Okay....kids asleep....chores done, emails sorted...i got a few mins before I run off to blanket bay, lets see what I can quickly bash out. If you see more cheap cheap kits @ coles then get some coopers canadian blonde kits (check the exp date...try to get ones that exp in 2012, fresher is best)...its a great kit to start experimenting with, so is euro lager. The euro kit does come with a lager yeast which is more finicky with temp and not as forgiving as the ale yeast with the canadian blonde. Canadian blonde kits can make the best fake lagers
Given that warmer temps are coming you would want to get the lager kits brewing now...dont brew them in summer. I did that once. first and last time for everything!
So...if you are still wondering, a real lager yeast prefers to ferment around 10-12 degrees to produce a real clean crisp lager void of off flavours etc (there is so much more to this statement, but I am keeping it basic) Where as Ale yeasts ferment best around 18-20deg. Alot of the guys here, including me, use a fridge to brew in, which is controlled by a $30-$40 digital thermostat. Best investment in making good beer EVER! Great on so many levels. So...as I said before if you want to brew the euro lagers at their best then get them brewing now. Do one now, keep it in a cool spot, preferrably where there isnt wild temp fluctuations...it will prob need to brew for about 2-4 weeks, dont rush it....BIG MISTAKE...Use your hydrometer to tell you when its finished fermenting, airlocks are useless & misleading. Wait till it finishes fermenting...I'd guess 10-15 days then give it another week to rest in the fermenter, then bottle. Use coopers carb drops or your usual carb method, eg sugar/dex. Whilst fermenting your first, use that time to research what you want to do with your second brew.
Then do the other right away once the first is finished, it'll be warming up by then, but she'll be right mate...just dont brew lager nov-mar unless u have temp control....(these statements again are sweeping generalisations) What state/area are you in? (re: temps..eg darwin = hot/screwed, tassie = cold...sweeet)
I like your somewhat scientific/controlled approach to try the basic kit then experiement from there, so you have a base to compare against. Brewing is a never ending journey of learning. I'd recommend that you do, as you suggest, your first kit with the standard BE2, brew, wait 4-8 weeks and it should be good drinking...ready for the warmer months. There is heaps of things you could do, but its all about learning and know what each ingredient does. I went from straight kits with sugar, to dextrose instead of sugar, to using hop tea bags, then using dry malt extract instead of dex, then using hop pellets, its a slippery slope to spec grains and partial BIABing which is what I am doing now then maybe to full AG one day...anyway....kit, BE2 for your first brew...if you really want then chuck in 500g of Light Dry Malt to give it a bit more body/fill it out a bit...worth the spend..esp if you get a discounted one at the local coles clearing out coopers stock.
Anyway, I tried not to change too many things between brews, so that way you know what effect each ingredient has on your beer. With your next beer do some research into what hops you like. Eg read up on what commercial beers you like and what hops they use. Then make a choice and go buy a hop tea bag or two. To keep it simple here is what I recommend, two hop tea bags per brew. Boil some water in a normal kettle, get a clean mug, put the hop tea bag in and fill the mug with boiling water. Leave this for 10-15mins and chuck the lot (tea bag and all....oh not the mug) into the brew. With the second tea bag, once you have added your yeast and are about to seal up the fermenter then just drop the second tea bag in the fermenter. The first tea bag will add more flavour to your brew, maybe a TAD more bitterness, and the second tea bag will add a wonderful aroma with maybe a bit of extra flavour too. Your choice of hops is up to you....POR (pride of ringwood) for that real familiar aussie lager taste (search for POR here) or something more euro would be hallertau, saaz, tettnager(sp?), where as something more american would be cascade....cascade and saaz make a wonderful combo.
After this you can then start looking into using other yeasts, it will also be nearly summer so you will have to get away from the lager yeasts, thats where those canadian blonde kits i mentioned will come in handy....start experimenting and searching here, you will get into more advanced techniques in time, eg get into using hop pellets...they are great, use more malt than sugar/dex......steep some carapils to add great head retention, its a slippery slope
. This site is a gem.
Good luck and keep us posted on what you do
Rendo