cooper's draugth in new zealand

[slade]

hi there all I'm about to put down a cooper's draught would like to do away with the yeast it come with . and not sure what yeast to get and how many grams to get. would like to put more than 7g in though.
and should I put some malt with it ? and how much? + I would like to do a hops tea with it too . I come form Nelson New Zealand. so getting some of the worlds best hops is easy as. some help here would be good . this will be my 2nd brew I've ever done too. :cross:

 

[hitman73]

Hey mate, Im from Christchurch and this weekend i will be doing my second brew too, also a Coopers, but a lager. Im told they are the cheapest of the cheap and to not follow the instructions to a t lol.
Tasti make a yeast that can be used in homebrewing. Look in the baking section of Countdown, Pak n Save or New World.
I have been advised to do away with the yeast that comes with extract brews, but as a noob im not gonna tell you what you should do.
Just wanted to say hi, and good luck lol.

 

[RatsoRizzo]

I think the Coopers yeast has a bit of an undeserved bad rep. As long as you ferment it coolish (20C or under) it is pretty clean. As Kiwis you should be able to get hold of Mauribrews dry ale yeast which is supposedly a forgiving yeast even at high temps. Isn't Mangrove Jacks a Kiwi company as well? If so, they have a new range of dry yeasts you should be able to get hold of.

 

[hitman73]

Hey yea, Mangrove Jacks stuff is available at my local brew store, and in Nelson at Bin Inn Montgomery Square. No problem brewing at 20 or under here! I struggle to get above 20. So when i set up my Coopers this weekend i will use the Coopers yeast. See how it goes.

 

[pacman]

Fermentis market highly regarded dry yeasts - the Saflager strains for winter brewing, and the Safale strains for summer brewing. Wide brewing temp ranges marked on packs. I have used heaps, dry pitched straight from packets.

Yes, you are well situated for yeasts, depending on the taste profile you are seeking. Coopers Draught & Nelson Sauvin? Why not?

 

[unionrdr]

Def give Fermentis US-05 a try! I've had it ferment clean with Cooper's & other AE & PM beers up to 74F. But the Cooper's yeast can be a beast rehydrated. Ferment's best at 18-21C (64.4-69.8F). It naturally gives off fruity esters,just a bit less of them in this temp range. & it's a high flocculation yeast as well. So it'll settle out pretty clear.
Seeing as how it gives off fruity esters,the fruitier NZ hops should be enhanced by using this yeast. I used it in IPA's before with the typical citrusy hops,& it def freshened up the citrus flavors a bit.
I don't care what anyone says,Cooper's ale yeast can be a fine,aggrssive yeast when properly treated. But if you want a clean fermenting yeast with no fruity esters,US-05 is def it at 11.5g vs 7g for the Cooper's.
Having said that,I did a side by side comparison of US-05 & Cooper's ale yeasts. The US-05 pitched dry,The Cooper's rehydrated for 30 minutes. Both in pale ales. The Cooper's took off at about the same time as the Fermentis,& both were equally agressive & needed blow offs. They both finshed at nearly the same time,the Cooper's settling out clearer faster,since US-05 is a medium flocculation yeast. About the only comparible difference was the Cooper's fruity esters vs US-05 being cleaner. But US-05 can ferment at lower temps than cooper's. It has gone down to 55-57F (13C-14C),where Cooper's starts getting sluggish at 63F(about 17C).

 

[slade]

hitman 73 keep me up to date with how you get on with your brew dude . and I'll let you know how I go. I did a lager last week so hope to bottle it this weekend . I use a 60watt light bulb hook up to a thermostat in a old fridge . got the thermostat off trade me for $35 and just Google how to wire it all up . so I keep my beer at around 20c to 22c it seems to work fine aye