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My first brew (Coopers Dark Ale) will be bottled on the weekend and as I have enough bottles, it's straight on to brew 2. I have either a Coopers Lager or a Cascade Pale Ale. From what I've read, Lager should be done at colder temperatures so perhaps I'm better leaving that until next winter and finding a spot in the garage for the fermenter.

Naaaa, I think ya will be right. I have a fridge that I use to ferment in, so up here in QLD where it is starting to warm up a tad then I place the fermenter in the fridge drag the temp down to about 12C for a week then bring it down to 4C thereafter for the remainder of the time.

Fritzables.

I've got a Pale Ale to go down next, too.

But I've seen on here somewhere that these kits use Ale yeasts anyway....

I bought some SAFale yeast and Brewcraft Pale Ale enhancer for Cascade Pale Ale.

You can do it, but it won't be a true lager. The saflager yeast will ferment quite happily at higher temps, and will still produce quite a clean brew. It'll be closer to an American steam beer. Dunno what that means, but go for it if you feel like it.

From the Coopers website http://www.coopers.com.au/homebrew/make ... =3&bid=108
Lawnmower Lager - 25 litres

A recipe for the brewer who wants to make a low alcohol beer with good body and head retention. This recipe produces a beer designed to be chilled and "guzzled guiltlessly" after mowing the lawn or similar task.

Ingredients

* 1.7kg can Coopers Lager
* 1kg Coopers Brew Enhancer 1
* Nothing Else!
Method

1. Dissolve Coopers Lager and Brew Enhancer 1 in 3 litres of hot water.
2. Fill fermenter with cool water to the 25 litre mark and stir.
3. Sprinkle supplied yeast over the wort surface.
4. Ferment temperature should be in the range 21C-27C.
5. Bottle when specific gravity has reached 1.008 (or two readings the same over 24 hours).

Should go well
Cheers.

Errr, why would you want low alcohol beer? I certainly don't.

I think there is a valid place for ligther beer.

I love beer, but get woken up at 5 am by a 20 month old and try to deal with a hangover. Not a fun place to be.

Mid strength beer with flavour and body is my goal, I'm tired of drinking gold and commercial light beers they are so boring.

hey emo, what i do for my lagers is put the carboy in the laundry sink with an old t-shirt over it and fill sink with water. i then rotate 4 1.25 or 2 ltr frozen coke bottles in the water, 2 befor i go to work, 2 when i get home and 2 when i go to bed. works a treat at keeping the temps low, every now and then i chuck some ice blocks on the top of the fermenter as well, the t-shirt helps to draw the cold water out of the sink

Emo,

Errr, why would you want low alcohol beer? I certainly don't.

Mr. Green

Just ad sugars to suit your target alcohol.
I was referring to the ferment temps. Coopers say upto 27 degrees is ok. I have pitched the yeast at 34 degrees and all went Ok...
Don't know about the taste suiting others though.

Cheers.

hey emo, what i do for my lagers is put the carboy in the laundry sink with an old t-shirt over it and fill sink with water. i then rotate 4 1.25 or 2 ltr frozen coke bottles in the water, 2 befor i go to work, 2 when i get home and 2 when i go to bed. works a treat at keeping the temps low, every now and then i chuck some ice blocks on the top of the fermenter as well, the t-shirt helps to draw the cold water out of the sink

Great idea DF - mind if I use that??

go for it earl, pass it on, i picked it up from one of the beer forums

on another note earl, where were you last night? i was quite dissapointed to find that "my name is earl" was not on tellie last night...bloody survivor

Emo

If the the kit you are referring to is the Cooper's Lager from the "Original Series" then I believe it actually comes with an ale yeast so tempuratures around 18-20C will be fine. You only need to brew at colder temperatures if you are using a true lager yeast.

on another note earl, where were you last night? i was quite dissapointed to find that "my name is earl" was not on tellie last night...bloody survivor

Randy got his nuts caught in my rowing machine and I had to take him to the hospital......do you buy that?? Actually, I was choka-block up that latino cleaner (whatever her name is consuela?? - how good a sort is she!!)

My brew, with an S23, is brewing the fridge, but the temp's about 5 degrees... is this too cold? I'm seeing no action after 5 days. mind you, I haven't taken a reading to confirm this. But I'd expect some kind f foam.

Probably a bit too cool

Try letting it get up to 10-12 deg

Cheers

This was a post advising 5 degrees was too low to start fermentation. As the question had already been answered, this is now an an edited post advising...ummm...well...nothing.