Given that the OH prefers Fosters type lagers rather than pilsners, I decided to try a Cooper's Heritage lager kit, made up with a 1.6kg can of pale LME.
To be honest, the results are very disappointing. The colour is good, but it tastes rather insipid and wishy-washy, there's no head whatsoever and carbonation is poor despite bottling with 2tsp/litre of brewing sugar.
When the kit was made up, the smell was very promising - a very potent hoppy smell. However, as the fermentation went on, the strong hoppy smell diminished until it disappeared altogether and the resulting brew has absolutely no bite to it at all. It tasted like this immediately after bottling, and there seems to have been no improvement after a few weeks in the bottle.
It was fermented around the recommended 20 degrees with the supplied yeast (which I assume is an ale type). Would a lager yeast and a lower temperature really make all the difference?
I can't remember having much success with lagers previously, but there wasn't the choice available that there is now. Can anyone recommend a lager kit and brewing method that produces a good lager?
...or is the only answer to go for an AG or extract brew with fresh hops?
