The commercial Coopers Mild Ale has become very popular with the Australian drinking public. A mid-strength beer with real flavor, perfect for summer drinking! Don’t skip on the hops. It’s important to ferment at 18°C (65°F) and if possible to use a Coopers commerical yeast culture. Alternatively White Labs Australian yeast will work. You can also use an English ale yeast strain or the kit yeast.
Flavor Profile:
Color: Gold
Bitterness: Medium
Body: Medium
Approx. Alcohol Volume: 3.5% ABV
Carbonation Method: Natural
Ingredients
1.7kg Coopers Australian Pale Ale
500g (1.1 lb) Light Dry Malt
12g (1/2 oz) Saaz hops (steeped for 15 – 20 min)
Coopers commercial yeast (preferred), English ale yeast or kit yeast.
Coopers Carbonation Drops
Made to 23 liters (6 gallons)
STEP 1: MIX
Add the Saaz hop pellets to 500ml of boiled water and leave to infuse for about 15mins (this works well in a large coffee plunger or similar). Place the Light Dry Malt in a sanitized, well drained fermenter. Add 2 litres of hot water, immediately pick the fermenter up and swirl the contents until dissolved (about 15 secs) – this minimizes lumps. Add the contents of the beer kit and the strained hop infusion then stir to dissolve. Add cold water up to the 20 liter mark and stir vigorously. Check the brew temperature and top up to the 23 liter mark with cold water (refrigerated if necessary) to get as close as possible to 21°C (73°F). Stir in the commercial yeast culture (or sprinkle the dry yeast) then fit the lid.
Look in the Coopers DIY FAQ’s for a guide on growing our commercial yeast or you can check out diybeertalk.wordpress.com and search for Coopers commercial yeast.
STEP 2: BREW
Try to ferment in the 18°C to 22°C (64°C to 72°C) range. Although Ale yeast can ferment at very high temperatures, the closer the brew is to 21°C (70°F) the cleaner the flavor and aroma.
STEP 3: BOTTLE
Bottle once the SG readings are stable over a couple of days – it should finish around the 1008 to 1012 mark. Bottles need to be primed so that secondary fermentation (producing the gas in the bottle) can take place. 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 liter (approximately 6g of sugar to a level metric teaspoon). Bottles may be stored (conditioned) for long periods of time (3 months or more). Conditioning should improve flavor, reduce the size of the bubbles and make the yeast sediment more compacted.
STEP 4: ENJOY
While we recommend leaving your bottles to condition at or above 18°C (18°F) for at least 2 weeks – you may find that your brew benefits from further conditioning.
Allow to condition for at least 2 weeks in the bottle. This brew will benefit from bottle age.
Expect the alcohol content to be around 3.5% to 3.8% ABV.
Download the Mild Ale Recipe pdf file here.