Coopers Original Dark Ale

Ingredients

• 1.7kg Australian Pale Ale
• 750g Thomas Coopers Dark Malt Extract (half the can)
• 200g Sugar
• Coopers Carbonation drops 

STEP 1: Mix

Dissolve Australian Pale Ale, Dark Malt Extract and sugar in 2 litres of hot water.
Fill fermenter with cool water to the 23 litre mark and stir.

Sprinkle the kit yeast or stir in the commercial yeast culture then fit the lid.

Look in their DIY FAQS for a guide on growing our commercial yeast.

STEP 2: Brew

Ferment temperature should be as close to 18C as possible.

Ale yeast strains are generally the most reliable, fermenting quickly and effectively.

Ale yeast is supplied with most beer kits. Although Ale yeast can ferment at very high temperatures (as high as 40C), the closer the brew is to 18C the cleaner the flavour and aroma.

STEP 3: Bottle

Bottle when specific gravity has reached 1.008 (or two readings the same over 24 hours). Coopers recommend the use of PET bottles or reusable glass bottles designed for storing beer.

For information about kegging see the FAQ section.

Bottles need to be primed so that secondary fermentation (producing the gas in the bottle) can take place.

Priming

Add carbonation drops at the rate of 1 per 330ml/375ml bottle and 2 per 740ml/750ml bottle. Sugar or dextrose may be used at the rate of 8g per litre (approximately 6g of sugar to a level metric teaspoon).

Store the bottles out of direct sunlight at 18C or above for at least 1 week while secondary fermentation occurs. Your beer can be consumed after 2 weeks.

Bottles may be stored (conditioned) for long periods of time (3 months or more). Conditioning should improve flavour, reduce the size of the bubbles and make the yeast sediment more compacted.

STEP 4: Enjoy!

While Coopers recommend leaving your bottles to condition at or above 18C for at least 2 weeks - you may find that your brew benefits from further conditioning.

Ales may be served cloudy or bright into a clean glass - depending on the style - and normally have less carbonation than Lagers.