Why are my lager kits so dark?

[Philjobooboo]

Hi all I've now brewed 3 different lager kits better brew ,wilko cerveza, brewers spring lager. But they are all really dark in colour! Don't even look like a lager, more like a ale/bitter. Anyone got any ideas.? Cheers Phil

 

[pittsy]

Morning , are you adding any dme such as medium (you should use extra light ) have you bottled it yet ( it looks darker in the fv than it is in a glass )

 

[Philjobooboo]

I used lme and brew enhanser in the wilko kit. But the other 2 were just brewers suger. All are bottled

 

[itbrvilla]

Have you pured one yet? Mine were very dark but after 3 weeks in bottle it definately looks like lager and tastes like lager.

 

[Aleman]

I think colour is the one thing that disappoints me with the kits, the lagers are always much darker than you woudl expect from the style / pic on the tin :)

The Coopers European made up with extra light DME turned out very dark, as you say ale like. I've had better luck with The Barons Pilsner and the Brupaks Brewers Choice German Pilsner which are much higher quality.

I can only think that the extra boiling (even under vacuum) causes the darkening reactions (The Mailliard reaction - between sugars and proteins). The all Dry Malt Extract Lager kits seem to me to be much paler than ones made with LME which ween sot back this up, as the Dry extract does not undergo this extended boiling during production.

 

[calumscott]

The Better Brew Export Lager brewed with Extra Light DME was the closest thing to a lager I've managed with a kit. It was still a touch darker than I would have liked but certainly passed for a lager...

 

[GavH]

My recent Coopers Pilsner was made with a 1kg of BKE (half of which I assume is Medium DME) and 500g of Light DME. It came out perfectly Pale. Contrast that with the Euro lager which was made with just 1kg of BKE and it came out noticeably darker, however after several months in the garage, I'm pretty sure it has lightened up somewhat.

 

[RobertP]

Interesting thread. I've often thought the lager kits I've made turn out darker than expected. coopers canadian blonde was really dark.

I made the wilco cerveza a couple of months ago. It has turned out the lightest coloured of anything I have made to date. Just a shame it tastes so awful. Has a real twang in it. hoping it will improve with time.

 

[Templar]

I'm probably the only one to say it, but I actually like the darker lagers. They have more body than regular lagers but they are more refreshing that a bitter at times.

That being said, the Wilko Light Golden Lager wasn't as dark as the other two Wilko ones. Can't remember if I put DME in any of them.

 

[Philjobooboo]

here's the wilko cerveza lager. spent 2 weeks in the warm and has had 3 weeks in the garage. made with lme and brew kit enhancer. I think its really dark, its drinkable, but by no means a lager.....http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/ae67 ... fa8be2.jpg

 

[johnnyboy1965]

Do you think its because we have been "conditioned" to think that all "lagers" should be very light in colour?
Ive just finished brewing a Wheat beer using 40% wheat and 60% maris otter and it has come out 8 SRM/16 EBC
I would love to brew a Wheatbeer hat is the same colour as .....sorry Ive forgotten the name but it was clearly "white"

 

[johnnyboy1965]

here's the wilko cerveza lager. spent 2 weeks in the warm and has had 3 weeks in the garage. made with lme and brew kit enhancer. I think its really dark, its drinkable, but by no means a lager.....http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/ae67 ... fa8be2.jpg

That is dark

 

[johnnyboy1965]

And isn't "lagering" a technique, as apposed to a description?

 

[Diggerg]

I've never seen a cerveza that dark.

 

[Philjobooboo]

So far all 3 kits are dark. The brewers spring lager which is on the go, I used still water from the asda, here in telford the water is really hard, and full of chlorine. So will have to see how that comes out. The wilko cerveza tastes ok but is by no means a lager style drink

 

[Rwilts]

I just bottled a wilko cerveza last month. Don't have a pic but it's a lot lighter than that :wha:

O yes I do.