Cooper's "Burly Bavarian Lager"

[Guest]

Hi Guys,

The recipe on the Cooper's site recommends...

"Burly Bavarian Lager"

1 Can Coopers Bavarian Lager
1kg Brew Enhancer 1
500g Dried Light Malt
23L - (18-21 degrees Celcius)

Anyone tried it? Is it good on it's own.

Was thinking of reducing volume to 21L and adding 15-20g hallertau or hersbrucker hops and maybe 200g crytsal grain.

Thanks in advance.
PS Long live Cooper's and F*** off Lion Nathan

[cliffo]

I've just started drinking my batch after 2 1/2 months in the bottle. At 2 months it still wasn't drinkable but now everyone thats tried says how good it is.

Don't know if it was just me or its common for this brew but the time waiting for it to come good is certainly worth it...very nice drop.

BTW - brewed it at around 12 degrees, 1 1/2 weeks primary, 1 1/2 weeks in secondary

cliffo

[Lebowski]

I made one a while ago with brew enchancer 2 and kept it at a low temperature in a cellar but it didnt taste very great when I drank it.. though that might be my fault.

[NTRabbit]

I made the Burly Bavarian some months ago, bottled 30th of June. Gave it 3 weeks lagering in the beer fridge, plus the rest of the time til now for secondary. Took a while for it to gas up enough, but it got the thumbs up from all my friends 2 weekends ago.

[peterd]

I am surprised Coopers recommend brewing that at 18-21 degrees Celcius. The Bavarian Lager comes with a Saflager yeast: I would have thought 8-12 would have been a better temp range. Maybe it is just that even you Southern States are starting to emerge from the icy depths of winter, and they wanted to quote a Spring/Summer temp range?

[Oliver]

peterd,

The recommended brewing range of Cooper's beers has been discussed at length here before (can't find the thread, sorry). I can only put it down to Cooper's not wanting to put people off by recommending that they brew lagers at 12C (and people thus thinking their brew is ruined if it's brewed at a higher temperature). Plus the fact that fermentation is so much slower at these low temperatures.

That may also be why they recommend such a wide (and generally high) temperature range for most of their other homebrews.

Oliver

[peterd]

Thanks Oliver,
I do recall some of the discussions.
But if they think that 18-22 is OK, I cant understand why they dont then recommend a much wider range, such as 8-22 (since it is well-known that the yeast in question performs well (even optimally) at 8-12.
But I guess Coopers have bigger things on their minds at the moment eh?

[Dogger Dan]

Peterd

Idle speculation on my part here. Most of these kits are designed as kit and kilo with little or no maintenance. (Add hot water, stir etc). You and I and most of the folks here take this to the next level and create the optimum conditions for yeast to grow.

I am thinking Coopers need to ensure the maximum rapid growth of their yeast vs any other spoiling critter at that temperature. I am thinking there may be either something that grows better than yeast at those lower temps or with the ingredients the fermentation sticks at those temps.

Again, just idle speculation,

Dogger

[peterd]

DD,
your speculation seems reasonable. But I then ask why do Coopers bother to supply the (more expensive) Saflager with their Bavarian Lager (and their Pils): why not just stick with a "standard" ale yeast, saving time, trouble and expense, and arguably giving a better result at 18-22 than a lager yeast?
Ah, just when I think I have a handle on most of life's little mysteries, up pops another one

[stevem]

If you read the Stage 2 "brew" instructions for lagers on the new Coopers web site you will find that they recommend pitching at 20 C and then lowering the temp to 13 C

Cheers
Steve

[Dogger Dan]

Peterd,

An honest question that demands an honest answer. I will ponder deeply through the bottom of my glass and I promise I will not put the glass down until the answer comes to me. Truly a worthy cause for a Thursday night.

Thank You, I thought I was about to be stuck with meaningless diatribe surrounding the new legislation regarding nutritional information on retail packaging here in Canada

Dogger