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coopers european lager

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  • 04-02-2012 1:34am
    #1
    mossfort
    Registered Users Posts: 609 ✭✭✭


    hi im about to start my next homebrew which is a coopers european lager , have done a canadian blonde and an irish stout already.
    from reading the instructions the european lager needs to be fermented at lower temperatures , around 18 degrees from what i have read.
    my question is do i need to add hops to get a better flavour from the lager and do i need to keep a certain temperature after bottling?
    cheers.


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    #2
    Martyn1989
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,561 ✭✭✭Martyn1989


    I think all beer kits will benefit from a hop tea or a little bit of dry hopping. Depends on your personal taste. Are you making the kit up with malt extract or dextrose?

    Your best off fermenting your ale yeasts at 18. Lagers even lower. Ive heard of some coopers kits coming with a lager/ale yeast blend. Where you start it at 18 and drop it to 12-16 after a few days. Ive heard you need to give that kit plenty of time apperently it takes a while to ferment out and clean itself up.


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    #3
    BeerNut
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 11,850 Mod ✭✭✭✭BeerNut


    mossfort wrote: »
    do i need to keep a certain temperature after bottling?
    Yes. Bottle-conditioning is exactly the same process as fermentation so keep it at the same temperature: around 18.

    My beer blog | The Twitter | My other beer blog



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    #4
    mossfort
    Registered Users Posts: 609 ✭✭✭mossfort


    Martyn1989 wrote: »
    I think all beer kits will benefit from a hop tea or a little bit of dry hopping. Depends on your personal taste. Are you making the kit up with malt extract or dextrose?

    Your best off fermenting your ale yeasts at 18. Lagers even lower. Ive heard of some coopers kits coming with a lager/ale yeast blend. Where you start it at 18 and drop it to 12-16 after a few days. Ive heard you need to give that kit plenty of time apperently it takes a while to ferment out and clean itself up.

    hi martyn, im thinking of using about 700grms of light malt extract and 300grms of dextrose . might give the hops a miss this time and see how it goes.


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    #5
    mossfort
    Registered Users Posts: 609 ✭✭✭mossfort


    BeerNut wrote: »
    Yes. Bottle-conditioning is exactly the same process as fermentation so keep it at the same temperature: around 18.
    hi beernut, was thinking about 2 weeks in the fermenter and 12 weeks in the bottles before it will be ready. can i move the bottles somewhere cooler after it has been bottled for 2 weeks?


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    #6
    BeerNut
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 11,850 Mod ✭✭✭✭BeerNut


    mossfort wrote: »
    can i move the bottles somewhere cooler after it has been bottled for 2 weeks?
    Yes. I find it's three weeks before a beer is fully ready in the bottle, but two is pretty much there. All that happens in a cooler environment is that the conditioning process slows down.

    My beer blog | The Twitter | My other beer blog



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    #7
    Martyn1989
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,561 ✭✭✭Martyn1989


    mossfort wrote: »
    hi martyn, im thinking of using about 700grms of light malt extract and 300grms of dextrose . might give the hops a miss this time and see how it goes.

    You can use a kilo of malt extract instead of using any sugar and you'll be better off. The sugar is what can cause a cidery flavour. Ive only ever made 2 kits, a mexican cervesca with 1kilo of dextrose and a harvest stout with a can of dark malt extract, the stout was way better. Plus dry malt extract comes in 500g and kilo bags.


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