coopers lager kit cloudy beer

wort has been ferminting for 8 days now and is cloudy. the recipe is a coopers lager kit (my first brew). Now the beer tast great and smells ok it is just cloudy. i plan on ferminting for another week for a total of 2 weeks. any suggestions on how to clear up the beer. I would love any advise. should i leave it up to three weeks in the ferminter beror bottleing. also the temp has been a constant 78deg F,

thanks
Mike
Houston Texas

give it time. just give it time.

the yeast will settle to the bottom. and you are fermenting hot, but should be ok for a first brew.

It will probably be cloudy for a month or 6 weeks...

If it is a lager, you fermented it WAY too hot. Lagers ferment in the 55F range... then endure a long period of cold aging (4-6 weeks), which is called lagering.

It is a lager? And it fermented in the upper 70s? That is way hot even for an ale.

The Pol said:

It will probably be cloudy for a month or 6 weeks...

If it is a lager, you fermented it WAY too hot. Lagers ferment in the 55F range... then endure a long period of cold aging (4-6 weeks), which is called lagering.

It is a lager? And it fermented in the upper 70s? That is way hot even for an ale.

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Cooper's kits come with ale yeast so the temp does not have to be so cold. That said, it is still too hot and needs to be around 70 or lower. But the damage is done since you have already been through the first week. It will have a lot of cidery and or fruity flavors.

On a good note, this is your first beer and you will improve on your techniques. Welcome to HBT fellow Texan!

So a Coopers Lager kit comes with Ale yeast? SO what exactly makes it a lager? Anything? The box?

The Pol said:

So a Coopers Lager kit comes with Ale yeast? SO what exactly makes it a lager? Anything? The box?

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Umm, not much really. Just a poor man's/newbs lager? Even though it's an ale now... Im confused. Time to drink another..

The only thing that makes a lager... a lager... is the yeast, fermentation and cold aging. So if Coopers is brewed just like an ale, with ale yeast... it is an ale. That is funny.

I have been brewing lagers for years and didnt know it!

the box says it is a lager so by god it is a lager

The Pol said:

The only thing that makes a lager... a lager... is the yeast, fermentation and cold aging. So if Coopers is brewed just like an ale, with ale yeast... it is an ale. That is funny.

I have been brewing lagers for years and didnt know it!

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Agreed. So if you subbed let's say an S-23 instead of the coopers ale yeast that comes with it and did the necessary steps it could actually be called a lager. But the Cooper's kit's are for simplicity in the first place so that won't be happening, at least not with the kits.

Ok I already had plans to convert my small deep freeze into frig for lager ferminting. I had planned on doing this but didnt know why. Now i know if i want lager then i will have to lager it in the cold. so If i fermint cold at say 55 or 60 do i still want the bottles to stay clold while they age?

mk1271 said:

Ok I already had plans to convert my small deep freeze into frig for lager ferminting. I had planned on doing this but didnt know why. Now i know if i want lager then i will have to lager it in the cold. so If i fermint cold at say 55 or 60 do i still want the bottles to stay clold while they age

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No, even lagers bottle age at room temperature.

mk1271 said:

Ok I already had plans to convert my small deep freeze into frig for lager ferminting. I had planned on doing this but didnt know why. Now i know if i want lager then i will have to lager it in the cold. so If i fermint cold at say 55 or 60 do i still want the bottles to stay clold while they age?

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Well, at this point, it was brewed with ale yeast, at temps too hot for an ale yeast to ferment properly... so I dont think it matters how you age it. It isnt a lager by any means.

Bottle it, carb it, then let the bottles sit cold for 4 weeks, it will clear.

The Pol said:

Well, at this point, it was brewed with ale yeast, at temps too hot for an ale yeast to ferment properly... so I dont think it matters how you age it. It isnt a lager by any means.

Bottle it, carb it, then let the bottles sit cold for 4 weeks, it will clear.

