Coopers European Lager

[Prozac]

It's arrived

I bought some Saflager Yeast to try.... it says it'll be better to brew it cooler preferably 11-15C
This sounds like garage temperature... would it be ok to brew it in an unheated garage?

Also, glucose or Beer Enhancer?

Thanks

[StrangeBrew]

It's arrived

I bought some Saflager Yeast to try.... it says it'll be better to brew it cooler preferably 11-15C
This sounds like garage temperature... would it be ok to brew it in an unheated garage?

Also, glucose or Beer Enhancer?

Thanks

Brewing in your unheated garage will be fine as long as it doesn't drop too cold at night. It might be worth getting a digital minimum/maximum thermometer before you brew to get a rough idea if the temp in your garage fluctuates much.

My shed went down to 12.5c last night and up to 18c during the day, although this wouldn't really be a problem as Saflager has an over all temperature range of 11 to 24c and as it says on the pack, ideally 11 to 15c.

[Damfoose]

Not long cornied this brew and used the kit yeast, Brewed in the garage fine took 3 weeks though. tastes good as well this is one I will be brewing again.
As for fermentables I used 1 KG light spray malt.

[Prozac]

I think the garage will get too cold..... even for Saflager yeast My thermometer says it's about 14 degrees out there now and it's not got cold yet.... so I've moved it back indoors.

I'll see what the min overnight temperature drops to......

I may have made a piss weak brew anyway as I made it to 23L not 20L as the instructions (which I read just now ) stated Bugger.

[gullarm]

You have to remember when brewing lager in your shed/garage that the actual temp of the brew wont drop to the actual min temp or rise to the max temp.

Im sure some clever sod can work out how long it takes 40 pints of beer to drop in temp by 1 deg.

Using my large brain I have deduced - if the temp outisde ranges from 10-18 deg C the beer is going to be somewhere in between the lower quarter - say 12-13. Or cooling at night and warming back up in the day.

My lager is currently brewing in my shed and its currently 10.3 deg on the lid of my bin. The bubbles are still coming out of the airlock. this morning I couldnt see any action in the 2 mins I was in my shed, but there is now.

The SG was 1038 and its now at 1020 after 7 days, which means another 7-10 days and it will be done. The longer the better for Lager.

Last year it took over 3 weeks in the middle of winter using S23 yeast and the bin wrapped up in a towel sitting on a square of foam. The temp sensor on the lid hovered between 5 and 12 Deg. No bubbles in the morning and a few odd ones at night. The way I checked was to film it with my video camera then played it at fast forward. Stood there for ten minutes and nothing happened, fillmed it over and hour and it showed that the bubbles tend to come in bursts. Probably to do with the pressure getting to high then releasing.

[jdt199]

You have to remember when brewing lager in your shed/garage that the actual temp of the brew wont drop to the actual min temp or rise to the max temp.

Im sure some clever sod can work out how long it takes 40 pints of beer to drop in temp by 1 deg.

Using my large brain I have deduced - if the temp outisde ranges from 10-18 deg C the beer is going to be somewhere in between the lower quarter - say 12-13. Or cooling at night and warming back up in the day.

My lager is currently brewing in my shed and its currently 10.3 deg on the lid of my bin. The bubbles are still coming out of the airlock. this morning I couldnt see any action in the 2 mins I was in my shed, but there is now.

The SG was 1038 and its now at 1020 after 7 days, which means another 7-10 days and it will be done. The longer the better for Lager.

Last year it took over 3 weeks in the middle of winter using S23 yeast and the bin wrapped up in a towel sitting on a square of foam. The temp sensor on the lid hovered between 5 and 12 Deg. No bubbles in the morning and a few odd ones at night. The way I checked was to film it with my video camera then played it at fast forward. Stood there for ten minutes and nothing happened, fillmed it over and hour and it showed that the bubbles tend to come in bursts. Probably to do with the pressure getting to high then releasing.

