Newbie help please

[Andrews]

I hope someone can help or has any advice

I've brewed my first lager, Coopers, followed the instructions.

it’s now ready, I’ve waited 10 weeks, it’s came out red in colour (not yellow) but tastes more like ale? It also doesn’t taste like it’s got much alcohol so I did a reading a few times and it’s coming out at 2.8%

can I do anything else now? And for next time, do I add more carbonation drops to make it stronger?

thanks for any help

 

[An Ankoù]

Welcome, Andrews.
After 10 weeks, there's not much you can do. What readings did you take that came out at 2.8%?
Is it drinkable? If so, drink and enjoy, regardless of the colour. May ask a few other questions, depending on your answers to these. But... If it's drinkable, drink it and enjoy it. I'll bet it's not 2.8% though.
Happy Easter.

 

[RichardM]

No, you don't add more carbonation drops to make it stronger. As @An Ankoù says tell us about the readings that make you think it is 2.8%

 

[Andrews]

I think it’s 1.020 on the reading

 

[Andrews]

It’s tastes ok but had 5 pints and didn’t feel anything

 

[Galena]

It’s tastes ok but had 5 pints and didn’t feel anything

If it tastes okay then enjoy it for what it is, there is nothing you can do with it now. But to be sure of the actual strength you need your Original Gravity (before pitching the yeast) and the finishing gravity.

 

[RichardM]

I think it’s 1.020 on the reading

Was the specific gravity when you bottled it?
If it was then it probably hadn't finished fermenting and may continue to ferment in the bottle, resulting in"gushers"

 

[An Ankoù]

Can you give us any more details? What kit was it? How much of the 10 weeks did it spend fermenting? Did you have to add something to the kit, like sugar or extra malt extract and did you do so? Was it 1020 before or after fermentation?

 

[Andrews]

Its was a coppers lager kit. Added that and the sugar as normal. it started around 1040 and checked after 2 weeks fermenting and went down to 1020. Then bottled it with sugar drops for another 2 weeks, then moved to the garage for 6 weeks. It reads the same at 1020 for alcohol. It red in colour not yellow, tastes like beer not lager, and doesn’t have any taste of alcohol in it, which is supported by the reading of 1020.