Coopers Aussie lager kit advice

[Footah212]

Hi folks I'm looking for some advice with my 1st home brew.

I've been doing some reading and gather that the timescales mentioned on the kit instructions are a bit too short.

The first fermentation in the fv should take about 1 to 2 weeks from what I can gather. I will be taking specific gravity readings throughout.

I have 500ml plastic bottles which I intend to prime with 2 carbonation drops then leave for a few weeks. The longer I leave it the better the beer will turn out?

I have read about conditioning in the bottles but am unsure of the timescales for warm and cold conditioning. Could you give me some advice ?

Sorry for the newbie question

 

[ericmark]

I have done 3 Coopers Ginger Beer kits every one failed to start until I added my own yeast and they took around 3 times the time given on the can.

OK maybe I was just unlucky but glad it was not my first beer. The temperatures given on the Coopers can were higher then on Youngs can so I wonder if it was just simply too cold.

 

[PD]

take a reading after 10 days minimum. then 2 days later another,repeat until the reading are the same and you can assume fermentation has finished. move to a coller spot and leave a week or so..then bottle. 1 carbonation drop is usually sufficient per 500ml bottle, keep it warm for a further 2 weeks, cool for 1 week then drink

 

[Footah212]

take a reading after 10 days minimum. then 2 days later another,repeat until the reading are the same and you can assume fermentation has finished. move to a coller spot and leave a week or so..then bottle. 1 carbonation drop is usually sufficient per 500ml bottle, keep it warm for a further 2 weeks, cool for 1 week then drink

Thanks guys.

When you say keep it warm for a further 2 weeks- is that about 20 deg C?. Then cool in garage say?

 

[Bowl sprayer]

Yes, that is correct. If you have a spare sterile fv you could rack it off and leave it for a couple of weeks after primary fermentation in a cool place before bottling. I have found that does help the final product.
Once bottled keep it warm at around fermenting temperature for a few weeks then to a cooler place. Take your time.
The trick is to brew a lot and get it stored away. By doing that you get to drink well conditioned beer rather than stuff which is just out of the fv. Leaving it really does make a difference.
Thought about dry hopping it with a lager hop like Saaz?

 

[maevans]

Did this kit a few times a few years ago.

As above, leave for days, take a gravity check, leave for a couple more days and check again and bottle if its the same.

For 500ml bottles I decided 1.5 carbonation drops was spot on for this lager kit! So I used to cut them in half! Pretty tedious and I moved onto batch priming soon after.

Again, as above, warmish for a couple of weeks then cooler after that - a garage at 12c or so would be perfect. I wouldn't get too hung up on it though! I don't have anywhere to cool condition in my new flat, so the bottles just go in the fridge as and when I want to drink them, and I haven't noticed any ill effects - I'm not planning on keeping them for years so optimum storage conditions don't worry me unduly...

 

[Footah212]

Yes, that is correct. If you have a spare sterile fv you could rack it off and leave it for a couple of weeks after primary fermentation in a cool place before bottling. I have found that does help the final product.
Once bottled keep it warm at around fermenting temperature for a few weeks then to a cooler place. Take your time.
The trick is to brew a lot and get it stored away. By doing that you get to drink well conditioned beer rather than stuff which is just out of the fv. Leaving it really does make a difference.
Thought about dry hopping it with a lager hop like Saaz?

Still new to all this and still getting used to the terminology, may well try that once I get my head round things.

Did my first brew with this kit this morning, and things are starting to bubble away so hopefully it will turn out ok.

 

[Goat Boy]

I'm sure it will. Agree with above about 1.5 carbonation drops. Try a few with 1, 1.5 and some with 2. Mark the bottles so you can know your preference in future. :thumb:

 

[Footah212]

I'm sure it will. Agree with above about 1.5 carbonation drops. Try a few with 1, 1.5 and some with 2. Mark the bottles so you can know your preference in future. :thumb:

Will do

 

[GAZ9053]

I used 2 carb drops in mine witch has worked fine for mine.