How to Brew Beer That Tastes Like Your Favorite Craft Brand

April 22, 2025

Crack the Code to Brewing Beer That Tastes Like Your Favourite Craft Drop

Ever taken that first sip of a crisp craft beer and thought… “If I could make this myself, I’d save a fortune and brag about it forever”? You, my friend, are not alone. Brewing your own beer that matches (or outdoes) your go-to craft label is not as far-fetched as you might think.

If your beer fridge is stacked with golden draughts that hit you with floral aromas and just the right amount of bitter bite, I’ve got great news—replicating that magic at home is completely doable. With the right ingredients, a pinch of patience, and a little kitchen alchemy, you’ll feel like a brewer behind the bar in record time.

What Makes a Favourite Beer? Familiarity with Every Sip

Let’s be honest, craft brewing is as much about flavour as it is about feeling. That signature golden hue, frothy head, and the burst of aroma that greets your nose right before the first sip—it all matters. The type of beer most folks want to recreate at home usually ticks these boxes:

Clean and crisp mouthfeel
Smooth malt backbone for balance
Floral or citrus hops that don’t slap you in the face
Light golden tone you can almost see through

Sound like your kind of brew? Then something like Coopers Original Draught (1.7kg) could be right up your alley. Designed for discerning lager lovers, this malt extract gives you that signature light yellow-gold colour and floral aroma with a malty twist. Slightly bitter, beautifully balanced, and medium-bodied—it really nails that pub-fresh flavour you know and love.

Oh, and it’s ready to be your homebrew hero.

Beer Engineering 101: Taste Starts with Tools

Before you flex your creative muscles on batch one, check you’ve got the essentials. Good beer doesn’t need a tonne of fancy gear, but you do need reliable basics:

A sturdy fermenter with an airlock (keeps your brew from going sideways)
A hydrometer (so you can actually measure fermentation and not just guess)
Sanitiser (seriously, do not skip this one—bacteria is not your brewing buddy)
Brewing spoon or paddle (try stirring sticky malt without one… I dare you)
A brew kit like the Coopers Original Draught

Starting off with a quality malt base like this one takes half the headache out. You’re laying the groundwork for solid flavour from the start. And if it gives you results that remind you of something you'd pour at your local, you're on the right track.

You Don’t Need to Be a Chemist… But It Helps to Think Like One

There’s a beautiful moment during your brew day when the sugars and malts kick off their slow transformation. And trust me, it's not complicated science—but it sure is satisfying. While you’re trying to capture the heart of a craft brew, remember it’s all about control:

Stick to the temperature range: Fermenting too hot kills the dream; too cold and it just won’t take off.
Be patient with fermentation: Cutting it short means your beer might taste half-finished or too sweet.
Use fresh, filtered water: Sounds simple but bad-tasting water makes bad-tasting beer.

Want to feel like you're actually crafting something special? Add some creativity with dry hops during the fermentation stage. Something subtle like a floral hop will boost the aroma and get you closer to that label lookalike experience.

Match That Style Like a Pro

One of the sneakiest parts of replicating your favourite brew is understanding the style it's based on. If you’re going for a clean draught that doesn’t knock your socks off in bitterness but lingers just enough, you’re probably chasing a classic Aussie pub style. Light in colour, softly malted, with a ‘just right’ body.

That’s why Coopers Original Draught is such a legend. It checks off all the must-haves:

Light yellow-gold body (just like your fav lager on tap)
White, tightly packed head for aesthetics and aroma
Subtle malt notes to bring that authentic craft texture

Play with yeast too, if you’re confident enough. A clean ale yeast works fantastic with draught kits and handles well during fermentation. Win-win.

The Taste Test: Sip, Reflect, Repeat

Your brew’s done. It’s been bottled, carbonated, and cooled. Now comes the best bit—sampling. It doesn’t need to be perfect the first time. Maybe it landed only 80% close to the one you were trying to mimic. That’s okay.

The goal is to learn from each batch and fine-tune based on what worked and what didn't. Less carbonation? More hop presence? Was the malt too dominant or just right? By writing down your results and keeping a small brewing log, you’re setting yourself up to actually build your own signature home classic—and that’s gold standard stuff 🍻

From Craft Fan to Craft Creator

When you start crafting your version of a professional favourite, you're not just making beer. You’re finding your own rhythm in a centuries-old tradition. With staples like Coopers Original Draught there to back you, the process becomes less about guesswork and more about refining your personal recipe. You're not mass-producing. You’re experimenting. Creating. Enjoying.

And who knows—next BBQ at your place could be the one where they ask, “Wait… you made THAT?”

Happy brewing!

Cheers,
Candeece