lager making kits

[robbie1710]

Hi people.

I want to make a quality, fizzy, crisp lager using a kit not the ingredients as im a newbie and still finding my feet.

ive made two so far but one was a youngs lager kit that came in a begginer kit with equipment and i also made a wilko cerveza.

Now both of these turned out ok, but they are flat and can leave a bit of an after taste. drinkable but deffinitly got a cheap home made taste.

I Kegged these and know that bottling is the way to go however Ive read for lagers they need to be done with lager yeast and at a very low temp. now this is difficult for me as we are now coming into summer and I dont have the space or equipment to lager my lager at the really low temps it needs.

Does anyone have any suggestions or tips as im sure many Novices who like lager rather than Ale, stout or any other beers have this problem like me?

Thanks for looking and for any help.

 

[Duncs]

That homebrew taste can be removed by adding 1/4 of a campden tablet to the water before brewing with it.

Most of the lager kits come with a ale yeast rather then a lager yeast, so what you're really making is an ale that tastes like a lager. The Youngs kits, in my opinion, aren't the best, try one of the Coopers kits, the Canadian Blonde is pretty good as is the cerveza. The Coopers Euro Lager does come with a lager yeast so is best brewed in the winter.

The kits don't need lagering but they do need time to condition, a month or two should be enough for most kits that come with an ale yeast.

 

[calumscott]

If you want something lagery, simple and without the temp control and real lager yeast then the two kits from Better Brew are superb. I've done them both and was very impressed.

Make them with Extra Light Spraymalt instead of sugar or dextrose and keep your temperature as low as you can, if you can to 18 C then it'll turn out really good.

You won't get a lager like a bottled german import but you'll get something that's just as refreshing if not quite as "clean". :

 

[robbie1710]

what are Campden tablets and what are they used for?

 

[calumscott]

They are a very clever thing! They take chlorine and chloramine out of water and turn it into hydrochloric acid and yeast nutrient of all things!

 

[Sandimas]

The Canadian Blonde is pretty good as is the cerveza. The Coopers Euro Lager does come with a lager yeast so is best brewed in the winter. The kits don't need lagering but they do need time to condition, a month or two should be enough for most kits that come with an ale yeast.

+1

I've just bottled a lager than was going at 13C in my cool hallway but yes I think it's too warm now the weather's changed. Cerveza and Canadian Blonde are both good using Ale yeasts, just rememeber to:
- do them with Enhancer not brewing sugar
- brew short for a bit more body 20L or 21L
- bottle not keg, with 1/2 to 1 tsp sugar to get some good fizz
- 2 weeks in the warm to generate some gas
- condition for 4-6 weeks as cool as possible, if you can

My game plan next winter is to do all my lagers mid-winter, then by the time they've had 3 months conditioning the warm spring should have arrived and they'll be ready to drink