coopers brew complete!...but is it any good?

[loverlovell-08]

Hey guys, I just finished my first ever batch of lager, and all through the process it has went very well. I went exactly as the instructions in the coopers booklet said, and the lager is nw bottled. The problem is, the taste, after a week of conditioning in the bottles, tasted a little like cider, but after another three days the taste seems to be improving slightly, is this a major concern? Any help is always thoroughly appreciated.

Alex
:drink:

 

[Wez]

You may have tried it too young and it's still "green" work on 1 week per 10 gravity points.

So, if it was 1.050 at the start of fermentation give it 5 weeks, 1.040 = 4 weeks etc etc

 

[evanvine]

Never heard that "rule of thumb" before Wez, but it makes a lot of sense.
Don't do Lager, but always leave my bitter in the keg for 4 weeks to mature (normally 1040's) so your rule works :thumb:

 

[rickthebrew]

I`ve brewed a couple of coopers lager kits in the past - i found they were at the best if left for at least four weeks - most kits i have done benefit from this amount of conditioning as a minimum :thumb:

 

[Chris]

Hi mate,

Back in September I brewed 2 kits, Coopers Australian & a European. I've started drinking them over xmas & am quite pleased with them. The taste can change from day to day if you drink them too early. The instructions do say leave for at least 2 weeks (once bottled) before drinking but "leaving upto & beyond 3 months will improve the flavour" or something like that, and it certainly does, certainly not upto the quality of an AG brew, but for those of use who don't have the eqpt or time it's a good alternative.

I currently have a Thomas Coopers Pilsner 23L kit in staorage. I made 18L 4 weeks ago, it finished at 5.9% in the FV & won't be getting drank till summer time. :mrgreen:

 

[loverlovell-08]

Thankyou for the replies guys, I was also wondering, is there a certain temp. i should be conditioning my bottles now, or room temp do for a few weeks?

alex

 

[Chris]

Well mine brews in my kitchen for exactly 14 days between their recommended 18-24oC I think it is, I bottle in the kitchen, prime with 1tbsp of normal sugar per 1 litre bottle & leave them in the kitchen :thumb: .

 

[unclepumble]

PRIME, THEN HAVE AT 15-17 DEG FOR 4 DAYS, THEN GET AS COLD AS POSSIBLE, 0-4 DEG C is good, then leave for 3-4 weeks.

I DID A BIG AG LAGER BREW (150LTRS) ON THE 9TH DEC, & IT WAS A BIT STRANGE TASTING AT FIRST, HOWEVER, THIS WEEK IT IS BLOODY GOOD, VERY CONTINENTAL TASTE LOVELY HEAD ALL THE WAY DOWN AND PLENTY OF BELGIAN LACE,
IT WON'T LAST LONG.

 

[damo]

I don't know what coopers lager kit you brewed but I found the coopers australian lager to need a good 2 months conditioning before drinking. I still found it a little bitter even then but it was my first lager kit so I'll try it again sometime for a comparison.

 

[Bluejam15]

just replied to another post about coopers apa _heres what i said:

Coopers APA well for me it has turned into my best kit brew.. with a few enhancements.

dont ask me what its like - Wez & smod can vouch for it - it also won best kit at matchless awards and came a close second / third overall - ask them to give you a review....

here's how i did it.
it was a coopers australian pale ale (APA) kit. Ive done three kits all very very good

coopers pale ale + added 10 g elderflowers and 1/2 bag goldings hops -

so what did i do?
no a fat lot - very simple - but great results.

got 38 pints from tap in bucket - left it to stand for 48 hrs

when water ready ,simmered the elderflower (brought pack of 100g from matchless - can get from anywhere) for about 5 min in a 1 1/2 pint of the water.

stuck the golding hops in with the elderflower for another 10 min

followed kit instructions to the letter (except 38 pints not 40)used geordie beer enhancer instead of sugar, then tipped in hops and elderflower into bucket .

sealed bucket (with an old fish tank heater in it to keep temp)

went on holiday for a week so did absolutley nothing, not even check it.
When got back left for another three days after checking specific gravity.

bottled and put in 3/4 teaspoon of geordie beer enhancer for secondary ferment in bottle.

and thats it!!!

lovely beer... tastes great after couple weeks but even better after couple of months.

2 tips
the 3/4 teaspoon for secondsary ferment was great if a little gassy... im a bitter drinker who likes flat beer but on further batches used 1/2 teaspoon not as gassy... but strangly liked the gassier version better :drink: ???? dont ask me why???

when putting in hops and elderflower ... not done it yet (next kit will do) get a muslin baqg and tip in and tie... stops you pratting about trying to filter out all hops....

anyway good luck and let me know how you get on , plus any kit enhancement recommendations you have

cheers,

Bluejam15 (steve) :drink: