Question about Coopers Lager

I am going to use a can of coopers pre-hopped malt extract to brew my first batch of beer with. Just to keep it as simple as possible for my first try.

I am thinking of using the Lager mix. I was wondering if anyone else here has used it?


If so, what commercial beer would you compare it too? Was it any good (considering what it is)? How long did it take to ferment?

Cooper's Lager kit was the first homebrew I ever made. They call it a lager, but the directions tell you to ferment at ale temperatures. They also tell you to add dextrose to make up the rest of the fermentables.
It tasted similar to a basic, light lager with little body and hops. I was a newb so I followed directions. IIRC, they said only keep it in primary for 7-10 days, then three weeks in bottles.
If I were to do it over again and keep it simple, I would toss out the directions, boil as much water as possible, add the can of Cooper's Lager plus another can of light LME, cool and top-up with water. If you have a means of controlling the temperature, such as a spare fridge to ferment in, you can make this a TRUE lager by buying a packet of real lager yeast and following the lager fermenting steps you can find in many of the lager recipes on the board.
If not, you can pitch the yeast that came with it and ferment at room temperature. That's what I did. However, I would leave it in the primary far longer than Cooper's directs. Leave it for 2-3 weeks, then bottle and let the bottles condition for at least a month, if not longer.
However complicated you want to make it, it will turn out fine.

What would happen if I fermented for 1 week and in bottle for 1 week?

Panther1911 said:

What would happen if I fermented for 1 week and in bottle for 1 week?

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It may not be fully fermented and it certainly wont be fully carbed. You could risk bottle bombs. I would go with at least the recommended days on the directions. Notice I said AT LEAST.

Does any one know which of the Coopers mixes I can do for 7-10 days in fermenter and 1 week in bottles for carbonation?

I'd go with none. 1 week in the bottle isn't going to properly carb any beer. Repeat after me, 3 weeks at 70+ in the bottle. That's what most folks here will recommend and it's a good recommendation. If you can keg, it's possible to get a drinkable beer more quickly.

Terje

Edit: 7-10 days in primary is possible, but generally speaking, the longer you can give the yeast to do their business the better. Some folks go with a 1-2-3 method as in 1 week primary, 2 weeks secondary, 3 weeks in the bottle and drink.

All Right, thanks guys. I am just really excited to drink Home brew!!!! :cross:

Newb question: What is the purpose of primary and secondary brewing? What do you have to do when you witch it(beside rack it, ie: do yo need to add anything)?

Re: primary and secondary, read this:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/vs-pro-con-analysis-109318/
Scroll down to the part on primaries and secondaries. While you are there, you should just read the whole thing. It's very informative. All the sticky topics at the top of the beginner's forum are good to read.

Vic_Sinclair said:

Re: primary and secondary, read this:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/vs-pro-con-analysis-109318/
Scroll down to the part on primaries and secondaries. While you are there, you should just read the whole thing. It's very informative. All the sticky topics at the top of the beginner's forum are good to read.

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thanks Vic!

I started with the Cooper's Lager as my first batch. As has been already stated their standard Lager isn't really a lager, but an ale. Their European lager is a true lager if directions are followed. It takes quite a bit longer though. Three weeks in the primary, 12 weeks in the bottles. But it sounds like you don't want to wait that long.

When I make beer from the prehopped kits I usually make the following changes.

1) I leave out the corn sugar, and instead add 1 3.3 lbs of liquid malt extract.

2) I make it as a 5 gallon batch instead of 6.

I think the beer turns out really good this way. If you like your beer on the lighter side, then follow the directions as is. Also, someone suggested boiling. You really shouldn't boil a pre-hopped kit, because you will boil off the hop aromas. All you really need to do is dump the cans in the fermentor, and rinse them out with hot water from a tea kettle. Stir and add cold water. If you do that you will be really close to the recommended temperature and you wont have to wait for the temperature to come down.

