ale

Coopers Celebration Ale Recipe

Apr 25, 2017

Coopers Celebration Ale (23 Litres)

The commercial Celebration Ale had been specifically brewed to mark Coopers’ 150th Anniversary. Coopers Celebration Ale is described, by our Chief Brewer, as a hop-driven traditional ale with a dark-red hue. At 5.2% ABV, it has a rich aroma of fruity esters with a slight hint of citrus and a warm finish. It is also slightly higher in bitterness than our other ales. This brew might be considered an English Pale Ale style, although the late addition of New Zealand and American hops could also push it toward the American Amber Ale style. Although we suggest fermentation with American Ale yeast, Coopers Commercial Ale yeast will result in a beer even closer to the real thing!

Ingredients

1 x 1.7kg Thomas Coopers Bootmaker Pale Ale
1 x 1.5kg Amber Malt Extract
1 x 500g Dextrose Corn Sugar
1 x 25g Nelson Sauvin Hop Pellets
1 x 25g Centennial Hop Pellets
1 x 1 Sachet of Safale US-05 Dry Yeast
1 x 250g Dextrose Corn Sugar or Carbonation Drops

Features:

Colour: Amber
Body: Medium
Bitterness: Medium/High
Approx. Alcohol Level: 5.2% ABV
Naturally Carbonated: Natural

Instructions:

STEP 1: Mix

In a clean and sanitised fermenting vessel (FV), mix to dissolve the Bootmaker Pale Ale, Amber Malt and Dextrose with 1 litre of hot water. Add cold water up to the 18 litre mark and stir vigorously. Check the brew temperature and top up to the 23 litre mark with warm or cold water (refrigerated if necessary) to get as close as possible to 21C. Sprinkle the dry yeast or stir in the commercial yeast culture then fit the lid. For a guide on growing Coopers Commercial Ale Yeast Culture click here.

STEP 2: Brew

Place the FV in a location out of direct sunlight and try to ferment at 18C to 21C. Fermentation should take 10 to 14 days. At around Day 7, add the hops to the brew by wrapping them in a mesh cleaning cloth (pulled straight from the pack) and place directly on top of the brew then re-fit the lid. On day 10 check the specific gravity (SG). Check the SG again the following day and so on.

STEP 3: Bottle

The brew is ready once the SG has stabilised over a couple of days, expect about 1006 to 1010. Gently fill clean PET bottles to about 3cm from the top. Add 2 carbonation drops per bottle and secure the caps. Store the bottles upright in a location out of direct sunlight at or above 18C.

STEP 4: Enjoy!

After at least two weeks, check for sufficient carbonation by squeezing the PET bottles. Bottles kept unrefrigerated should improve with age. When ready to drink, chill the bottles upright. The chilled beer may be poured into clean glassware, leaving the sediment behind. Expect the alcohol content to be approximately 5.2% ABV.