Brewing Kit Update: The Coopers Kit Broke After Three Batches

Give me sturdy parts, not flimsy parts.

beer overflow photo. this was much calmer than my situation. beer sprayed everywhere. i did not waste time reaching for a camera.

Here is an update and comment on how it is important to test everything for longevity: the beer brewing kit I had been raving about earlier broke after just three batches.

Specifically - the part that broke was this plastic spigot, which you use to get all of the beer out after fermenting and put it into bottles:

close-up on the broken spigot. the spigot has four tabs to hold the parts together. they are quite thin. two of them snapped off.

I was filling beer bottle number three of 22, and the spigot part snapped right off in my hand.

Beer sprayed everywhere.

Thankfully it did not take long to grab a towel, clamp it down, and then twist and hold the spigot in place. I was able to stop the spraying and the leaking.

I was then able to bottle the rest of the batch by keeping one hand on the spigot to hold it in place.

This was annoying, but I still made it through. Thankfully.

I Got A Replacement Part, And A Backup

Fortunately my Friendly Local Homebrewing Store was willing to swap the broken part for a new one, for free. I picked up a second, backup spigot for good measure so I am better able to handle this next time.

The sales rep tried to reassure me that this was rare - "Oh we've seen it happen before but only one in a thousand!".

Sure. Maybe. I will default to not believing you, and we'll see how it does after another 1,000 batches.

So Coopers - Why Not Make Better Kits?

So I now have two complaints about the Coopers kit:

1. It breaks. Is it low quality? Poorly made? Why make this critical moving part out of such small, flimsy plastic tabs? I am not a fan. Give me something strong and sturdy.

2. They don't use standard sizes. Perhaps just compared to North America or Europe? But other parts from the kit don't match the ones I can buy in the store.

I was also going to pick up a second, backup bottling wand. That's the lost plastic straw that lets you gently fill the bottles without getting air or splashing. It's very nice and helps to prevent oxidation, so the beer tastes better and lasts longer.

But the homebrewing store didn't have any that fit. They carry three other sizes of wand, none of of which fit the Coopers kit size.

Hey Coopers - why do you use a non-standard size?

Still Got To Discover A New Store

So we'll see. The good news is: I got to visit a new homebrew supply store and make some new contacts. They have a huge warehouse full of amazing supplies and stock. Definitely a good place to know.

And I picked up ingredients for another batch while I was there, to support them. It's always good to support your local, small neighbourhood business.

Now we'll see how long the parts last. I'll let you know in another 10+ batches.