# Tooheys Special Lager



## govorko1974 (20/3/11)

gidday all...was in the supermarket and saw they had tooheys lager tins on special for $7 so decided to buy one to try it out...was just wondering if anyone out there has used these as so far in my brewing life have only used coopers Intl series kits...am planning on the following recipe with what i have lying around

Tooheys "special" Lager ( why do they call it special)
Cooper B/E 1
Light dry malt 250g ( all i have left)
25g POR hops steeped in boiling water for 20 mins
US-05 yeast 
Am planning on fermenting at 18-19 deg..

Any thoughts would be appreciated...or are the kits that bad i should save the hops and malt for my normal pale ale


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## Cube (20/3/11)

I've used these brfore and a two can and they always tasted 'raw' or very 'homebrewy' if you know what I mean. They are also very dark for a lager. I'd throw in a KG of malt for more maltieness and do several hop boils say 20 ins and 10 mins.

US05 is good and temp is right. 

You will not brew it again I'm picking after brewing the Intl. series kits.


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## Pourmeanother (20/3/11)

This was the can of goo that came with my starter kit . Drank a bottle last night its drinkable but Nothing SPECIAL as I only brewed it by the can directions . 

I dont think you could go wrong throwing the extra ingredients at it . Can only improve it .

I have got a Tooheys Draft BE2 + 500g LDM going at the minute but cant comment on that as it hasent finished yet . 

Cheers Todd


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## govorko1974 (20/3/11)

Not sure but might just cut my loses($7) and forget about using it...doesn't sound like it's to special at all


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## ploto (20/3/11)

Well I wouldn't be writing it off entirely, you may yet find a good use for it as the bittering component of a kit / extract combo. I think you could make a decent beer out if it with what you have on hand and it gets rid of it all so you can start the next brew with fresh ingredients.

Boil up the 250g of LME with 2.5l of water (you will get better hop utilisation than with water alone) and use the hops 15g @ 15mins & 10g @ 0, or dry hop it 4-5 days into fermentation. I've not used POR myself so others may have a better idea for timing the additions.

At the very least you will be taking a step on from straight kit brewing, worst case scenario you make some beer (as some wise person on here once said)


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## flano (21/3/11)

I tipped a keg of it out.

It was shithouse.


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## hotchilli (21/3/11)

I picked up a few of these at $7 last year. From memory, the last one I did was:

- 1 can Tooheys Special Lager
- 250g LDME
- 1kg dextrose
- 12g williamette @15min (I had this lying around in the freezer)
- US05
- brewed at 18 deg C

(I think I also put some other hops in at 5 min, but will have to check)

It wasn't too bad - certainly nothing great, but quite drinkable. The hops additions gave it a bit of character and the little bit of malt added a bit of body. For a quick cheapie, it was worthwhile. I'd do it again.


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## govorko1974 (21/3/11)

with the lack of replies i take it not many people have used tooheys or dont rate it...might make it up and see what it turns out like just so i know whether to steer clear of it next time it is on special...and if it taste like crap will give it to my beer swilling mate next time he is over


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (21/3/11)

govorko1974 said:


> with the lack of replies i take it not many people have used tooheys or dont rate it...might make it up and see what it turns out like just so i know whether to steer clear of it next time it is on special...and if it taste like crap will give it to my beer swilling mate next time he is over



Mate, given you are in Mossman, the other thing you will need to do is work out temp control. The weather is going to be warm most of the time there (my missus is from FNQ), and brewing kit beer at 26 or more degrees isn't going to produce a great result. Ideally you'd prefer it to be brewed at 18-20 degrees. it will take longer, but the yeast doesn't produce so many off flavours (minty, metho-ey).

The instructions on the lid lie. Never ever brew at 28 degrees or whatever obscenely high temp they state.

A couple of my brews that I did when the flood was on here, then the weather got hotter again, and they aren't very nice, though I'm noticing that age is at least improving them, somewhat. However, it has prompted me to go out and buy a temp controller for our unused 2nd fridge.

Goomba


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## govorko1974 (21/3/11)

Lord Raja...learnt from my 2nd brew onwards after reading on here that temp control was the only option here...so have a fridge with tempmate..so was planning on fermenting at 18 deg...was just wondering if i should expect a half drinkable beer or some foul tasting crap like my first brew..


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## slimygreen (21/3/11)

i did a toucan with with the special lager, some caramunich 1, light crystal, Tettnang hops (infusion) and S23 yeast.
pitched at 18deg then down to 10deg once it got going.

thought i did everything right but managed to be one of my worste brews ever.

although i expected it to be more bitter than most lagers, it has a harshness to it that i wasn't expecting.

not worth the effort, i'd rather pay an extra $10 and get something decent and i won't buy it again.


