Coopers Larger

[Classic Brewing Co]

47 minutes ago, Pale Man said:

Theres one of your issues. Its pretty much a no no to boil the hopped extract cans ( if thats what you did )  it stuffs around with the hop balance.

Yeah, I saw that & I was going to comment but you have so now he knows not to.

[ChairmanDrew]

Besides the obvious mistake here (boiling the extract), can we agree tha tthe "lager" is the worst of the Coopers DIY extracts?

[DavidM]

7 hours ago, ChairmanDrew said:

can we agree tha tthe "lager" is the worst

Well that would have to depend on "Your taste preference"

I'm not a fan of Lager, I prefer an Ale but I'm sure others feel differently.

[Classic Brewing Co]

8 hours ago, ChairmanDrew said:

Besides the obvious mistake here (boiling the extract), can we agree tha tthe "lager" is the worst of the Coopers DIY extracts?

I have never been a fan of lager although some of the specials offered in craft beer sections in bottle shops are hard to resist.

I much prefer Ales/IPA/APA/XPA etc. I have never been bothered with clear beer as taste is more important to me.

[ChairmanDrew]

2 hours ago, DavidM said:

Well that would have to depend on "Your taste preference"

I'm not a fan of Lager, I prefer an Ale but I'm sure others feel differently.

Well, I was really referring to the coopers "lager" (it's not a real lager) as a kit, not lagers in general. I've brewed with the European lager kit with decent results, but this one seems to miss the mark.

[Tricky Micky]

10 hours ago, ChairmanDrew said:

Besides the obvious mistake here (boiling the extract), can we agree tha tthe "lager" is the worst of the Coopers DIY extracts?

Um, well, no. How have you been using the lager kit? I've used it heaps and never had an issue with it. 

[Aussiekraut]

On 12/8/2023 at 8:28 AM, DavidM said:

Well that would have to depend on "Your taste preference"

I'm not a fan of Lager, I prefer an Ale but I'm sure others feel differently.

Homebrewers like Ales because they are easier and faster to make. They take two weeks and another 2 in the bottle/keg and Robert is your father's brother. They don't require finings as nobody really cares much about ales being hazy. Lagers on the other hand (usually) take longer to ferment, need to be stored cold for weeks and require temperatures, which aren't usually achievable without a fridge. They're less "rewarding" in terms of flavour as Ales are. The philosophy behind them is different. Clean, crisp, no fuss, no nothing. Just a cold bittered beer with some hop and malt flavours. Ales are a lot more versatile by comparison and the difference between an ale and a lager brewed with the same grain bill and hop schedule is quite staggering. They are two completely different beers. 

I've brewed only ales for a long time, mainly because I had no means of lagering. Since I do have that ability now, I am brewing more and more lagers and I like them, although they can be a logistical nightmare  It's mainly European style lagers I brew, like Helles, Märzen, Pilsner or Vienna Lager, but I also have a few goto lagers I whipped up someday and which turned out nicely, so they went straight to the pool room. They may not strictly match any style but who cares. If I like them, they're good. That's all that matters to me.

So I do drink a fair bit of lagers but when I go out to a brewery or pubs with a good selection of beers, I rarely opt for one. Usually, it is ales.