If you want my opinion about the Lager, I'd say it's good, but not my favorite. My favorite Cooper's kit is the Wheat beer. I think I've made about 4 batches of that over the last 12 months. I like to add fruit flavor to it so I can have a raspberry wheat or a blackberry wheat. Their European Lager is a good one too, but it takes longer to make. 12 weeks in the bottles was killing me. My wife kept yelling at me for snitching them early.
I think Cooper's kits are a great way to start brewing. Good luck.

I made several to start my brewing career with. I don't consider it "brewing", I would call it reconstituting. No boil means you are just basically rehydrating what they already brewed and then fermenting. Sure cuts down on bottling & shipping costs that way. I found the beers to be drinkable as long as I did not tinker with the recipes. Now being more experienced I could tinker with the kits and get a better beer but I can't see why I would want to.

The Heritage lager was the one I used the most and the yeast included is a hybrid ale/lager according to Frank Akers Home Brew Advisor Coopers Brewery Adelaide, SA

Bottom line is that it helped me learn brewing in a fast and painless way. The fermenter that is included in the kit is a pretty useful piece of equipment and I still use it every once in awhile for brewing. Within my first year I went from Coopers to All grain and am very happy with how fast I learned the entire process.

brian_g said:

I like to add fruit flavor to it so I can have a raspberry wheat or a blackberry wheat.

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How much flavoring did you add and at what point in the process?

Is it cooper's euro lager you've used? I've made fairly crisp batches from it fermenting at all temps. Really it doesn't get much easier. The yeast is EXTREMELY forgiving. You don't need to worry about hops either because lagers don't need anymore than what is already in it.

I'm thinking of using it to make a PM octoberfest next.

It'll be beer, it'll be drinkable. Just allow enough time for carbination.

Panther1911 said:

How much flavoring did you add and at what point in the process?

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This is where I bought the fruit flavor it's toward the bottom of the page.
Fruit flavoring - Dried herbs - Beer making supplies - Wine making supplies

I found that a 4 oz bottle works pretty good for a 5 gal batch. The page includes instructions for how much to use. I found that it gives a noticeable flavor, but not overpowering. We tried one batch with 4 oz of raspberry in 6 gallons of beer, and it didn't taste right. It was too light. As if it was suppose to have flavor but it wasn't quite their.

I added the flavoring right before bottling. When I first started brewing, I bottle right from the primary fermentor (I didn't have a bottling bucket). I just stirred the flavor in very carefully so as not to mix up the yeast. (up and down motions with the spoon.)

Also, keep in mind that the fruit flavor fades with age. So if you taste your first bottle after 3 weeks it will be stronger then a bottle tasted after 3 months.

petep1980 said:

Is it cooper's euro lager you've used? I've made fairly crisp batches from it fermenting at all temps. Really it doesn't get much easier. The yeast is EXTREMELY forgiving. You don't need to worry about hops either because lagers don't need anymore than what is already in it.

I'm thinking of using it to make a PM octoberfest next.

It'll be beer, it'll be drinkable. Just allow enough time for carbination.

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I think he said the standard lager. The European lager instructions do recommend a cold fermentation.

But I have found the Cooper's yeast to be very forgiving as well. You need to speak up more. It's seems like I'm all alone, every time someone posts a thread "it's 85F in my apartment, what do I do." I keep suggesting the Cooper's ale yeast, but it seems like I'm the only one.

I picked up my can of Cooper's Lager at the local HBS. Should I make 5gal or 6? Will I run the risk of Blow off or what ever its called when the foam builds too much pressure, when using a 6.5 gal fermenter with 6gal of wort? 5gal?

I hope to start tonight

Making 6 gallons in 6.5 gallon container definitely warrants using a blowoff tube. I personally would not use a blowoff tube if making 5 gallons in a 6.5 gallon container, but some members on the board always advise a blowoff tube.
One caveat: this advice is only good because I know you are making Cooper's Lager. If you were making a high gravity beer or a hefe that is prone to vigorous fermentation, you may want to use a blowoff tube even if you have a lot of headspace. Generally, more vigorous fermentation = more krausen.

