1 can beer kits - can I add 1Kg granulated sugar instead of brewing sugar

[Tickles58]

Just a quick note on purchasing items. i have noticed that the beers (1 tins etc) are a lot more expensive on the web sites than in the likes of Wilko, Boyes and the range all seem to have a variety of kits some considerably cheaper and as there’s no postage which although they say free postage it’s included in the price. Brew2Bottle have reasonable prices but the postage is quite high as do bigger jugs but with them you don’t know how much the postage is until checkout

 

[MagnusTS]

I just found my notes from first lockdown and I had £14 down for Coopers so none made it to the (long) list of brews to do while grounded.

I'm surprised that I didn't notice the Brew2B prices as they tend to be my first port of call.

Maybe I'll tack one on to the next order.

Trouble is I have become too fond of the premium kits, particularly the Festivals.

I used to love the Festival kits. But too classy for my son and his friends.

 

[dwhite60]

I saw an American complaining via YouTube that Cooper's kits were expensive in USA. Maybe your import tax is more ?

That said.
A cousin of mine who lived in Texas once said "if your going to the US with pound sterling then you obviously get more dollars, but if you live in the US then think of $20 as £20. Still expensive as you say.
Cooper's kits here are anything from around £11 up to £19 for the same kit.
Are there any kits made in the USA, out of interest ?

Don't seem to be any canned kits made here in the states. Most homebrew shops have some kits they put together, hops, extract/grains, yeast. Doesn't seem to be anyone in the states making canned kits.

 

[Nidger]

Just a quick note on purchasing items. i have noticed that the beers (1 tins etc) are a lot more expensive on the web sites than in the likes of Wilko, Boyes and the range all seem to have a variety of kits some considerably cheaper and as there’s no postage which although they say free postage it’s included in the price. Brew2Bottle have reasonable prices but the postage is quite high as do bigger jugs but with them you don’t know how much the postage is until checkout

Wilko's and the range don't sell Cooper's do they ?
Geordie lager is £12 from wilko and so is their own cerveza.
Both are 1.5kg kits compared to Cooper's 1.8kg.
Cooper's Australian lager is £11 and Cooper's cerveza is £11.50 from brew2bottle.
Imo both Cooper's made better beer as I've made all 4.
I tell a lie, it was wilko own lager not cerveza I made.
But postage is free over £59.
And £3.95 under.
I just order a few kits and don't have to leave the house or pay petrol.
As for choice, there's a lot more on b2b site than the range and wilko put together.

 

[Nidger]

Don't seem to be any canned kits made here in the states. Most homebrew shops have some kits they put together, hops, extract/grains, yeast. Doesn't seem to be anyone in the states making canned kits.

Thats odd considering the size of population and home brewing seems popular over there.
Especially since I've heard a few complaining about lagers there and I must admit to not being a fan of Budweiser/Coors etc.
Reminds me of the Simpsons "duff beer"

I've noticed kits here now in bags rather than cans. I much prefer a good old can

 

[MrRook]

A few years ago I did a piece for Brew Your Own about using forms of rice that don't need a cereal mash. In it I used a one can Muntons nut brown kit that I added brown rice syrup to instead of sugar. It turned out pretty good.

 

[Cwrw666]

Easiest way to improve a 1 can kit in my experience was to brew it short - make it up to 4 gallons instead of 5. (18L instead of 23L) and then add half a kilo of sugar instead of a full kilo. The beer comes out at the same strength it was supposed to but with much more flavour.
Granulated is fine - never used anything else in about 40 years of kit brewing.

 

[Scottyburto]

I've been doing a couple of cheap beer kits for my son and his mates.
They say to add 1Kg brewing sugar, but could I just use granulated?
By the time I've bought brewing sugar or DME to add to a £12 kit, and paid postage, I think I'm probably not far off the cost of one of the more expensive kits.

Do you have any recommendations for good beer kits?
He's after a blonde next.

(...I think he was talking about beer )

The Range and Wilko both sell home brewing equipment and ingredients. Both are deemed "essential" Shops and are in most towns/cities. Wilko sell DME and brewing sugar.

 

[Scottyburto]

Cooper's Australian lager is currently £10.95,
The Canadian blonde i just ordered through a lad in work is £11.45.
They are out stock on Mexican cerveza at the moment but I'll probably buy a couple when back in, along with a beaverdale 30 bottle wine kit for £43 which easily gets over the £59 free post mark.


https://brew2bottle.co.uk/collectio...ucts/coopers-beer-kits?variant=15195492024435

Interesting comment on the sugar thanks, I've heard others say there is little to no difference and as I say I'm happy with results from normal sugar so not worth the extra for me.

Some of the MJ kits at brew2b come with 1kg brewing sugar for free.

 

[dwhite60]

As for adding granulated sugar to a kit, I'd try it without telling them and see what they say. If they're drinking for effect, and aren't serious beer people, they may not notice. If they don't notice, you don't tell them.

 

[Nidger]

Some of the MJ kits at brew2b come with 1kg brewing sugar for free.

I've just brewed a mangrove jack's gold lager from b2b.
Not tried it yet, i bought two as they were on offer. Supposedly short sell by dates but they weren't .
No brewing sugar though.

I thought they were 1.5kg or less but turned out 1.8.
I wish I'd bought more

 

[Scottyburto]

Yeah I've seen their bargain bin and it's nearly always sold out when I've got cash to spend. They're not always near sell by date, some are returns, unwanted or dinted cans and some are end of lines. I'm pretty sure MJ lager is an end of line cause I've not seen it recently. Sounds like you've got a bargain!

 

[Hopperty]

I am definitely going to do that kit again. I have a Bruphoria James Blonde Ale in my FV at the moment. When that is bottled in just over a weeks time I will be sticking on a Mangrove Jacks Bavarian Wheat Kit with 1Kg of Wheat Spray Malt with 250g of brewing sugar. I've held back about 8 bottles of the Coopers Hefe Wheat kit so as to do a comparison.

How did you get on with this ? what were your start and end graviities ?

Started mine saturday (1kg light spray malt +250dex) 1.050.
Literally blew the top of the barrel 12 hours later- what a mess with the foam going everywhere (think I may have lost about 2 pints), it has calmed down now but I have never seen a brew erupt like this.

 

[damienair]

How did you get on with this ? what were your start and end graviities ?

Started mine saturday (1kg light spray malt +250dex) 1.050.
Literally blew the top of the barrel 12 hours later- what a mess with the foam going everywhere (think I may have lost about 2 pints), it has calmed down now but I have never seen a brew erupt like this.

I started mine on the 21st of March. I made mine using 1Kg of Wheat DME and 200g of brewing sugar. My OG = 1.046
Within 24 hours the Krausen came up through the Airlock. Thankfully I used a 2 piece airlock which was easy to clean and put back into service. In all it was not too messy. Lost about 1/4 of a glass. My final gravity reading was 1.010
I batch primed using 180g of brewing sugar mixed with 400ml of hot water. I managed a yield of 41 x 500ml bottles. Looking forward to trying it out. Good luck.