Lager advice - Please

[Premium Dave]

Hey all,

I want to try and brew a lager either from a kit or ingredients, I am after a lager that is not too heavy with out a strong after taste and a little on the sweeter side (something like a bud or miller light) so my question to you all is simply..

What can you recommend?

As I said I am happy to try to brew from ingredients (as long as the recipe / instructions are idiot proof ) or a kit I would just like your suggestions

Thanks for your help guys

Regards

Mike

 

[Duncs]

Unless you have some way of temperature control, a true lager may be a little tricky. I've found that the Coopers lager kits (Lager, Cerveza and Canadian) turn out pretty good, they all use an ale yeast so there's not as big a concern about keeping the temperature low. If you can't control the temperature, avoid the Coopers European Lager kit to start with, it makes a nice pint, but it uses a true lager yeast.

 

[Premium Dave]

Hi Duncs,

After reading your post I had a brief look around and the Coopers Cerveza seems like the best bet so far so thank you for that one. I don't really have any temperature control of any sort at the moment, I am looking to buy a Thermistat controlled heater for wine, but I have no way of keeping things cooler, other than the kitchen fridge and that would just annouy the wife too much and get me slapped

Thanks for the advice - anyone else :drink:

 

[shearclass]

As above, need to acheive cool temps to ferment lager and then to 'lager' your brew you need to acheive cold temperatures.

Doing lager with an ale yeast is ok - if you aren't fussy!

If you are starting from scratch and have no equipment, may be easier to do a kit rather that from scratch, but that's up to you entirely.

 

[guyb]

Honest advice, start simple - I recently started homebrewing after a 15year lull.

I did the Cooper's Mexican Cerveza, with Cooper's Brew Enhancer 2 - rather than all sugar.

From personal experience you want something to show for a bit of investment, a kit can give modest to great results - to spur you on, rather than put you off with yellow flat water!

I am currently drinking a Cooper's Mexican after 6 weeks conditioning, it's starting to get there.

I am getting more confidence with each brew, AG will be a while but I'll get there.

Best of luck, there is some good advice on this forum, I've learned so much in such a short time :drink:

 

[unclepumble]

If you want a bud miller style lager don't worry about low temps too much, You will need to mash maize and rice though so you need to be confident doing a cereal mash, plenty of sugar and AMG in the mash to make the wort highly fermentable, and knock out the body.

An american lager yeast, ( i assume wyeast or whitelabs have a strain) pitch at about 13deg C and allow to freerise up to about 19-20deg fermentation should be done in around 7days.

Filter with as fine a filter as you can cold, and force carb in a cornie.

Not an easy beer to get right.

The cerveza Kits are ok from what I remember, but only just I think they need a splash of lemonade to make them palatable.

UP

 

[Premium Dave]

Thanks for the great advice guys, from the feedback you have all given I think I will start with the Coopers Mexican Cerveza Kit, I have the bucket, bottles etc so was just after the beer kit.

I'll get one in the next couple of days and get it started.

Thanks again all your help and advice is much appreciated.

Happy Brewing all.

Mike

 

[golder247]

Most of the coopers kits will be fine that is sure and the cerveza is a fine start. you will have no challenges although I don't knwo where the nearest home brew place is in andover... if at all!

 

[anthonyUK]

You are not too far from http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/ just down the M3 in Aldershot.

You could also maybe try asking on http://www.northhantsbrewers.org.uk/For ... /index.php regarding local suppliers.

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

You are not too far from http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/ just down the M3 in Aldershot.

You could also maybe try asking on http://www.northhantsbrewers.org.uk/For ... /index.php regarding local suppliers.

Thrifty Shopper is good if you want to buy online. :thumb: