Surprised there isn't a review of this kit already, given how long it's been around? :hmm:So thought I'd do one.
This is the 1-can kit that they seem to sell now, not the old 2-can kit.
I thought it could be fairly bland on it's own, so decided to do a mini-mash and short hop boil (to add some extra bitterness) and a hop steep, rather than using spraymalt or sugar to make the kit up. Here's what I did, the grain quantities aren't huge so this could easily be done with a reasonable size stockpot and standard kitchen equipment. Cheaper than spraymalt too.
Grain Bill
----------------
1.500 kg Liquid Malt Extract - the Wilko Golden Ale 1-can kit (46.37%)
1.400 kg Maris Otter Malt (43.28%)
0.200 kg Wheat Malt (6.18%)
0.135 kg Caragold (4.17%)
Hop Bill
----------------
13.0 g Styrian Golding Leaf (4.4% Alpha) @ 20 Minutes (Boil) (0.7 g/L)
13.0 g Willamette Leaf (7.1% Alpha) @ 20 Minutes (Boil) (0.7 g/L)
13.0 g Styrian Golding Leaf (4.4% Alpha) @ 0 Minutes (Aroma) (0.7 g/L)
13.0 g Willamette Leaf (7.1% Alpha) @ 0 Minutes (Aroma) (0.7 g/L)
Mashed in about 8L of water at 66C followed by a quick dunk sparge, then boiled, with the 0min hops going in 10mins after turning off the heat, in for a further 30mins. I made it up to 18L giving an OG of 1046 with my 68% mash efficiency. Fermented with Safale S-04 rather than the kit yeast.
And here it is. Amazingly clear and carbonated after 6 days in the bottle, after a 15 day ferment followed by 2 days cooling prior to bottling. It's superb, although using grain undoubtably has something to do with that: I suppose it's 50% an AG brew. But this is a great way to supplement a kit, and by doing a small-volume mash and boil, and then adding the kit and topping up with cold water, you don't have the usual faff of having to spend time cooling the brew.
This is really good for a beer so young, and can only get better and better :thumb:
This is the 1-can kit that they seem to sell now, not the old 2-can kit.
I thought it could be fairly bland on it's own, so decided to do a mini-mash and short hop boil (to add some extra bitterness) and a hop steep, rather than using spraymalt or sugar to make the kit up. Here's what I did, the grain quantities aren't huge so this could easily be done with a reasonable size stockpot and standard kitchen equipment. Cheaper than spraymalt too.
Grain Bill
----------------
1.500 kg Liquid Malt Extract - the Wilko Golden Ale 1-can kit (46.37%)
1.400 kg Maris Otter Malt (43.28%)
0.200 kg Wheat Malt (6.18%)
0.135 kg Caragold (4.17%)
Hop Bill
----------------
13.0 g Styrian Golding Leaf (4.4% Alpha) @ 20 Minutes (Boil) (0.7 g/L)
13.0 g Willamette Leaf (7.1% Alpha) @ 20 Minutes (Boil) (0.7 g/L)
13.0 g Styrian Golding Leaf (4.4% Alpha) @ 0 Minutes (Aroma) (0.7 g/L)
13.0 g Willamette Leaf (7.1% Alpha) @ 0 Minutes (Aroma) (0.7 g/L)
Mashed in about 8L of water at 66C followed by a quick dunk sparge, then boiled, with the 0min hops going in 10mins after turning off the heat, in for a further 30mins. I made it up to 18L giving an OG of 1046 with my 68% mash efficiency. Fermented with Safale S-04 rather than the kit yeast.
And here it is. Amazingly clear and carbonated after 6 days in the bottle, after a 15 day ferment followed by 2 days cooling prior to bottling. It's superb, although using grain undoubtably has something to do with that: I suppose it's 50% an AG brew. But this is a great way to supplement a kit, and by doing a small-volume mash and boil, and then adding the kit and topping up with cold water, you don't have the usual faff of having to spend time cooling the brew.
This is really good for a beer so young, and can only get better and better :thumb:
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