Cooper's Lager kit tasting fruity?

[Rezer]

This is my second time brewing this kit and it still has a really fruity flavor to it. Is this just how the kit tastes?

I did 3.5 weeks in the primary at 65 f, bottled, and let them sit for 6 weeks in the bottle.

The flavor is still far too fruity for me. The first time around I didn't pay much attention to fermentation temperature, which I thought was the root of this problem, but this time around the flavor is still there.

Is it the yeast that comes with it? Is it just the flavor of the kit? Am I doing something wrong?

Any comments or suggestions, even other kits, would be appreciated, thanks!

 

[unionrdr]

If it's the Original Series lager kit, it uses their ale yeast packet. Their yeast has a natural "fruity" ester flavor. US-05 or the equivalent would taste cleaner. So it's actually a light pale ale.

 

[Rezer]

If it's the Original Series lager kit, it uses their ale yeast packet. Their yeast has a natural "fruity" ester flavor. US-05 or the equivalent would taste cleaner. So it's actually a light pale ale.

You again! I should just directly PM you by this point

Ya I'm thinking I need to pay more attention to the yeast that I'm using.

Is there a kit you would recommend to go with the US-05 to get a lager / pale ale style beer?

 

[M42]

The yeast Cooper's and their subsidiary, Mr. Beer, uses does give a fruity flavor. I have had it go away after five to six weeks of bottling conditioning. Using a different yeast is the key. The US-05 seems to be everybody's favorite, but I've used Munton's ale yeast, which is very inexpensive, and it produced a beer with no fruitiness.

 

[Yooper]

I'm not a Coopers fan a bit, as I've never made a good beer by using their kits or their yeast, or following their directions. I really think those fruity off flavors are just the nature of their "lager" kit, which isn't really a lager at all.

I'd get a better quality kit, that includes hops and yeast, and fresh crushed grains, and some quality extract, and just make a better beer. It does require a boil, but the quality and flavor is so much better that there is no comparison at all.

Like one of these: http://home-brewing.northernbrewer.com/search?asug=&view=grid&w=extract+kit

Quality matters, a lot, when brewing. While you may get something drinkable out of Mr. Beer or Cooper's kits, you can get something excellent from better kits.

 

[Rezer]

So I'm thinking I'll get my hands on US-05 yeast and try it with one of the extract kits again. I'm looking to make a clean, simple lager / pale ale flavor that's nothing too crazy.

And specific suggestions? Would one of the cooper's kits with us-05 do fine?

 

[boot_hill_brewery]

Why coopers and not a more modern kit recipe ? Coopers is one of the reasons extract brewing gets bashed so much.

 

[ol-hazza]

Go all grain, its far easier than i thought it would be

 

[unionrdr]

Not everybody's ready to go AG from the beginning. Yes, you could use US-05 with Cooper's cans, etc. S-04 is an English strain that works well & fast. Add an ounce of hops at 15 to 20 minutes left in the boil with that Cooper's OS lager can added at flame out for a better flavor balance.