Coopers Brewery Micro Brewery Kit

In: Resources

4 Jul 2011

  • Beer making kit by the Coopers Brewery, Australia’s only 5-star brewery.
  • Don’t be fooled by cheap imitations! Fast, easy, simply the Best.
  • Includes easy to follow DVD hosted by Aussie movie star Paul Mercurio, (Strictly Ballroom)
  • Even the most novice brewer can be confident of getting it right, the first time and every time.
  • The World’s Best Selling Home Beermaking Kit

Product Description
You can now experience what Australian beer lovers have known for years, delicious beer made at home from your very own Coopers Brewery Micro Brewery Kit. In an age where smaller is better, Coopers is well ahead of the game. Forget laptop computers and miniature cell phones, the Coopers Brewery has managed to squeeze an entire brewery into a box no bigger than the average picnic cooler. Imagine, everything you need to brew your own tasty beer. The Coopers Brewery Mi… More >>

Coopers Brewery Micro Brewery Kit

5 Responses to Coopers Brewery Micro Brewery Kit

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Rod Iron

July 16th, 2010 at 5:36 pm

Although the kit has some substantial drawbacks, which I’ll discuss shortly, it was enough to get me started in home brewing and teach me enough to know what upgrades I needed to make. I rated it a 4 based based primariliy on its value.

The drawbacks are these: 1) the screw on lid to the fermenter bucket is very difficult to take off – it desperately needs a better way to grip it while holding the bucket still. I’m sure I looked pretty comical with the [round] fermenter stuck between my knees while trying to get a grip on the slippery lid; 2)the valve would not stay tightened within the fermenter bucket, and any attempt to open or close the valve with one hand merely twisted the whole valve assembly around in the bucket instead of just rotating the valve open or closed. Sometimes it was very difficult to have two hands free to work the valve. 3) although it was a nice touch to have included a bottle filler with the kit, I wished it was a little better made as it constantly dripped (and the valve is not the size for other bottle fillers, I discovered). Note that some of these problems (size discrepancies, for instance) may be related to the fact that the kit is made in Australia and I’m rating it based on my U.S. experience.

Some of the positives – 1) the bottles are large (25 oz.) so there’s less washing, bottling, etc.; 2)the fermenter is HUGE so there’s little worry of any disastrous beer explosions during the initial and heavy fermentation period; and 3) the Cooper’s carbonation drops are unbelievably easy to use and a great idea (if you keep bottling and don’t start kegging or mini-kegging as I did).

Overall, the kit is viable and can get you through enough batches to know whether you like to brew beer at home. If so, you may find yourself wanting to buy more and/or better equipment and using more traditional brewing methods. The canned “hopped” extract beers, like the one included in the kit, are not in my opinion as good as unhopped extract brews using grains and hops, especially if corn sugar is used as the primary fermentable. But it’s important to remember that the equipment in the kit can be used for hopped or unhopped extract brewing. If you’re curious about brewing beer, but don’t want another mortgage to get started, I’d recommend this kit. Then after a few batches (make sure you let them age!) you’ll know whether you’re interested enough to move onward/upward, keep using the Cooper’s Kit (perhaps with unhopped extract and grains), or post it on Ebay.
Rating: 4 / 5

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James Charters

July 16th, 2010 at 7:28 pm

Before I proceed with this review, I must say that as I am an Australian residing *in* Australia, I am basing this review on the exact same Coopers kits that is available in local shops here. For this reason I cannot comment on this kit in comparison to others on Amazon, such as “Mr Beer” etc.

Well what *can* I say? This kit is fantastic. I have always enjoyed a beer, or two – or even ten – and this kit is capable of making some excellent product with little effort. I have never brewed in my life, yet with this kit I am able to produce some very respectable results when I follow the instructions. Its quite easy, and much less daunting than what I thought it would be.

Everything you need is in this kit, from a large fermenter (mine is 23L, or 40 pints), 30 plastic bottles, instruction manual (as well as DVD and VHS tape in mine), brewing sugar, initial brewing kit etc. Basically you can just purchase this product and get brewing immediately with no need for any extra purchases. Big thanks to Coopers for giving the absolute novice all they need to get brewing.

