New to brewing, having some issues

[Dannaz94]

Hi there,

Have been helping my father make red wine for years, but not being a wine drinker never really got into it.
Have just started trying my hand at kit brewing,
So far have made the coopers lager kit and the thomas coopers amber ale kit.
the coopers lager smells like rotting fruit and tastes near undrinkable.
i followed the recipe on the can and watched the coopers video a few times over recipe as follows:
1.7kg lager can
BE1 x 1kg
yeast satchet included
yeast was pitched a little high at 30c
fermentation temperature was between 16 and 18c
left in fermenter for 11 days
has been aging in bottles for 74 days

pouring out of bottle beer has good head and bubbles just tastes horrible.

what's gone wrong?

 

[Richard williamson]

Lagers are alot harder to make, as a new brewer I would go for IPAs, it was the first thing i made and it was really bad but i still drunk it though. Yes you defo pitched high which will kill some yeast off and stress the rest. Also I would use a better yeast than the one that comes with the can, especially for lagers. If you don't have a temp controlled fridge then I would steer clear of lagers. Lager should ferment about 11° for about 3 to 4 days then turned up to 14° for a day or 2. I then turn temp down 2° a day and leave at about 4° for at least 4 days. Lager take longer to make than other beers but the extra time can be well worth it. Hope this helps.

 

[Journeyman]

Hi there,

So far have made the coopers lager kit and the thomas coopers amber ale kit.
the coopers lager smells like rotting fruit and tastes near undrinkable.

How did the Amber go?
Have a read through here... Best explanation of lagering I have found. Once I get my fridge I'll be following this advice.
https://www.homebrewing.org/Lagering--Chapter-1-Common-Misconceptions_ep_58-1.html

 

[koshari]

that coopers lager kit would be a "lager style" beer and most likely using an ale yeast. my tip for the poor tasting beer would be pitching at 30deg. that description of of taste you spoke of could very well be
Isoamyl Acetate. https://learn.kegerator.com/off-flavors-in-beer/

 

[Danscraftbeer]

Using that little satchel of yeast in the kit you will be massively underpitched. (No were near enough yeast to do a good job of fermentation) so any other microbiology (bacteria or wild yeasts) can get up in numbers as well that could explain the off smell and taste. As well yeast that struggles will stress and give off flavors too. 30c isn't drastically bad temp for yeast. If you read Danstar Yeast instructions on re hydrating yeast they recommend 30c water. However, Temp control of the brew after pitching with a good amount of healthy viable yeast is key to a good brew. As mentioned, Lager ~ 11c, Ales ~ 18c. live and learn and don't be discouraged. Read up and prepare better for the next batch. Sanitation is the first key to success. That bad brew could be infected so do a really good job of cleaning and sanitizing that fermenter and anything that contacts the beer. And have fun. My first brew was Coopers Drought can and a can of Black Rock pale malt. It was fantastic. Thier Pale Ale Can and a Kilo of Dextrose and good yeast will make a perfectly good crisp beer.

 

[Journeyman]

"My first brew was Coopers Drought can"
Does that make a 'dry' beer?