Recommend me a lager kit

[eggman]

Never done a lager kit before but now the colder weather is here, i'm thinking of getting one on the go.
Can any one recommend a lager kit that comes with lager yeast rather than ale yeast?

Thanks :

 

[Eric_S]

Coopers European Lager - I bottled mine about 2 weeks ago (fermented in the garage for two weeks at about 15c) and it tastes brill already!

 

[Rich82]

Eric what temperature does that coopers kit recommend you ferment at? I was looking at making a lager from scratch and it said to pitch the yeast at around 10ºc and then keep it there for fermentation. Without some type of fridge conversion I just can’t get stable temperatures that low.

I brewed young’s brew buddy lager kit once, don’t bother its rough. Got coopers draught on at the minute, that’s supposed to be like a lager but I can only assume that its ale yeast as it recommend 21-27ºc for fermentation.

 

[Eric_S]

I honestly can't remember, but I think in the region of 10-15c. As the amount of yeast supplied is quite small, I kicked it off inside to give the yeast a chance to multiply before sticking it in the garage. I measured the temps in the garage as being 15c at warmest and about 10c at lowest.

TBH - I wasn't that careful about it and the brew tastes fantastic at this early stage.

I've done a few of the Youngs kits - it's an acceptable brew considering it uses an ale yeast, but I might do another using a lager yeast next time to see how that works out.

My recent AG brews I've kept the fermenter in a trug filled with water and ice packs (change 2-3 times a day) and it seems to be maintaining about 10c.

 

[RobWalker]

What do you enjoy? Oktoberfest lagers are pretty popular this time of year :)

 

[Thisledome]

I'm in the same boat really i always done bitter kits but never lager. I would like to bang on a lager kit also, but probably use the Carlsberg yeast if you can still get it. My mate drinks normally Carlsberg or Fosters when in the pub, but at home he drinks Holsten pils and i was wondering if there are any good pilsner kits.

 

[eggman]

Coopers European Lager - I bottled mine about 2 weeks ago (fermented in the garage for two weeks at about 15c) and it tastes brill already!

Cheers mate, might give that one a try :thumb:

 

[eggman]

What do you enjoy? Oktoberfest lagers are pretty popular this time of year :)

Is there anything you would liken the Oktoberfest to? If i'm out and having a drink Rob i tend to go for corona, sol or sometimes san migel. Are there any kits similar to any of those?

Thanks :

 

[Hollow Legs]

I've done quite a few Coopers Euro lager kits and it does come with lager yeast and recommends that the temp is around 24degC but I keep mine at around 18degC and it tastes nice, I've got an Edme German lager kit on the go at the minute but I ditched the supplied yeast and used Youngs lager yeast £1.15 from LHBS and I tasted that yesterday and that is really nice, again kept at around 18degC.

It takes a couple of weeks to ferment out due to the lower temps and then I leave it for a couple of days to clear down before bottling.

A note on the Coopers Draught, it's a Bitter and a very nice bitter so if you don't like bitter be in for a disappointing brew.

 

[eggman]

I've done quite a few Coopers Euro lager kits and it does come with lager yeast and recommends that the temp is around 24degC but I keep mine at around 18degC and it tastes nice, I've got an Edme German lager kit on the go at the minute but I ditched the supplied yeast and used Youngs lager yeast £1.15 from LHBS and I tasted that yesterday and that is really nice, again kept at around 18degC.

It takes a couple of weeks to ferment out due to the lower temps and then I leave it for a couple of days to clear down before bottling.

A note on the Coopers Draught, it's a Bitter and a very nice bitter so if you don't like bitter be in for a disappointing brew.

Thanks for that mate, sounds good :thumb:

 

[Rich82]

A note on the Coopers Draught, it's a Bitter and a very nice bitter so if you don't like bitter be in for a disappointing brew.[/quote]

Hollow legs they lied to me, however I do like a bitter so it will be a good excuse to get another brew on the go and quick.

I've done a few of the Young’s kits - it's an acceptable brew considering it uses an ale yeast, but I might do another using a lager yeast next time to see how that works out..

Eric it was probably my brewing, it was my first ever brew and was what came with the whole u brew starter kit.

Just to add to this conversation then, this is going to make me sound a bit dense and very novice, but I am so hey ho. Does lager yeast really make much of a difference and really make it taste more like a lager.

 

[Eric_S]

I doubt it was you - you're probably more fussy than me! The only difference I made (with the Youngs kits) was using brewkit enhancer rather than plain sugar. I used plain granulated with the Euro lager.

Interestingly my sisters man reckons he likes the Youngs stuff because it sits somewhere between an ale and a lager. That said, probably the last time I make a Youngs kit will be by ditching the supplied yeast and using a pack of Saflager instead.

If I do another kit after then it'll be another Cooper's Euro. I found the Cooper's Aussie taste marginally better than the Youngs but not so much so (and I suspect that is as much to do with the yeast as anything).

 

[shearclass]

Coopers Pilsner also comes with lager yeast.

Bes t lager kit i did was Coopers Mexican cerveza, but i ditched kit yeast (which bizarrely is a mix of ale and lager) and bought some lager yeast, one of the Fermentis ones.

 

[Hollow Legs]

I used plain granulated with the Euro lager.

Good call Eric_S I've tried the Euro with Beer Kit Enhancer and it was pants, I only use a BKE with a Bitter or IPA :thumb:

 

[philip5660]

My mate did this a few months ago and it was nice:

http://www.coopers.com.au/the-brewers-g ... tage-lager

I've just bottled my own batch

 

[Hollow Legs]

Just to add to this conversation then, this is going to make me sound a bit dense and very novice, but I am so hey ho. Does lager yeast really make much of a difference and really make it taste more like a lager.

Yes it does matey, whatever you are brewing then use the correct type of yeast for the type of brew, yeast gives the brew the taste, so if you do a Cider then use a cider yeast.....etc etc

 

[Eric_S]

Just to add to this conversation then, this is going to make me sound a bit dense and very novice, but I am so hey ho. Does lager yeast really make much of a difference and really make it taste more like a lager.

Yes it does matey, whatever you are brewing then use the correct type of yeast for the type of brew, yeast gives the brew the taste, so if you do a Cider then use a cider yeast.....etc etc

Actually - I was looking at the BrewUK site putting together my next order and I noticed that the (Lalvin) Champange and Cider yeast are the same thing - I don't know about the Youngs yeasts but I've pretty much stopped using "budget" yeast now anyway. But I did see quite a difference with my wines moving from Youngs super yeasts to Lalvin and Gervin yeasts.

So yes, I think the yeast makes a big difference too - although I'll know better when I taste my brew that used the saflager yeast. Tempted to toss some reclaimed yeast from that in with the Youngs kit and see what happens.

 

[RobWalker]

Oktoberfest are your vienna and munich lagers, maybe a witbier too, which is german wheat beer. It reminds me of christmas massively because of the german frankfurt market we get in Birmingham leading up to christmas, I can't wait this year!

The Coopers Mexican kit (whatever it's called) comes highly rated by most though, apparently it's very close to the real thing, so go for that!

 

[RobWalker]

and here's a recipe for san miguel :)

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=2548

 

[eggman]

The Coopers Mexican kit (whatever it's called) comes highly rated by most though, apparently it's very close to the real thing, so go for that!

Cheers rob :thumb:

Thanks to everyone else for their input :