Coopers Bavarian Lager

[discoloop]

I'm about to put down a Coopers Bavarian Lager kit with a kilo of BE2 and 500g LDM.

I'm tempted to also add a Cascade hops teabag. Would love to use saaz or something else a bit more noble but I don't have any on hand. Does anyone have an opinion of whether the cascade bag will improve the beer, or would it take over?

I also have some Amarillo and Pride of Ringwood pellets on hand - I could use either of those.

 

[NRB]

It depends on what you're after. Personally I'd be looking at Saaz like you suggested, but I've never used Cascade in a lager. Used heaps in APAs but never in a lager. I think I'd rather leave it without the added hops if my only choices were those listed.

 

[Slurpdog]

I'd probably run a little bit of Amarillo just to fill out the hop profile on this.
It wouldn't be true to style but hell, as long as you enjoy the finished product.
Dry hop 25gms straight into the fermenter and let us know how it turns out.

 

[discoloop]

Slurpdog, at what stage would you dry-hop? About a week before bottling? Or into the fermenter straight off the bat?

 

[NRB]

If you're dry hopping for aroma, you want to add them post fermentation. If you add hops straight up aroma would be blown off during fermentation, not to mention the introduction of bugs to unfermented wort. After the yeast have lowered pH and produced alcohol, there's less risk of infection.

 

[Slurpdog]

If you're dry hopping for aroma, you want to add them post fermentation. If you add hops straight up aroma would be blown off during fermentation, not to mention the introduction of bugs to unfermented wort. After the yeast have lowered pH and produced alcohol, there's less risk of infection.

I normally throw the hops straight in before pitching the yeast but didn't realise that I would lose aroma because of it.
I'll have to change my method a little bit.