Could you just add some ice to bring the temp down?
you could add Ice but I would do it by 3/4 filling a couple of pet brew bottles which have been sterilised before freezing and once again just before throwing them in the fermenter. This way you eliminate the risk of throwing an infection into the mix. Even though the temps in your freezer will inhibit the growth of most bacteria there are some that still thrive at that temp.
I personally try to avoid using sugar of any kind and avoid using cascade brew kits (long story envolving longwinded debates with fosters group.)
I think that home brewers should learn to brew with ales and stouts before attempting to brew lagers, as ales are a lot more tollerant to higher temps and fluctuations in temp. Also lagers should be brewed at 15 degrees c or less. Lagers will also produce a rotten egg gas smell if not matured long enough, I know that coopers reccomend leaving them in the bottle for 12 weeks before drinking. I have also noticed that if kit lagers are brewed at high temps the secondary fermentation can be slow to start and when it does start the head/foam can be rather dishwashing liquid suds like.
personally I would recommend that for a beginner to try brewing something like a coopers blonde ale if you want a sort of lagerish tasting beer. DONT waste your time on more expensive kits until you can get an acceptable beer from the less expensive kits. At the end of the day it is cheaper to throw down the sink if it doesn't work. When I say acceptable tasting I mean one that obviously doesnt taste off or smell sour or plastic like and is drinkable. Once this has been achieved and repeated then move on to things like adding hops to the mix to enhance the flavours and using things like maltodextrin and other adjuncts. also taste the beer as it is fermenting as if it is an infection you may be able to detect it early on. This will also give you a feel of what to expect when you brew in the future.
Another way that you can go, as you have obviously been to or live near a brew shop is to buy 3 kilos of malt extract, some hops and a packet of safale us 56 (which is now called s 05). You can ask about the flavour profiles of the hops you see at the shop. Personally I reccommend for beginners cascade and northern brewer. boil approx 50 to 60 grams of hops for half an hour in a sufficient amount of waterthen just put it all together as you would a kit brew. taste a small amount every day during fermentation, with this yeast fermentation should be complete within 10 days and may be even 7 days or less (check with a hydrometer and it is done when you get 2 readings the same over 2 consecutive days.) Dont leave the brew in the fermenter for longer than necessary. This should give a beer that when tasted during fermentation will taste like beer should. I recommend that particular yeast as the properties it exhibits are always consistent and reliable. Get to know the taste and smell, sniff the gas escaping from the gravity seal, it should smell nice not too sour or plastic like. If it does smell plastic like or extremely sour toss it and thoroughly sterilise your fermenter and equipment. you can use the coopers or brewcraft steriliser but you will find the likes of napi san will work just as well and are generally cheaper, Personally I just use the cheapest nappy sanitiser powder I can get that has a good concentration of sodium percarbonate. (I know I will cop flak from some stalwarts about that comment.)
Any way if you have any more questions you can PM me directly and I will try to help you out. Trav