I've used the Cooper's Lagar kit to make nice honey ale. Just add 2-3 lbs of honey and S-33 yeast (don't use the included Cooper's yeast). Pretty decent brew but if I do it again I'll dry-hop it with about 1/2oz Goldings hops. The Cooper's fermenter is well over 7.5 gals so there's plenty of headspace for a vigorous ferment. If you are going to cut it down to 5 gals, I'd add another yeast packet for the higher gravity.

The first two batches I made were with cooper's lager yeast. I didn't know there was such a thing as "pitching temperature". I pitched both batches around 120° I would say. Got like 65% attenuation, but the beer was drinkable.

for now I am using a plastic bucket that is probably close to 7gal, I made 5gal.

Ive got the Coopers Lager on now mate, I gave it 5 days in the primary and will give it at least two weeks before drinking. Just hoping it works out as I need a cheap drink as stocks have dropped to nil. If you do decide to give it a minimum in the primary make sure the bubbles have at least stopped and store it somewhere safe as it could explode :rockin:

I was thinking about leaving it in the primary for 7 days and then bottle

I picked up the Coopers Microbrew system in March when it was on sale. Came with the Lager kit, so it was my first beer. I didn't have high expectations since it only had one can of extract and filled in the rest with adjuncts for 23 liters. It is pretty bland tasting to me, but I did take it to a party and everyone liked the beer, so it probably compares favorably to BMC. Honestly, I've been using it for slug bait this summer. Keeps the critters off my tomatoes. Most extract + steeping grain kits that you can buy from a LHBS will be light years better than this beer.

Assuming that you have a 3.75 lb can, I'd suggest making 4 gallons because the Cooper's kit packages normally contain 2.2lbs of corn sugar and maltodextrin to make 23 liters. Primary for three weeks before bottling, then giving it another three weeks in the bottles to condition. Should be ready to go by then. I made the mistake of only leaving mine in the primary for 10 days and tried my first beer after having been bottled 10 days... and it was very green tasting. Good luck with your brew.

Actually I am looking for a good BMC beer for friends and partys, so that is good to know.

Panther. Once a scientist, (long boils with big pots) I have gone back to my lazy roots so to speak. The canned kits are excellent these days. Make it like they say and you will have excellent brew in no time.

The only way I veer from the instructions are to use a pot to heat up a little water (1-2 litres maybe) and then mix the can and sugar till disolved. Next is some ice to cool it down, then water from the hose to fill. Because you have not boiled all the oxygen out of the water the yeast gets a good fast start in about 4 hours or so. Pitch your re-hydrated yeast to ferment for 5-6 days.

I don't secondary, it goes right to bottles.
When bottling .... do it in order so you cap the first one you filled, this 1/2 hour delay lets the left over carbonation chase out the air in the bottles' neck. This may or may not be important but that's a nod to the former scientist in me.

Your beer will be excellent, well carbonated panther piss in a week and a tiny bit better in 3 weeks.... that's what i have found anyway.

Okay, with the Coopers Lager OS kit...I had it fermentating for 11 days and the Hydrometer reading stablized to 1006 on it for 3 days in a row. I bottled it.
I also tasted it during bottling and noted a bit of a bitter aftertaste to it. I was somewhat disappointed since I don't like my beer too bitter; but its bottled now.
Is that the norm for that kit; or can I expect some improvements over 3 weeks? What about more weeks?

Wow you've been all over this site and went back in time a good spell .. note date. It's all good tho as beer is beer and nothing changes much.
I can't drink or even taste beer while bottling the stuff - so the short answer is yes it will improve with some bottle conditioning.

Ha-ha...say you bottle it and there's a couple of ounces left in you bottling pail....you wouldn't try even your own brew????