And how was your finished lager then? I want to try the same and my kitchen is around 13-15 at the moment but can rise to 20 deg when Im cooking. Also did you go through a lagering process (storing at just above freezing) at all when you tried it?

[gullarm]

It was the best lager I have made to date - tried around 5 so far.

That was my 2nd attempt - Coopers Canadian Blonde + Brew enhancer + 13g of S23 yeast.

I couldnt LAGER proper due to not having the capacity in my fridge, and a wife.

Passed some on to my bro in law and a few friends and they thought it was great stuff.

It was around november time last year - hence the repeat of the experiment, hopefully the same results, but I drink it too soon.

Once this is brewed and bottled I will try another, should be even colder then, the time span is very long 3 weeks plus.


Tried a couple of other lagers earlier in the year, John Bulls Export lager and Bavarian Lager ( with included yeast ) and they came out pants. But still drinkable but wouldnt pass as a lager, more ale/lager mix. Quite dark in colour and a bit too bitter. Still have some in a cupboard and may try one or several at the weekend. Try not to drink in the week - no self control 1 turns into 7.

I think the key is True Lager yeast and low temp - its the only way.

I usualy brew IPA or Stout in my kitchen - and have just stuck the lager out the back door for a few days as couldnt get in my shed - put a few bin bags to keep the light off the brew. As long as you can see the CO2 rising its brewing.

[jdt199]

Great to hear you got good results, gullarm without lagering. Most posts on lager I have seen from people have used ale yeat at ale temps, which seems pointless, or they have gone full out lagering with a fridge and temp control. I want to try doing a lager (as you did) in a cool room (~12-15deg) without lagering as I don't have a spare fridge.

Do you think you lost much from not lagering? How good did it taste in comparison to a commercial lager?

[Prozac]

I think the garage will get too cold..... even for Saflager yeast My thermometer says it's about 14 degrees out there now and it's not got cold yet.... so I've moved it back indoors.

I'll see what the min overnight temperature drops to......

It got down to 7C in the Garage last night ..... In the light of everyones comments I may put it back out there and insulate it a bit with a sleeping bag..... and just leave it...... don't have a video camera though....

[Prozac]

Right, done it!! It's got going in the warm and has now been shifted to the unheated (and detached) garage.
I'd have thought Saflager --> http://www.fermentis.com/FO/EN/pdf/SaflagerS-23.pdf was a proper Lager Yeast.

I can feel a 3rd FV coming on.

[Prozac]

Slightly concerned for my lager fermenting in the garage..... thermometer recorded a low of 2.2C last night outside in the garage.....is this too cold? Almost proper lagering!!!!

[gullarm]

Right this post is a bit old now - so to speak.

But here is an update on my COOPERS EURO LAGER.

Still brewing with a current gravity of 1016, the temp is now 12.2 deg C in my shed and its been 2 weeks since I started the brew off.

Last night the temp around here was close to 2 deg C outside, dont know what it was in my shed I was out for a meal till late and it was bloddy cold in the street.

Looks like this is going to be another 3 weeker, then I will start another Lager hopefully using S23.

I dont think this yeast can get too cold, it just goes dormant until it warms up a bit.

[Prozac]

I'm sure mine is still trogging on.... just over a week old.

It'll be nearly 3 weeks by the time I get back from Kielder.

[Damfoose]

Had mine in the garage for 3 weeks pretty much brewing, dont worry about it as im sure it will be OK. Got it kegged but Im in need of another beer out gasket for my corney as the current one is letting gas into the out pipe so im getting a pint of foam at the moment ....

[Grumpy Hobbit]

I Had my first European Lager in the garage at about 15c with the kit yeast. The second one is in the garage now at about 10-12c but with s23 yeast this time. It got down to about 6c here last night and it slowed right down so out came an old sleeping bag and it got wrapped in that, this morning its away again quite well.

The first European took 3 weeks in the garage i think this one will be the same.

Oh and it tastes great