The commercial Coopers Celebration Ale had been specifically brewed to mark Coopers’ 150th Anniversary. Coopers Celebration Ale is described, by Coopers’ 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 the other Coopers ales. This brew, being a traditional ale, might fit into category 8.C. (English Pale Ale) of the BJCP style guidelines, with a slight twist from the late addition of New Zealand and American hop. Although we suggest fermentation with American Ale yeast, Coopers Commercial Ale yeast will result in a beer even closer to the real thing!
Flavor Profile:
Color: Amber
Bitterness: Medium/High
Body: Medium
Approx. Alcohol Volume: 4.6% ABV
Carbonation Method: Natural
Ingredients
1.7kg Thomas Coopers Traditional Draught
1.5kg Thomas Coopers Amber Malt
500g (1.1 lb) Dextrose
25 g (1 oz) Nelson Sauvin Hop Pellets
25 g (1 oz) Centennial Hop Pellets
1 sachet of American Ale yeast or Coopers Commercial Ale yeast culture
Coopers carbonation drops
Made to 23 liters (6 gallons).
STEP 1: MIX
In a fermenting vessel; mix the Traditional Draught, Amber Malt and Dextrose together with 2 liters of hot water. Add cold water up to the 18 liter (5 gallon) mark and stir vigorously. Check the brew temperature and top up to the 23 liter (6 gallon) mark with warm or cold water (refrigerated if necessary) to get as close as possible to 21°C (70°F). Sprinkle the dry yeast or stir in the commercial yeast culture then fit the lid.
STEP 2: BREW
Try to ferment the brew at 18°C-21°C (64°F – 70°F), if possible. After a few days of fermentation, add the 2 varieties of hop pellets either directly to the brew or in a sanitized cloth mesh bag (we recommend wrapping them in a mesh cleaning cloth, pulled straight from the wrapper). Fermentation has finished once the specific gravity is stable over 2 days.
STEP 3: BOTTLE
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 (12 oz bottle) and 2 per 740ml/750ml bottle (24 oz bottle). Sugar or dextrose may be used. Store the bottles out of direct sunlight at 18°C (64°F) or above for at least 1 week while secondary fermentation occurs. Your beer can be consumed after 2 weeks
STEP 4: ENJOY
While we recommend leaving your bottles to condition at or above 18°C (64°F) for at least 2 weeks – you may find that your brew benefits from further conditioning. This brew may be poured into a glass cloudy (gently mixing the yeast deposit evenly through the beer) or bright (decanting the brew off the yeast sediment). Expect the alcohol content to be around 5.2% ABV.
Download Coopers Celebration Ale recipe pdf file here.