec is definitely the inferior brew in my humble opinion.

Have you done a compare of the Lion Lager vs Coopers Lager?

Thanks, Al.

Given the choice, I'd probably go for the Cooper's. The Lion Lager isn't awful, though, from my dim recollection of it.

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ageorge

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#2684201 30-Mar-2021 17:20

Gurezaemon:

Given the choice, I'd probably go for the Cooper's. The Lion Lager isn't awful, though, from my dim recollection of it.

Your choice of words; I would construe that to be Lion is superior ;-)

maoriboy

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#2684268 30-Mar-2021 19:17

I'd go Coopers any day of the week and twice on Sunday. The few times I've tried Brewtec they have disappointed. As @gurezaemon stated, using safale 05 will produce a much better beer than the yeast that come with the cans. Also those Black Rock - Riwaka Pale ale and Wakatu Pilsner produce lovely drops. If you're feeling adventurous, experiment with hops additions. Once you start messing with flavours and combinations, you'll be hooked

hsvhel

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#2684307 30-Mar-2021 20:29

Coopers is my go to for a standard beer. Not had an issue with it yet. Will try the alternate yeast pitch and see how that goes though. Good tip

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#2684322 30-Mar-2021 20:57

hsvhel:

Coopers is my go to for a standard beer. Not had an issue with it yet. Will try the alternate yeast pitch and see how that goes though. Good tip

As always, make sure you check with the bloke at your local brew shop - they'll have plenty of good ideas about what kit goes with what yeast/enhancer/malt/hops etc.

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jpoc

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#2684432 31-Mar-2021 06:28

maoriboy:

I'd go Coopers any day of the week and twice on Sunday. The few times I've tried Brewtec they have disappointed. As @gurezaemon stated, using safale 05 will produce a much better beer than the yeast that come with the cans. Also those Black Rock - Riwaka Pale ale and Wakatu Pilsner produce lovely drops. If you're feeling adventurous, experiment with hops additions. Once you start messing with flavours and combinations, you'll be hooked

Should be born in mind that Safale 05 is an ale yeast and not a lager yeast.

Saflager would be a better choice for a lager though temperature may be an issue.

Most lager yeasts need temps of 14-18 C to work while ale yeast work best at higher temps (over 20).

If you want to brew in the summer and do not have a cool spot then you could use Safale 05 but Mangrove Jacks California Lager Yeast might be a better bet. That would also work at the higher temps.

What happens if you use a yeast outside its temperature range?

If you overheat the yeast you will produce an excess of ethyl acetate which will make your beer smell of nail varnish remover because that is what it is more commonly used for.

If you use an ale yeast at low temperatures then nothing will happen. No fermentation or at best a very slow one.

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#2684461 31-Mar-2021 08:04

jpoc:

Should be born in mind that Safale 05 is an ale yeast and not a lager yeast.
Saflager would be a better choice for a lager though temperature may be an issue.
Most lager yeasts need temps of 14-18 C to work while ale yeast work best at higher temps (over 20).
If you want to brew in the summer and do not have a cool spot then you could use Safale 05 but Mangrove Jacks California Lager Yeast might be a better bet. That would also work at the higher temps.
What happens if you use a yeast outside its temperature range?
If you overheat the yeast you will produce an excess of ethyl acetate which will make your beer smell of nail varnish remover because that is what it is more commonly used for.
If you use an ale yeast at low temperatures then nothing will happen. No fermentation or at best a very slow one.

A very valid point, but it is my understanding that most mass-market 'lagers' are just tweaked ale kits that merely taste like lager. These are designed so you don't require a cooled brewing environment, and so that can finish their ferment in a week instead of the month or so that real ones can take.

Again, I'd be happy to be proved wrong.

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