Beerb Alley Posted February 12 Share Posted February 12 I am new to home brewing and have just been brewing Coopers Pale Ale with various hops and been enjoying the results but my Lager Brewing Extract is sitting there unused and I don't want to waste it so I have been wondering if there is something interesting that I could try with it that isn't overcomplicated for a beginner. So I am looking for suggestions, perhaps different hops to try, or maybe make an 8% lager. I don't know. Just looking for ideas. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iBooz2 Posted February 12 Share Posted February 12 @Beerb Alley , welcome to the forum. Do you have temperature control as lagers require to be fermented at about half that of ales? An 8 % lager is a big beer in my book so you may need to throw three to four sachets of lager yeast at this beast. The yeast that comes with the Coopers Lager tin is actually an ale yeast so look at getting some specialty lager yeasts for this brew, say W34/70. Just because it says lager on the Coopers tin does not mean it will turn out a lager. It is the yeast used that determines that i.e. any ale yeast will make the tin an ale and any lager yeast (fermented at the correct temperature) will make the tin a lager. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldbloke Posted February 12 Share Posted February 12 (edited) Your new. Don't fk with it. You might actually like it as is. Use the can yeast Brew 18 to 25c. (18-20 better) Add 1kg LDME or BE3. or 1.5kg if your keen Bottle after 8-11 days Keep it warm for a few days Drink 8 weeks later Edited February 12 by Oldbloke 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussiekraut Posted February 12 Share Posted February 12 (edited) 6 hours ago, Beerb Alley said: I am new to home brewing and have just been brewing Coopers Pale Ale with various hops and been enjoying the results but my Lager Brewing Extract is sitting there unused and I don't want to waste it so I have been wondering if there is something interesting that I could try with it that isn't overcomplicated for a beginner. So I am looking for suggestions, perhaps different hops to try, or maybe make an 8% lager. I don't know. Just looking for ideas. Yeah, as pointed out, the yeast in the kit isn't actually a lager yeast. Lagers are fermented with a (bottom fermenting) yeast and ideally stored cold for 6-12 weeks after the bottles are carbonated. In German, storing is called "lagern", which is where the word lager comes from. Brewing a proper lager in an Australian summer is virtually impossible unless you have the ability to brew with temperature control. There are some yeasts you can use, like M54, which isn't a true lager yeast either but it can handle higher temps and the taste profile is fairly lager like. Combine that with a can of Cooper's pale malt and you should be getting something quite decent. But as @Oldbloke said, why don't you just try the tin as it is, with a BE3 or preferably a kilo of DME and see what you get? It is easier to improve a beer after you know its properties. If you go your own way first time you use the can, you may miss an opportunity, you never know. Edited February 12 by Aussiekraut 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerb Alley Posted February 12 Author Share Posted February 12 18 hours ago, Oldbloke said: Your new. Don't fk with it. You might actually like it as is. Use the can yeast Brew 18 to 25c. (18-20 better) Add 1kg LDME or BE3. or 1.5kg if your keen Bottle after 8-11 days Keep it warm for a few days Drink 8 weeks later Fair enough. I just like pale ale so I was thinking that the lager will probably just sit until it expires so I thought I might as well play with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerb Alley Posted February 12 Author Share Posted February 12 19 hours ago, iBooz2 said: @Beerb Alley , welcome to the forum. Do you have temperature control as lagers require to be fermented at about half that of ales? An 8 % lager is a big beer in my book so you may need to throw three to four sachets of lager yeast at this beast. The yeast that comes with the Coopers Lager tin is actually an ale yeast so look at getting some specialty lager yeasts for this brew, say W34/70. Just because it says lager on the Coopers tin does not mean it will turn out a lager. It is the yeast used that determines that i.e. any ale yeast will make the tin an ale and any lager yeast (fermented at the correct temperature) will make the tin a lager. Okay. I honestly have no idea. I just saw a video with some fellow making an 8% brew with pale ale and I wondered if I could do the same with the lager extract. I didn't know it was the yeast that determines the beer. Thanks for that. Maybe I should try that and make is an ale instead. Thanks for suggestions. I probably come back and ask more questions on how to do that. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChairmanDrew Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 21 hours ago, Beerb Alley said: I am new to home brewing and have just been brewing Coopers Pale Ale with various hops and been enjoying the results but my Lager Brewing Extract is sitting there unused and I don't want to waste it so I have been wondering if there is something interesting that I could try with it that isn't overcomplicated for a beginner. So I am looking for suggestions, perhaps different hops to try, or maybe make an 8% lager. I don't know. Just looking for ideas. My suggestion would be to add some hops you like in the same way you have been with the pale ale. But the IBU of the can contents should be a tiny bit more than the pale ale, so probably keep it conservative. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerb Alley Posted February 14 Author Share Posted February 14 Okay. Thank you. Sound simple enough that I can manage it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky Micky Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 On 2/13/2024 at 10:58 AM, Beerb Alley said: Okay. I honestly have no idea. I just saw a video with some fellow making an 8% brew with pale ale and I wondered if I could do the same with the lager extract. I didn't know it was the yeast that determines the beer. Thanks for that. Maybe I should try that and make is an ale instead. Thanks for suggestions. I probably come back and ask more questions on how to do that. Thank you. If you don't have temp control then definitely try and ferment at ale temps - around 18-20 degrees as Old Bloke suggested. When I first started out with K&K (extract) I always used a specialty yeast - something neutral like Nottingham (1 satchel will be okay for 23 litres) and add a can of Coopers liquid light malt extract and if you want add a little extra dry light malt or a small amount of white sugar (150 - 200 grams) to raise the ABV. You could even add a little maltodextrin to help with head retention and mouth feel. 100-150 grams will do. Here's a screenshot of the extract spreadsheet of the quantities involved. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerb Alley Posted February 14 Author Share Posted February 14 Thanks for the info. I like your spreadsheet... great idea. I might do something similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky Micky Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 7 minutes ago, Beerb Alley said: Thanks for the info. I like your spreadsheet... great idea. I might do something similar. There's a downloadable version here at the forum. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerb Alley Posted February 14 Author Share Posted February 14 That is awesome. Thank you 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iBooz2 Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 @Beerb Alley . most definitely brew and ale if you do not have a dedicated ferment fridge. Just a word of warning about the Ian H spreadsheet. If you select Specialty Beer in the Beer style dropdown list then the Green flagged cells for OG, FG, IBU and EBC will always come up with GREEN = GOOD. If you select any other style, it will give you a much better indication if you are close to that style. For example, select Australian Pale Ale from the drop-down list and some of the green boxes turn red to indicate your recipe ingredients selection does not quite meet the style specs. Just a tip - cheers AL 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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