starting a new brew avoiding problems

[rmuk82]

Hi

I am planning on starting a new brew soon, however my last lot and first time brewing didn't turn out to well, the lager tasted very watery, was bland and very gassy and wouldn't form much of a head, any ideas what could have caused this?

Thanks very much

 

[PD]

yes it was a lager........

Not the best of brews to start with I'm afraid.

Try an India Pale Ale English Ale or even a stout.
Whatever time intervals they say in the instructions...double it. Dont make it up to the full amount stated do it 3 litres less.
Use a 1 kg of beer enhancer insteas of ordinary sugar. 1level tsp of priming sugar to a 500ml bottle and then give it 2 weeks warmish and a week or two or longer somewhere cool.

 

[rmuk82]

are lagers more difficult to master? my house is pretty cold even in the summer although I did wrap it in a old duvet, would I be best of getting a brewing belt to ensure its warm enough?

 

[PD]

lagers need it cooler than beers actually, but in my experience and IMHO lagers are not very forgiving in how they turn out. They are either a decent drink or (and more usually) you end up being disappointed with them.
But your welcome to prove me wrong, have a look around the forums, especially the How to, and kit recipe sections, lots of folks have posted re lagers.

 

[rmuk82]

do you think it would be best for a brewing belt for the fermenting bin? fermenting seemed to get stuck so some suggested stiring it to get it activated again maybe this might have caused it to go funny

 

[PD]

reading from your first post, my impression of what was probably wrong with it was you didn't give it enough time to ferment out ,carbonate, and then mature in the bottle. That.s not wrong, its understandable on your first brews, we are all guilty of impatience.
Heat belts have their part to play during the winter period and will help to stabilise the temp of your brew.
But the most important ingredient...is time. Something the manufacturers gloss over and tell little lies about.

 

[rmuk82]

Thanks I think it was in the fv for about three weeks then in bottle for about two weeks then left in larder for a few month or so could I have left it to long? But one thing I'm not sure of the copper kit said you didn't have to sterilise things the first time maybe this was wrong and I should have sterilised?