Coopers Original Series — Brewing Instructions

The Coopers Original Series offers a beer style for every palate — choose from Lager, Real Ale, Bitter, Dark Ale and Stout. By carefully following these instructions you will produce quality beer. Browse the full Coopers Beer Kits range.

What You'll Need

Cleaning & Sanitising

A major cause of brewing failure is infection due to poor cleaning or sanitising. All equipment that will come into contact with your brew must be cleaned and then sanitised. Avoid detergents or soap unless specifically made for brewing — we recommend Harris SureSan No Rinse Sanitiser.

To Clean

  • Soak equipment in water until any caked-on residue is softened.
  • Remove residue with a soft cloth and rinse thoroughly.
  • Pay attention to hard-to-reach areas such as the tap thread.
  • Do not use any cleaning aid that may scratch the plastic.

To Sanitise

  • Place ½ cup of unscented household bleach in the fermenter.
  • Fill with cool water.
  • Place all equipment in the fermenter and soak for at least 30 minutes.
  • Rinse with hot water to remove all traces of chlorine smell.
  • The fermenter lid need only be cleaned then rinsed with hot water.

Determining Alcohol Content

Your hydrometer measures the specific gravity (SG) of your brew. To calculate ABV:

  1. Original Gravity (OG): Measure the SG of the wort before adding yeast. Typical reading: 1.042.
  2. Final Gravity (FG): Measure the SG once fermentation is complete. Typical reading: 1.006.
  3. Remove the decimal points — e.g. 1.042 becomes 1042, 1.006 becomes 1006.
  4. Formula: (OG − FG) ÷ 7.46 + 0.5 = approx. % ABV. The 0.5% accounts for priming sugar added during bottling. Example: (1042 − 1006) ÷ 7.46 + 0.5 = 5.3% ABV.

Step 1: Mix

  1. Dissolve the contents of the can and any other fermentable sugars with 2 litres of boiling water (or 4 litres of hot tap water).
  2. Top up the fermenter with cold water to the 20 litre mark. Mix thoroughly with a plastic spoon and check the temperature — ideally 21–27°C (70–80°F).
  3. Top up to 23 litres with hot or cold water (or even ice) to achieve the target temperature of 21–27°C.
  4. Take an SG reading, then add the yeast.

Important: If the wort is not at the ideal temperature but is within 18–32°C (64–90°F), add the yeast anyway. At this point the wort is vulnerable — prompt addition of yeast is more important than ideal temperature.

Step 2: Brew

You can ferment using either open fermentation (open vessel covered with a clean cloth) or closed fermentation (fitted lid with a fermentation airlock or cling wrap with a pinhole). Both methods work well within the temperature range of 18–32°C. Closed fermentation is preferred as the brew is protected in a sealed vessel and the timing for bottling is less critical.

Temperature Control

Poor temperature control is one of the most common causes of home brewing failure. We recommend a brew temperature of 21–27°C for optimum results. Options for maintaining temperature include:

  • Heat belt
  • Hot box (a box with a low-wattage light bulb inside)
  • Immersion heater
  • Placing the fermenter near a hot water system
  • Insulating the fermenter or draping wet towels over it

Step 3: Bottle

After about 4 days at 27°C or 6 days at 21°C, check with a hydrometer that fermentation is complete — the SG reading should be steady over two consecutive days at the expected FG.

Ensure all bottles are clean and sanitised. Prime at a rate of 8g of sugar per litre. One rounded teaspoon of sugar is approximately 6g — enough for a 740–750ml bottle.

⚠️ WARNING: Glass bottles may explode if over-primed or if fermentation is incomplete. Never bottle early.

Fill bottles using your syphon kit, seal, and invert several times. Store upright above 18°C for at least 7 days to allow secondary fermentation (carbonation) to occur.

Tip: Conditioning your beer beyond two weeks — and ideally up to three months — will improve flavour, reduce bubble size, and produce a more compact yeast deposit.

Step 4: Enjoy

Chill and serve. Open the bottle and decant carefully into a glass or jug, taking care not to disturb the yeast deposit. Cloudy beer fans can gently rotate the bottle before opening to mix the yeast through.

Common Faults

  • Beer is too gassy — Too much priming sugar, infection, or incomplete fermentation. Keep the brew above 18°C and use a hydrometer to confirm fermentation is complete before bottling.
  • Lack of head — Too much water or sugar added (no more than 1kg per 23L brew), or residual fats/detergent in glassware.
  • White skin on top or sour taste (infection) — Equipment not properly cleaned and sanitised, wort exposed to air too long before yeast was added, or fermented beer left too long before bottling.
  • Unpleasant aroma — Possible infection, or beer brewed at too high a temperature for the yeast to perform properly.

Browse Our Beer Range

Ready for your next brew? Explore our full Beer Kits range, including Coopers Beer Kits, Ale Beer Kits, Bitter Beer Kits, and Stout & Porter Beer Kits.