Coopers European Lager Review

[Pirate_Pete]

Could I add hops later its only had 5 half 6 days although I'm not a fan of over hopped beer at all.

It's a good beer, but you'll have to leave it in the bottle for a while. I think Coopers say 12 weeks.
You could add some hops around day 7 or 8. How long are planning to leave it in the FV? 14 days?

Or make a hop tea when you bottle it. I sometimes make a hop tea at bottling time.
Strain the hops off and add it when I add the dextrose, as I bulk prime.

 

[nige]

When it's finished I may rack off into second to clear in cold then bottle back up to 18c for two weeks then leave them back in cold, not sure of exact times I'll drop hydro in end of next week mabe. What do you think, cheers

 

[nige]

I would bulk prime had it been going in a barrel but I read bottles seem to be the better option for larger although I will desolve sugar shringe into each I think

 

[nige]

Rack or leave in pf then bottle

 

[nige]

OK just took sample for hydro reading 1018 from og 1060 but still fermenting slowly, a bit carbonated should I give it a slow stir or leave. Tastes OK maybe a slight bitter edge to it but not bad considering it's still going, any thoughts appreciated.

 

[terrym]

OK just took sample for hydro reading 1018 from og 1060 but still fermenting slowly, a bit carbonated should I give it a slow stir or leave. Tastes OK maybe a slight bitter edge to it but not bad considering it's still going, any thoughts appreciated.

If its still fermenting why are you checking? Leave it alone. The time to check the SG is when its obviously finished and then some.

 

[nige]

It's very slow, I was hoping for a bit more mouth feel in this, so as it drops to finish is there any thing I could add? Thanks

 

[terrym]

Its always best to do a kit first time more or less as it comes. Then next time you know how to enhance it, or you simply don't do it again.
Given that you have already added lots of extras to the basic Euro lager kit my advice to you is to not add any more to it. Let it ferment out, bottle it when its done, let it carb up, then store it for a few weeks. Then find out how it has turned out. Beer in the FV is usually very different to the finished product.
And if you are a lager drinker buy a premium lager kit and brew it as it comes when your FV is empty. At least then you will have a good idea of how good (or bad) kit lager turns out. Premium kits usually deliver the best results for kits unless you have acquired some experience along the way and can enhance a cheaper kit geared to your own liking.

 

[nige]

I have tried to enhance this kit and I'm not saying it's bad but was hoping for a bit more viscosity to the larger, could I add flaked wheat?

 

[terrym]

No. It needs mashing to convert the starch.
I'm done. Others can advise you further.

 

[nige]

Sorry. Thanks anyway.

 

[nige]

I've decided to add 500g of medium Dme too this larger, I've got some saaz hops so will add some to and plan to add some now also maltodextrin before bottling.
So og was 1060 plua 500gms of dme, not sure how much abv this adds or if my yeast is up to the job as its nearing the end and very slow so I will pitch some m. Jack's belgian ale yeast M41 to make sure.

 

[nige]

I doubt I will be able to call it a larger now but don't mind playing around to find something I like.

 

[nige]

So decided to make candi sugar syrup from a pound of sugar then adding 1.1pound of medium malt dme and added saaz hops for 15 mins then strained colled it to temp then pitched some Belgium yeast over top, if it works its a much bigger beer than it was. Its bubbling again straight away!!

 

[nige]

This brew, I'll call it, og 1060 plus 1.1lb medium malt and 500 g of syrup is going well, not sure what abv will be, body and flavour, all of which as changed from original euro larger kit.

 

[terrym]

Just opened one of the last bottles of Euro lager I have which I bottled on 6 April this year and has been in my beer fridge ever since (lagering I suppose) apart from a few days carbing at the beginning. I brewed this to 22 litres with kit can plus 500g dextrose and 500g light DME and fermented it at 13.5*C with the kit yeast plus a spare Coopers AuPa yeast I had (which is half lager half ale yeast). I made a hop tea with 25g of hallertau and then chucked the lot in and left it for about 3 days at the end. So, first, 8 months on from bottling although it has been in a PET bottle the carbing is fine - as I expected it to be - not undercarbed as some suggest will happen when beer is stored in PET bottles for some time, nor is there any sign of 'oxidation' which is another criticism levelled at 'ordinary' PET bottles. And the impact of the hop tea/wet hop remains, which, had I just dry hopped would probably have gone ages ago. Anyway it has turned into a very refreshing drink, and has improved since I opened the last one about two months ago, its just a pity it's not the middle of summer when I could enjoy it in the garden, but a least it will complement the curry I made earlier.

 

[nige]

It's a recipe for summer though Terry, pity it's always the last that's best, enjoy

 

[Richy25]

HL ALL, im brewing cooper euro lager as my 3rd brew. I bought some Saaz hops to add to the kit as well as brew enhancer 3.

Can someone advise how much hops to use? and i guess I shoud just be dry hoping for up to 7 days before racking off and bottling? Many thanks. I did see someone said use Saaz at 10 -20g with this.....

 

[terrym]

HL ALL, im brewing cooper euro lager as my 3rd brew. I bought some Saaz hops to add to the kit as well as brew enhancer 3.

Can someone advise how much hops to use? and i guess I shoud just be dry hoping for up to 7 days before racking off and bottling? Many thanks. I did see someone said use Saaz at 10 -20g with this.....

What often happens with a dry hop, unless you use prodigious amounts of hops, is that is slowly disappears. My experience is that is has all but gone after 4 months. So with this lager, which needs 3 months or so to come good, is that the dry hop impact will have diminished considerably by the time you start to drink it, although of course you can always drink it earlier. That's up to you. I got round this problem by making up a hop tea and adding that, since hop teas don't seem to lose their impact with time. And I have done this with both Saaz and Hallertau and found that about 25g was enough for me, less might have been a little better, more and it became a dominant flavour which I wasn't keen on. But I always say what I like, you may not, we are all different when it comes to hops.

 

[Richy25]

thanks terrym, i'll research the hop tea method.