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## sic_vl (22/3/11)

I also picked up 3 cans of this, not so special larger, at the supermarket for $6 or $7 each. My dad warned me not to bother and i should have listened. I didnt one batch with 500g dex, 250g LDM & 250g corn syrup. its very boring. ill never buy it again. i think ill let them age for a few more months before I try it again.
as for the 2 cans i have left im thing about using them in a 2 can brew, along with some hops, cascade i think. 
if it turns out crap I wont be disapointed.


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## mkstalen (22/3/11)

sic_vl said:


> I also picked up 3 cans of this, not so special larger, at the supermarket for $6 or $7 each. My dad warned me not to bother and i should have listened. I didnt one batch with 500g dex, 250g LDM & 250g corn syrup. its very boring. ill never buy it again. i think ill let them age for a few more months before I try it again.
> as for the 2 cans i have left im thing about using them in a 2 can brew, along with some hops, cascade i think.
> if it turns out crap I wont be disapointed.



A 20g of hops, 250g of steeped speciality grain (crystal etc), and US-05 yeast will make the world of difference.

My first kit-n-bits was:
Tooheys Special Lager
250g Dex
500g LDME
15g Hallertau @15min
180g Crystal
US-05 yeast.

Most of my mates quiet enjoyed it.


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (22/3/11)

@govorko - not sure about the Tooheys. I've never brewed with them myself, nor with the supermarket home brand ones. I got a brigalow with my kit many moons ago, then went up to coopers immediately and then the LHBS more expensive brand. The quality improvement is quite obvious.

I note though that the Toohey's kits appear to be poorly rated. However, if you keep it at 18 degrees and are patient enough to let nature take its course slowly, I think you'll get the best you can out of that kit.

However, I would recommend that if you are getting to the point where you use hops (not the hop teabags, buy 90g bags from CB or LHBS if they sell it - far fresher and better value) - then I'd recommend switching to doing extract brews. You then get to control the malt, the hops and the yeast - therefore there is an improvement over a straight kit, or even kit & kilo. I've done some damn fine K&K recipes (stouts with extra grains, etc), but anything I did extract beat it hands down.

If you don't wish to jump to that stage, then certainly don't hold high hopes for the Tooheys (and if it turns out - bonus), grab a Coopers (or other) kit, maybe use US-05 yeast in a larger packet (therefore more viable yeast) and go from there.

As a side point, I fermented a 2 can coopers bitter that I obtained for free with some stuff I got - the cans were 7 years out of date (more experimental than anything). Didn't spend anything much on it (in case it was garbage), just a cheap sachet of Nottingham yeast and some hops I had leftover from other brews (when you get to using hops, you get 5-20g of leftovers of all these different varieties that accumulate in the freezer). Turned out okay. So 7 year out of date Coopers Tins are still better than Brigalow.

Good luck, keep asking questions, this forum is very helpful.

Goomba


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## rcfancystep (22/3/11)

govorko1974 said:


> gidday all...was in the supermarket and saw they had tooheys lager tins on special for $7 so decided to buy one to try it out...was just wondering if anyone out there has used these as so far in my brewing life have only used coopers Intl series kits...am planning on the following recipe with what i have lying around
> 
> Tooheys "special" Lager ( why do they call it special)
> Cooper B/E 1
> ...



Same thing happend picked up the tooheys lager cheap then added

Can of morgans liquid malt , the brew enhancer
250g caramalt grain steeped for 30 min
bag of hellertau hops
s24 saflager yeast

Ferment temp was @ 9 deg
Left for 2 weeks in primary then racked to secondary
for another 2 weeks @ 3 deg
Bottled but i used ldme Man when the brew hit the malt in the bottle there was a big head of foam and bubbles.
It was a bit dark in the early stages of ferment but after racking it lightend and is really clear
I know it's hard to change a kit beer but The yeast you use makes the beer and using malt either liqiud or dried improves it as well


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## govorko1974 (7/4/11)

pourmeanother said:


> This was the can of goo that came with my starter kit . Drank a bottle last night its drinkable but Nothing SPECIAL as I only brewed it by the can directions .
> 
> I dont think you could go wrong throwing the extra ingredients at it . Can only improve it .
> 
> ...




How did it turn out....was it any good


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## enuun (8/4/11)

Hope I was not too late.
I normally throw lager kits into stouts to make a black and tan (cos you have have to brew the stout as well) or I jus do a toucan with a dark ale or stout kit.


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