coopers blonde help

[halfpint5]

I have a coopers canadian blonde lager kit + 1 kg light malt extract + half kg of dextrose sugar, does anybody have any ideas for a christmas brew, extra sugar? ect, coming back to the brewing after 20 yrs is a bit daunting hope someone can help, heres hoping , Jim.

 

[PD]

A Christmas Lager. Now there's a novelty.
Hi Jim.
To be honest, in my humble opinion your better off making the Lager kit as directed ( just add 4 days on to whatever they say ) I dont see how you could alter it too much apart from brewing it a little shorter ( say 19 litres ).
Tell us what your looking for and perhaps we can help you further.

 

[Archtronics]

Depends what your after but adding some steeped speciality grains and extra hops could be what your after.

Also isn't that kit more of a pale ale than a lager?

 

[halfpint5]

Hi mates thanks for the answer, the last blonde i did,( beer i mean lol,} the chap in Wine Works Liverpool said bung another 2Lb of sugar in it + it was quite a good brew, the lady i saw there last week suggested 1Kg light malt extract but did,nt mention sugar, so i am a bit stumped, i barrel by the way, my last brew yrs ago was a lager made with glucose chips in a beer sphere stood by the cooker for 4 mths talk about fermenting, i still feel the shakes,

 

[PD]

Aah I think I understand what you mean.
When you purchase a one can kit of beer or lager. You need to add extra sugar in order for the yeasts to turn into alcohol, otherwise you end up with 23 litres of lager flavoured water, near enough.
So the first chap was correct, to make an alcoholic lager you need to bung in the extra sugar.
The second lady was also correct and she was a bit more knowledgeable than the first guy.
She is suggesting you improve your lager kit, by adding some malt extract INSTEAD of the sugar.
Sugar will just make alcohol and add nothing to the taste fullness of the brew. Malt extract is a mixture which has sugar in some form included and other bits and pieces to improve the flavour.
So add either the 1kg of sugar for a normal brew, OR, for a little bit special brew add 1kg of malt extract ( goes by several names, the main one is called Beer enhancer.) but don't add both.
Now if you had spent a little bit more on your kit you would probably have got a kit that contains 2 cans. No extra sugar or enhancer is required for this, everything is mixed in the liquid in the 2 cans.
i.e 2 cans (toucans) cost more but no extra sugar or enhancer required.

Hope I got it right this time

 

[halfpint5]

Thanks for all your help my old piddler, hopefully i will get the hang of this brewing once more,
may your beer never go cloudy, Jim.