First attempt

[Tazmaniandevil]

That's my Coopers European Lager in the FV, following the instructions on the tin. Specific gravity at start is 1050 @19ºC and the temperature under the stairs is reasonably constant. Looking forward to getting it into bottles in a couple of weeks(ish) then seeing whether this brewing malarkey is going to work out for me.
It will be interesting to see whether it turns out as well as people say.

 

[Covrich]

I would get the temp down as much as you can on that.. Coopers European Lager uses a proper lager yeast and will be much better around 14ºc 15ºc otherwise you may start to get funny flavours (I haven't brewed lager before so I cannot say for sure), it will go slower and may take up to 4 weeks.

Unless you have got a method of temp control you haven't picked the best time of year to brew lager.

 

[Tazmaniandevil]

I haven't brewed lager before so I cannot say for sure

Yeah, me neither, which is why I followed the manufacturer's instructions for the kit to the letter.
If I altered the method and it turned out rank, the manufacturer would just come back with, "you didn't follow the instructions properly," or some such.
19ºC was when I chucked the yeast in and tested the gravity. It's now sat under the stairs where the temperature is pretty much a constant 16ºC, which is right at the bottom end of what it says on the instructions.
If it tastes rancid, no-one can say I didn't follow the instructions.

 

[wheazy_joe]

I brewed both my Euro lagers under the stairs at pretty much 16 degrees and, whilst I haven't tried the second batch 'cos I just bottled it two weeks ago, the first batch was pretty good!

Plenty of patience with this one Taz and you will have a good beer. If you are feeling brave it can definitely be improved with a bit of dry hopping, some Saaz would be excellent.

I bottled mine with two carb drops to each 500ml bottle and the level of fizz is perfect for this type of lager.

 

[Sandimas]

Yeah, me neither, which is why I followed the manufacturer's instructions for the kit to the letter...... It's now sat under the stairs where the temperature is pretty much a constant 16ºC, which is right at the bottom end of what it says on the instructions.

Hmmm...are you sure you've read the instructions right? As Covrich says, that kit is pretty unique in that it uses a true lager yeast, I've brewed it several times at 13C - I don't have the instructions to hand, but do remember it came with a generic set of instructions for all the Coopers kits but with a specific reference to Coopers European Lager needing a lower fermentation temp.

At the end of the day, fermenting it at 16C won't ruin it, but 16C isn't at the bottom end of temp range for that specific kit, it'll ferment at much lowere temps which'll produce a cleaner lager taste.

 

[Tazmaniandevil]

Brewing notes for European Lager.
3. Preferred brewing temperature is at the low end of the recommended range (i.e. 21ºC). Coopers European Lager yeast can ferment as low as 13ºC.

I take that to mean the recommended temperature is around 21ºC but it will still ferment as low as 13ºC. Obviously I'm a complete beginner, and may have read this incorrectly. If Coopers believe the best temperature is 13ºC, then IMHO they should state that as the preferred temperature instead of 21ºC.

 

[Sandimas]

I'm really surprised it says that, as many of us would consider 21C on the high side for an ale yeast let alone a true lager yeast e.g. I've got a Coopers Stout sat at a nice cozy 20C at the moment. I normally brew Coopers European mid-winter after Xmas as that's when the house temps are at their lowest, have a feeling the instructions I read said a temp range of 8-16C for best results but of course they went in the bin 6 months ago. They may have changed the instructions too.

It'll probably be fine. Most ale kits and lager kits (such as Coopers Australian) use ale yeasts which work best 18-24C (I usually aim for 20), a few kits use a lager yeast which works best at cooler temps.

And if you want to make it even better, get some Hallertau or Saaz hops from your local shop or eBay (15-20g should do), chuck them in after 5 days of fermenting and leave them there until you bottle / keg. Oh, and don't follow the "it'll be done in 5 days" or whatever instrcutions, leave it a good 14 days at least and only move it when it starts to clear. :thumb: