Young's Harvest Lager review

Kinleycat · May 8, 2013

Got a couple of these kits cheap from tesco online.
I didn't think it would be up to much so I thought it would be worth experimenting.
I brewed it to the standard 23 litres with 500g light spray malt and 500g dextrose and chucked in 40 tspns of frozen ginger purÃ©e I picked up from tesco (also found it since in asda, morrisons and Sainsburys.)
Pitched yeast and nutrient at 22c and left it at 20c ish. (1040)
Checked gravity yesterday (10 days) and it was down to 1008 and still showing a glimmer of life. Tasted the trial jar contents and it had a lovely gingery back flavour and nose.
Can't wait to get this bottled and supped over the summer.

bob-the-dog · May 8, 2013

I started one Saturday night, in my rush (I had an hour to barrelled a Youngâs stout made with two1.5kg tins (which tasted excellent after only week weeks) and make a lager) I read the Pilsner instructions which said 1.5kG of sugar, the harvest lager is 1kg.
I intended making it with brew enhancer anyway of which I had 1kg so in the end I ended up with 1kg of brew enhancer and 0.5kg of dextrose.

Needless to say the air lock has a lot of activity, will post when I know how itâs turned out.

Andysbrew · Mar 15, 2014

Is this different to the Youngs Definitive Lager as I am about to start this said kit.

Bargain Â£5.50 as only dated till May 2014.

Couldn't resist it that cheap even though I am not normally a lager drinker.

:grin:

LarryF · May 16, 2015

Brewed 23L 09/05/15 - 21c for fourteen days
2 x kit yeast + 1tsp Yeast Nutrient
1kg Youngs BE and 454g Lyons Golden Syrup.
10g of perle hops and 10g of sundried lime, ten minute boil and then tea and bag added to FV
OG:1052 -

Brewed this last Saturday 09/05/15, I pitched the yeast at 23c and it kicked off very nicely. I tested the SG today a week after it went in and it's dropped to 1012 which I'm very pleased about. It's still cloudy in the test jar but the the hops and the lime are there to taste. I'll give it until next week when I'll bottle it with a 1tsp of sugar per 500ml bottle.

wheazy_joe · Aug 27, 2015

Have ordered one of these from Tesco for under ÃÂ£8. Plan to add 1kg of brew enhancer, 500g of sugar and maybe a couple of different hops, one tea at the start then dry hop later.

Seems like a decent basic base to experiment with.

LarryF · Aug 29, 2015

wheazy_joe said:
Have ordered one of these from Tesco for under ÃÂ£8. Plan to add 1kg of brew enhancer, 500g of sugar and maybe a couple of different hops, one tea at the start then dry hop later.

Seems like a decent basic base to experiment with.

wheazy, my OG was 1052 and my FG was 1010 but I did use two yeasts as I had a spare from a previous kit. I enjoyed the beer and I think your hop additions will make it a very nice, strong beer, good luck.

wheazy_joe · Oct 20, 2015

So I finally got round to starting this last Wednesday and, despite my grand plans I made the kit to the basic recipe I.e. just added 1kg of youngs brew enhancer. Original SG was 1.038 and after six days in the FV it is down to 1.008 which I am really surprised about, think that's the lowest I've ever had a kit go to, and that was using the kit yeast, straight from the pack, didn't even hydrate it. Has been at a steady 20Ã¢âÆ since coming down from about 24Ã¢âÆ pitching temp. Sample tastes quite clean with a decent level of bitterness. This will be a genuine 40p bottle brew, so anything drinkable will be a real bonus!

SANGER_A2 · Oct 25, 2015

If you buy these on the tesco sale as I did, even with 1kg of youngs brew enhancer (also 25% off) it's a VERY cheap brew. Gotta be tried! Ã°Å¸Ëâ¡

wheazy_joe · Oct 26, 2015

SANGER_A2 said:
If you buy these on the tesco sale as I did, even with 1kg of youngs brew enhancer (also 25% off) it's a VERY cheap brew. Gotta be tried! Ã°Å¸Ëâ¡

That is indeed where and when I got the kit, and running the maths again its actually about 25p per 500ml bottle. Well in truth its even cheaper if you take into account the double clubcard promotion that was going on at the time.

