 Arguably the best brew kit you can buy |
| Review Date: August 25, 2007 |
| Reviewer: James Charters, Sydney, Australia |
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!
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Outstanding product and great service too
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| Review Date: August 21, 2006 |
| Reviewer: Jeff A. Richards, Virginia Beach, Va USA |
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. |
The Easy Way to Great Beer
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| Review Date: November 22, 2005 |
| Reviewer: Bill H, New Mexico |
| 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. |
Easy & tasty!
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| Review Date: July 23, 2006 |
| Reviewer: veggiess, Minneapolis, MN |
| 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! |
Great fun and great tasting beer!
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| Review Date: November 2, 2005 |
| Reviewer: L. Bogdan, Philadelphia, PA United States |
I bought this kit for as a gift last year and my boyfriend liked it so much that he ordered more mix kits. I did a lot of research on beer kits before buying, because I didn't want to get anything too cheap that would be like a Mr. Beer kit and taste bad. I also wanted it to be a little challenging, but not make my boyfriend feel like he had to be a scientist to get the beer to come out correctly.
The instruction video that comes with the kit is pretty funny and we watched it a few times just for laughs. Everything you need is included in the kit, but we bought an extra room thermometer to make sure that the room was at the optimal temp for brewing.
It was also cool to notice that the beer changed taste over time after the brewing is complete. My boyfriend gave out bottles of the brew co-workers, guest, etc I think because there was a total pride behind saying that is was HIS own beer.
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