Coopers European lager brew

[Keenbutcher]

So this is my second brew. First one was a coopers lager and its conditioning now in the bottles hopefully ready in the next week or so.
I'm now gonna try the more lager lager, the European lager. I've bought a fridge an stc 1000 and small tube heater and am ready to start it off tomorrow.
So far I'm gonna start with
1.the coopers kit
2. Saflager s-23(2 if needed)
3. Coopers beer enhancer 3
4. 1kg muntons dme(medium) if needed.
5. 25 litres of bottled water.

Was going to pitch the yeast at 18c and slowly bring it down over 24 hours to 12c till finished

Any tips hints would be a massive help as I wanna try and get this spot on.
Temps/times/water amount etc.

Thanks guys

 

[Keenbutcher]

So a week on and the sg is around 1010. Gonna leave it another week then check again.
When it comes to bottling at what temp should I leave it fif the 12 weeks to condition? It will be at about 12c when bottled.. thanks

 

[terrym]

So a week on and the sg is around 1010. Gonna leave it another week then check again.
When it comes to bottling at what temp should I leave it fif the 12 weeks to condition? It will be at about 12c when bottled.. thanks

Your lager is nearly finished, but not quite, it could go down to 1.007, as happened to some of mine when I have made up this kit and the similar 86 Day pilsner. As you have fermented at a low temperature you will need to raise the temperature to carry out a diacetyl rest (look it up). Since you intend to leave it another week I suggest you leave it for another 2/3 days in the cold then move to a warm (19/20*C) place until you bottle. Then when primed and bottled leave in a warm place to carb up for two weeks, then move to a cold place for your 12 week conditioning period, making sure that the bottles don't go below about -3*C if you are storing outside, since there is a danger of freezing and the bottles cracking when the beer thaws out. My experience is that this kit is drinkable after about a month but does improve with keeping as Coopers state on their instructions.

 

[Keenbutcher]

I will do that thanks.
When it comes to priming. Is it possible to batch prime in the 1 fv I'm using or do I need another? Or just best to do it per bottle. I've got coopers drops but can get some sugar if needs be.
Ice gig a mixture of 330ml and 500ml glass bottles.
Thanks the help is great.

 

[terrym]

When it comes to priming. Is it possible to batch prime in the 1 fv I'm using or do I need another? Or just best to do it per bottle. I've got coopers drops but can get some sugar if needs be.

Its really up to you how you prime. Personally I never use carb drops as they are an expensive way of priming. I always use table sugar and usually add it to filled bottles using a measuring spoon and funnel, then gently roll the bottles on their side when closed off to help dissolve the sugar. However occasionally I have transferred to a spare FV and batch primed and bottled from that. I have read on here that people do batch prime from their original FV, and I understand that they make up a sugar syrup with the priming sugar and boiled water then add that to the beer and very gently stir in without disturbing the trub and then leave for an say an hour or so to complete the mixing of beer and priming sugar. And one tip if you are using PET bottles is to squeeze out any air from the filled primed bottles before you screw down the cap. Finally if you are uncertain how much sugar to use, use this
https://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/.
Typically 20 litres of Euro lager at 2.4 vols would require about 125 g sugar.

 

[Keenbutcher]

Thanks. Do you use this calculator for when you put it in per bottle or just put a specific amount in?
Thd only reason I mentioned bulk priming was cause I had different size bottles.

 

[Keenbutcher]

So took your advice today checked the gravity, which is at 1011. Which I'd say is nearly ready so put the temp up to 18c for the next few days.
When I was looking I noticed a lot of sediment at the bottom of the fv about an inch, Lloads more than on my last brew(cooers lager original). Is this normal? Also didnt seem as clear as that 1st brew did either? Thanks

 

[terrym]

@Keenbutcher
If you raise the temperature of your lager for the diacetyl rest you may find it restarts the fermentation and the SG goes lower, but it may not. So be mindful of this but I do not advise keep 'investigating' where it is, leave it alone as much as you are able until you are happy its done.
As far as the depth of the trub is concerned, it is what it is, I wouldn't get too concerned, your lager will be no better or worse for it. And if its cloudier at present than you expected it should ultimately clear when bottled and conditioned. So again don't get concerned, time and gravity will do the job.
As for your earlier query about priming, the calculator gives a quantity of priming sugar per volume of beer. So if, for example, it gives 120g per 20 litres of beer, you would add 3g per 500ml bottle (total 40 bottles) or 2g per 330ml (total 60 bottles) or just add the 120g sugar say in the form of a syrup to the bulk 20 litres if you were batch priming. And if you prime each bottle individually one level teaspoon is about 4.5g of sugar, so you would adjust accordingly.

 

[Keenbutcher]

So I'm gonna bottle the beers tomorrow an I've got a second bottling bucket to help. Was just wondering when syphonning it out of the primary to the secondary fv do i just keep the bottom of the tube as close to the sediment as possible but without touching it as to keep any out from my bottling bucket
Seems a stupid question now I'm qringbit down. Thanks s always mate your advice is helping a lot!

 

[Keenbutcher]

All bottled today. Forgot to check the FG before I primed but checked it after and it was 1007 so maybe it would be slightly less than that if I had checked before priming.
Put it back the the fridge set to 18c to condition for a couple of weeks then onto the lagering at prob 2/3c.
How does that all sound?

 

[terrym]

All bottled today. Forgot to check the FG before I primed but checked it after and it was 1007 so maybe it would be slightly less than that if I had checked before priming.
Put it back the the fridge set to 18c to condition for a couple of weeks then onto the lagering at prob 2/3c.
How does that all sound?

All sounds fine.
Hope it turns out OK.
And when you get to drink it tell us what you thought here......
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/coopers-european-lager-review.17845