The instruction manual is decent but the supplied instructional DVD/VHS is extremely helpful. I chuckled seeing Paul Mercurio starring in it, and people who follow Australian cinema will probably do likewise at the incongruity of this casting decision. Anyway, Paul and his “lovely assistant” show you through all of the steps in a lighthearted and straightforward manner. I cannot emphasize how useful it is to actually see somebody do even the most basic steps to give you confidence and know you are on the right track. Sometimes instruction manuals – and mind you, the one included is great – don’t cut it for first timers or the timid. Coopers score full marks here.

After you have followed the supplied instructions, give the end result a few more weeks after bottling (I know it can be tempting to guzzle your new creation) – believe me the longer you wait the better. I was very shocked with how good mine turned out, given my inexperience brewing anything. Its stratospherically better than many of the “Aussie Icons” such as the horrendous VB, Fosters etc. I will be sure to keep brewing using my Coopers kit, as it is not only works out much cheaper than buying beer, its also a fun hobby that anyone can have a go at. Not to mention the infinite scope for customizing your brew once you have a bit of confidence.

This product would make an excellent gift to a husband/boyfriend or something that would be undoubtedly worshipped by University / College age people. And not just that, anybody with a love of good beer and interest in what turns out to be quite a fun hobby should give it a go. You don’t have to drop a lot of money on this kit, making it even more attractive.

Once you have done a few brews with this kit, may I suggest the Coopers ‘Brewmaster Selection’ kits, also available on Amazon. These provide other kinds of beer such as India Pale Ale (IPA) and so on. These are EXCELLENT if you wish to go further and expose yourself to what might be new kinds of beer to your tastes.

Another thing to look out for, which sadly does not appear to be for sale on Amazon, is Coopers Brew Enhancer (1 or 2). This is a mixture of Dextrose and other goodies that really add an extra dimension to your beer. For readers outside of Australia, you may have to check with your local brewshop for something that is equivalent. If you are really desperate for all things Coopers, you can order just about anything you could ask for off their website.

In conclusion, all I can say is that if you have ever thought about home brewing, but been daunted by stories of infections, beer that tastes like bilge water or other things, it is time to allay those fears. This Coopers kit will provide you with all you need to make excellent beer, even if you are a total novice. In addition to this, Coopers provide the excellent support you come to expect from a family owned and run business.

Cheers!

Rating: 5 / 5

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Jeff A. Richards

July 16th, 2010 at 9:07 pm

I purchased the Coopers Micro Brewery kit to upgrade from a smaller kit I already had. I must say that this kit is outstanding! The fermenter is first rate and worth the price of the kit alone. It is very well made and will serve your needs for many years and will even do well for moving up to all extract brewing.

I had a few questions when I got it and the support from the folks “down under” has been nothing short of amazing. They really stand behind their products and have a genuine concern for your success.

I HIGHLY recommend this product and the Coopers brewery folks that put it together.
Rating: 5 / 5

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Bill H

July 16th, 2010 at 10:16 pm

I had been thinking about brewing beer for years. I finally decided to get this kit after trying a Coopers beer that was brewed by a friend. This was a great introduction to brewing. This kit has everything you need to brew great beer and the process is simple. The initial mixing took about one hour, then a week later I filled the bottles in less than a hour. The beer is great and I will be brewing some of the other Coopers beers soon.
Rating: 5 / 5

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veggiess

July 17th, 2010 at 12:51 am

This is a great kit for a beginner-better than Mr. Beer, BeerMan or BeerMachine. I don’t have any problems (as expressed above) with the spigot coming loose in the fermenter (maybe he had a faulty one) or a leaky bottle filler. I have since advanced my beermaking to partial grain and boiled extracts, but I still use the Coopers as my primary fermenter. It’s huge and it’s very handy to be able to bottle directly from the fermenter. I love using this thing and the Coopers kits make great beer; they are always fool-proof. In fact, some of the Coopers beer kits I’ve made taste better than the boiled grain/extract/hops ones I’ve brewed! Definately recommended for anyone interesting in making beer at home; it’s easy & very affordable!
Rating: 5 / 5

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