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I was thinking he meant for his next batch, but i could be wrong... It's happened before. :cross:

i ment my second batch will be done cold

mk1271 said:

i ment my second batch will be done cold

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If you ferment it cold, you will want a lager yeast... sounds like Coopers makes thier lagers with ale yeast? Wierd.

You will do good with some W-34/70 lager yeast. The S-23 has gotten some bad reviews.

Coppers is a brewery in Australia that makes a popular lager beer, along with a lot of homebrew stuff. This kit is a "clone" type recipe of their lager, with ale yeast since it's meant for the beginning homebrewer.

Rant time:
Also, technically in the state of Texas it is a lager, because anything under 4.0% abw (5.1% abv) is a lager, and anything over is a malt liqour. Nice how the TABC gets to change microbiology at their whim. Here's a great line from the law...

The word ale may be substituted for the words malt liquor. Further, NO malt beverage containing 4.0 of alcohol by weight or less shall be designated in any advertisement as an ale or malt liquor. While these amendments allow manufacturers some latitude in classifying their products, the amendments duly serve to ensure proper taxation and prevent consumer confusion.

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Prevent consumer confusion my ass, more like helping keep good brewers out of the state. We have to call a couple of our lagers ales, and Shiner makes a dopple bock at around 9% that is made with lager yeast but called an ale on the label. Porters and stouts are also considered in separate categories by themselves.

The Pol said:

If you ferment it cold, you will want a lager yeast... sounds like Coopers makes thier lagers with ale yeast? Wierd.

You will do good with some W-34/70 lager yeast. The S-23 has gotten some bad reviews.

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cooper just gears it for the first timer. i am a big fan of learning from mistakes as long as they dont cost to much

mk1271 said:

cooper just gears it for the first timer. i am a big fan of learning from mistakes as long as they dont cost to much

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Then they shouldnt confuse beginners by calling an ALE a LAGER...

i agree

Those pesky australians .... always trying to confuse us newbs.

I wouldn't worry about the type of yeast in a kit. I highly doubt any of us are really EACs, so just leave it alone.

I've tried the "lager" kits, it tastes better than the BMCs, and that's about all we need to know. When the cooler weather hits, then I'll specifically go and make many batches of lagers, after a summer of pale ales, stouts, and amber ales.

And if you still have a problem with the yeast classification in the kits, check out my sig line.

Vuarra said:

I've tried the "lager" kits, it tastes better than the BMCs, and that's about all we need to know.

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I agree entirely. My father recently brewed a "lager" using one of the more expensive kits that contains a 15L bladder (Brewhouse, correct me if I'm wrong) full of partially-condensed wort. I'm not sure whether or not the dry yeast that was included in the kit was a lager strain or not but he fermented at ale temps or slightly below, perhaps 64-68*F. Regardless of having fermented it at these temperatures for only 3 weeks before bottling it was still better than the Coors I drank with it to make my point to a friend.

My point was that even if you don't pay attention to all of the rules while home brewing you'll often end up with a product that can still kick the ass of BMCs any day!

The Pol said:

Then they shouldnt confuse beginners by calling an ALE a LAGER...

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The confusion gets worse... they make an ale kit too!!

What also through me for a spin is the lager kit says anywhere between 21-27 degrees C. Everyone here says 22 is high even. (Mine was at 22-23) and at 3 weeks is missing the mark. She's tasting a little apple'ish.

I brewed mine for 8 days came out clear, now in bottles will wait the allotted. this is also my first batch using a coopers kit

waterboy said:

I brewed mine for 8 days came out clear, now in bottles will wait the allotted. this is also my first batch using a coopers kit

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Wait 3-4 weeks in the bottles and you'll be rather surprised how clear it comes out. So long as you don't pour the entire bottle into your glass - meaning leave the settled stuff at the bottom in the bottle. I poured my last one yesterday after 4 weeks in the bottle and marveled at how clear it was. It was as clear as any commercial lager type beer, though yeah I know the Cooper's is actually an ale. Any sooner than 3 weeks it will be hazy/cloudy.


Rev.