Is there such a thing as a decent larger kit ?

[Ken L]

I've only recently returned to brewing and am making several sorts of dark beers from kits with great success but when I was brewing before, I always used to find that lager kits were disapointing.
Now, cheap lager is available from any supermarket when the offers are on but are there any decent quality kits out there that will produce a good result at a price point better than that of the supermarkets ?

 

[darrenwest1]

i like the munters continental pilsner
But it is not all about cheap lager more about good tasting cheap beer

 

[abeyptfc]

the coopers draught (i know its not a lager but i love lager and this is very nice and drinkable!) turned out well for me, im bottling my coopers cerveza later today so I'll have a try when bottling and report back,. my coopers lager kit is still fermenting, wont be bottling till next week but will report back aswell!

 

[Ken L]

I might give the Coopers a go. Thanks for the recomendation. I'm after something light that tastes decent and it looks like that might fit the bill.

 

[GazOC]

Coopers Australian is a good pint.

 

[Cussword]

Coopers Canadian Blonde is really good :thumb:

 

[chrisb2k]

I've just put a Coopers European in the keg. First wee tipple suggests it will be more than half decent. I figure if it tastes good after a day in the keg then in 4 weeks it will be a winner!

 

[Aleman]

The Heart Of England Range is very good (From Hamstead Homebrew) excellent quality extract, very fresh . . . The Design a Brew range is worth playing with I'm going for a wheat/weiss beer using 2 of the DAB No.1 Bases and a Hallertau Teabag . . . WB06 yeast and made up to about 19L instead of 23. . . . I think the Lager that I had at HHB was really good for a kit beer.

 

[Ken L]

A big thanks for the Coopers recomendatio. Not really a lager but Coopers draught is a cracking drink.

 

[abeyptfc]

A big thanks for the Coopers recomendatio. Not really a lager but Coopers draught is a cracking drink.

glad to hear it :thumb:

 

[MikeB]

I'm interested in this. Lager was all I used to do in my previous brewing life, but now I've come back to it I am primarily an ale drinker so that's what I'll concentrate on brewing.

However I'd like to find a lager kit that is really worth making. My intention is to brew the first batch in about Feb next year, and bottle for the summer: I've read somewhere that lager is far superior when conditioned for a good length of time. Is this right?

I might be into extract brewing by the time this comes about so any recipes/kit recommendations appreciated :thumb:

 

[abeyptfc]

as said before the coopers is decent and drinkable,I've done about 5 different coopers kits, lager,draught,cerveza,candian blonde and euro lager, the european lager is still in the bottles so cant comment on that but there isnt a great deal of difference with the kits that I have noticed.to me they all taste pretty similar, i bet you they just make up different labels for the front of cans but its really the same thing in each one!
I've recently brewed 2 of the tom caxton kits, real ale and the lager aswell, just to see if any of the kits are better than the coopers,

 

[Lobes]

I've fone a couple of the Coopers Cerveza kits and they're pretty tasty. Definitely needs lime though!

 

[Grumpy Jack]

Try the Coopers Sparkling, it's a cracking pint, a golden ale that's had quite a few of my lager drinking mates turn round and say they'd actually buy it in a pub in preference to the usual suspects. It's a little more expensive than their usual range, around the £13-£14 a can mark but is worth EVERY penny! :thumb:

 

[MikeB]

Try the Coopers Sparkling, it's a cracking pint, a golden ale that's had quite a few of my lager drinking mates turn round and say they'd actually buy it in a pub in preference to the usual suspects. It's a little more expensive than their usual range, around the £13-£14 a can mark but is worth EVERY penny! :thumb:

Do you bottle-condition it? And if so, how long is optimum? I want a couple of decent batches ready for the summer months, so am prepared to do them good and early if necessary.

 

[Grumpy Jack]

Yes, bottle condition it and it's very drinkable after a month, if you've the time, then three months is an absolutely perfect timescale... I managed to save a couple of bottles for almost six months - and it was worth waiting for!

 

[broadfordbrewer]

Hi GrumpyJack, I see you did the Brewferm Tarwebier. Have you tried it yet? Mine is about 6 weeks + old and is really very good. :thumb: I can see why they recommend an 8 week conditioning period.

 

[Grumpy Jack]

Hi GrumpyJack, I see you did the Brewferm Tarwebier. Have you tried it yet? Mine is about 6 weeks + old and is really very good. :thumb: I can see why they recommend an 8 week conditioning period.

Hi bf,

Yes I've tried the Tarwebier and it is excellent, so good that I'm about to bottle my second brew, and I've got a mate doing one too because he was so impressed. Only downside is that it only makes around 20 bottles... and they're going very quickly!

The Brewferm Diabolo is pretty good too, but not quite so good as the Tarwebier! :lol: