Coopers Lager

[CraigH58]

Going to try the Coopers Lager for the first time. Would it be better to use a tin of Light Malt instead of the BE2.or use the BE2 and 500g of malt?

[Barramullafella]

I have made up OS Lager with BE1 and it tasted pretty good. My next experiment is OS Lager + BE2 [equivalent] + 500gm Coopers Wheat/Barley Extract, so I'd be interested in knowing how yours turns out.

[Pickles Jones]

2 hours ago, CraigH58 said:

Going to try the Coopers Lager for the first time. Would it be better to use a tin of Light Malt instead of the BE2.or use the BE2 and 500g of malt?

I would stick with BE2 for your first Lager brew no extra malt.

Coopers have changed their recommendation from using BE1 to using BE2 with the Lager extract.

It turned out fine for me using BE2 and for the best results you should let the bottles Lager for a few weeks.

If you want a dry lager add some dry enzyme and it should bring up the ABV also.

[CraigH58]

Thanks for the advice, i am sort of lucky in that i work away, so the bottles sit for at least two weeks before i get back to them.

[CraigH58]

Mixed the brew up with the BE2 and it seemed slow to start fermenting. The temp here has been good for brewing, to kick it off i stuck it in the sun, ambient temp was 18C and it bought the FV up to 20 - 22C and off it went. The OG was 1048 and after 3 days it has got down to 1014. The temp is now stable at 16C and it actually tastes good. The brew is hazy and reasonably gassy i am assuming it will clear when it is stable, but will add some finnings before bottling.

[Barramullafella]

1 hour ago, CraigH58 said:

Mixed the brew up with the BE2 and it seemed slow to start fermenting. The temp here has been good for brewing, to kick it off i stuck it in the sun, ambient temp was 18C and it bought the FV up to 20 - 22C and off it went. The OG was 1048 and after 3 days it has got down to 1014. The temp is now stable at 16C and it actually tastes good. The brew is hazy and reasonably gassy i am assuming it will clear when it is stable, but will add some finnings before bottling.

The brews I have been doing usually ferment around the 24 deg mark and make a good start on clearing day 7 when I normally bottle the stuff. I don't use finings and beer pours clear and yeast packs on bottom of bottle good.

[iBooz2]

3 hours ago, CraigH58 said:

to kick it off i stuck it in the sun

Depends on what FV you are using but I would recommend avoiding direct sunlight as it will have a detrimental effect on your beer.  If its in the sunlight for too long you may end up with skunking.   Also its better to start you ferment of at the lower of the recommended yeast temp range and let it slowly get warmer up to the upper yeast temp range.  It will naturally do this as it ferments because it generates its own heat during the process. 

Fermenting it too warm or too fast produces poor beer.  Look at getting yourself a second hand fridge, a heat belt and a temp controller such as inky.  It will make so much of a difference to your beers you will be amazed.

[CraigH58]

The FV wasn't in the direct sunlight, but on some warmer concrete. The directions for the yeast said to start on 20C and then let it ferment between 13 - 18C. With the current temp here at the moment its perfect for that.

[Tricky Micky]

On 7/3/2021 at 8:59 AM, iBooz2 said:

Fermenting it too warm or too fast produces poor beer.  Look at getting yourself a second hand fridge, a heat belt and a temp controller such as inky.  It will make so much of a difference to your beers you will be amazed.

Best thing I have ever done with regards to the brewing journey. And really not that expensive. If extract brewing turns out to be your thing then this is essential equipment to get some really beaut beers happening.

Heat belt from Kegland = $11.00

Ink Bird from Ebay = $ 50.00

Second hand fridge about $50.00 - $150.00. If you are not in a hurry CraigH you'd probably pick one up on FB or somewhere similar for next to nothing.