If this is anything like good then I can have absolutely no complaints. Anyway bottled it yesterday, had a sample taste and whilst it wasn't amazing (when is it ever at this stage?) I'm anticipating these being a half decent drop. Put it this way, I've drank everything that I've brewed so far and this will be no different!

wheazy_joe · Nov 14, 2015

Didn't take notes on this one but think tis has been in the bottle for three weeks now, so thought I'd crack one open. I'm actually quite surprised that it's a half decent drop. Quite clean and refreshing basic lager. This came in at about 25p per 500ml bottle so no complaints from me. Not gonna win any prizes that's for sure b at that cost what do you expect?

wheazy_joe · Nov 21, 2015

Follow up on this one, I'm very very impressed with the kit. As a light, no frills lager it absolutely hits the spot. Easily up there with any standard commercial lager and at 25p a pint it is ridiculously cheap. I didn't take notes on it which was daft I know, but I'm trying to remember if I dry hopped it. I had 10g of tettenang from the hop taster packs that I used in something! Anyway, I will definitely be making this one again.

SANGER_A2 · May 21, 2016

I have found that the perfect conditioning time for this kit is 6 months. I'm just getting to the end of my bottles of this that I bottled in November and it is amazing now! So much recently than when I started drinking this. Really smooth, lovely taste, zero homebrew taste/smell.

wfr42 · May 21, 2016

I found the same with the young harvest Scottish heavy. Still got a few pints left in the pressure barrel and they're great.

SANGER_A2 · May 21, 2016

wfr42 said:
I found the same with the young harvest Scottish heavy. Still got a few pints left in the pressure barrel and they're great.

Yeah. I've been very impressed with the youngs for the price especially. The mild has been my favourite ever and the lager is great too after time. Coopers tends to cost more but needs less time to be good. I've not tried any other brands.

LarryF · May 21, 2016

The Youngs Harvest Pilsner is a great starting platform for adding hops and any other additions to a kit to bump it up.

philt99 · Dec 21, 2016

As my first 2x brews were consumed in record time, its left me without anything to drink.

I was hoping to get this one ready for Christmas eve - too soon I know but I will see how it turns out

14/12/16 - temp 21oc

YoungÃ¢â¬â¢s harvest lager
500g Light Dried Malt Extract
500g Wilko brew sugar
340g honey
21 litres
OG= 1.052

It was down to 1.010 on the 19th and siphoned to 2nd FV with 25g saaz hops. I'm planning to cold crash at 3oc for 24 hours on the 23rd, keg and force carb on the 24th and be supping that night

terrym · Dec 21, 2016

philt99 said:
As my first 2x brews were consumed in record time, its left me without anything to drink.

I was hoping to get this one ready for Christmas eve - too soon I know but I will see how it turns out

14/12/16 - temp 21oc

YoungÃ¢â¬â¢s harvest lager
500g Light Dried Malt Extract
500g Wilko brew sugar
340g honey
21 litres
OG= 1.052

It was down to 1.010 on the 19th and siphoned to 2nd FV with 25g saaz hops. I'm planning to cold crash at 3oc for 24 hours on the 23rd, keg and force carb on the 24th and be supping that night

So is there now anything in the 1st FV?
Time to get another one on.......:whistle:

sdt7618 · Feb 15, 2017

Have this in the FV in the brew fridge, been there over 3 weeks now doing its stuff.

Chucked the kit yeast and used a true lager strain Saflager S-23, fermented at 12.5 degrees. last night I put 40grams of cascade in a hop back and settle that in the fv for a week. once full fermented out the plan is to "lager" this at 2 degrees for about 5-6 week.

Really making a difference to my brewing having a temp control.

I plan on doing the same process with the Harvest pilsner, Coopers cervesa and a Wilko cervesa i have sitting on the shelf, all getting a does of dry hops as they go currently have mosiac, amarillo, sazz and cascade in the freezer. oh and some challanger but not sure about them. might split 5l off one of the pilsner and see how that goes, but did buy them as an experiment for going extract brewing.

These will be the first kits that I am doing for the second time, but with a proper lager yeast and temp control. the first time round they went as per the instructions.

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