A couple of questions about brewing ales/bitters from kits..

[Simonr]

Hello everyone,

I'm new here but have been brewing beer kits for quite a number of years with quite a lot of success, well at least my friends and family tell me it tastes acceptable and gives them the desired effect! I'm interested in making sure I'm getting it as good as I can because a friend (who really likes my beers) has asked me to brew about 200 pints for his wedding in March.

I use a 40 pint plasic fermenting bucket with tight-fitting lid and airlock, and a brew-belt around it, then after about 10 to 14 days (when the airlock stops bubbling for a couple of days) the beer is bottled and left for about a month before drinking. I tend to use Asda's 17p, 2L bottled table water rather than tap water as it seems to give better results although having read a few forum threads today I will try adding a tsp of gypsom salts to the water next time to see what difference it makes.

I sterilise all my bottles in the dishwasher (using a couple of tsps of Young's steriliser instead of a dishwasher tablet) and am very careful about keeping everything clean througout the process.

My question is about the differences between the two-can 'premier-price' kits (such as Woodfords and St Peter's) and the one-can kits (such as Tom Caxton and EDME).

I've found that the two-can kits always result in a much smoother and thicker sludge at the bottom of the fermenter which has led me to wondering if this is a difference in the quality of the yeasts. I was wondering if it's worth keeping some of this sludge for use with a one-can kit that I'd put on immediately after it.

I take it that this sludge is flocculated yeast cells that are still alive and able to continue their work on another brew...?

As an aside, I have found that the two-can kits do tend to make better-tasting brews than the cheaper ones, but I wonder if that's more to do with the yeast quality, or maybe because I tend to use normal granulated sugar (sucrose), rather than brewer's suger (glucose). Has anyone got any opinions about that?

Many thanks for the replies - I've got a Woodford's Nelson's Revenge settling out in bottles in the garage and a St. Peter's IPA into its 4th day of fermenting at the moment!

 

[StubbsPKS]

I did a few 1 can kits and one or two 2-can kits before I went AG, and in my opinion the 2-can kits were better. They come with the proper amount of decent yeast and you're using more malt-based fermentables when you don't need to add the kilo of sugar which made my beers less "thin"

 

[guyb]

My question is about the differences between the two-can 'premier-price' kits (such as Woodfords and St Peter's) and the one-can kits (such as Tom Caxton and EDME).

I've found that the two-can kits always result in a much smoother and thicker sludge at the bottom of the fermenter which has led me to wondering if this is a difference in the quality of the yeasts. I was wondering if it's worth keeping some of this sludge for use with a one-can kit that I'd put on immediately after it.

I take it that this sludge is flocculated yeast cells that are still alive and able to continue their work on another brew...?

As an aside, I have found that the two-can kits do tend to make better-tasting brews than the cheaper ones, but I wonder if that's more to do with the yeast quality, or maybe because I tend to use normal granulated sugar (sucrose), rather than brewer's suger (glucose). Has anyone got any opinions about that?

You can reclaim yeast, I'd only reclaim a good yeast: I tend to replace the kit yeast with something like Safale04, or US-05, but recently have been using Brewlabs yeast slopes with great results. http://www.brewlab.co.uk/analysisandresearch.asp (homebrew yeast is half way down the page).

To reclaim yeast: viewtopic.php?f=30&t=4406

To reclaim it from bottled beers: viewtopic.php?f=30&t=180

I did a few 1 can kits and one or two 2-can kits before I went AG, and in my opinion the 2-can kits were better. They come with the proper amount of decent yeast and you're using more malt-based fermentables when you don't need to add the kilo of sugar which made my beers less "thin"

definately agree with that :thumb:

As I understand it, the "more sugar" content (for "more sugar" read tate & lyle, table sugar) the more homebrew it will taste, the "less sugar" (for "less sugar" read brewing sugar, malt extract) the more like real beer it will taste (there are a few exceptions such as belgian beers).

But essentially, 1 tin of extract + white sugar is going to taste more like homebrew (known as that homebrew tang) than 2 tins of extract.

In terms of yeast, kit yeast is hugely variable, as is most dried yeast, have a look in the yeast section but here's what Aleman wrote about some of the conditions the yeast goes through in shipping (for Wyeast in particular):

They sit in a van for an unknown period of time
They sit in a warehouse for an unknown period of time
They sit in a plane
They sit in a warehouse for an unknown period of time
They sit in a van
They get put in a fridge at the retailer
They Sit in a van
They get put in a fridge before use


I tend to replace the kit yeast with something like Safale04, or US-05, but recently have been using Brewlabs yeast slopes with great results.

If you are going to spend £22 on a two can kit, it's worth spending £2 more on a decent yeast.

I can recommend St Peter's Ruby Red Ale and the Wherry - both turned out great. My mate has asked me to brew him the St Peter's for Christmas :grin:

All that said, I brewed an Edme Stout the other month, which was a 1tin kit, with Black treacle, 500g brown sugar and 4.5l of Elderberry juice - haven't tried it yet (due to medication, 18days to go! :drink: :drink: :drink: :drink: :drink: :drink: :drink: :drink: )

Might be worth doing a stout as well for this wedding bash?

 

[Simonr]

Many thanks for the really useful replies folks - Exactly what I was after!

Good idea also about making a bit of the darker stuff, you may well be onto something there - I think we are going to make three or four kits, across the colour spectrum so it's certainly not out of the question.

If you were going to buy a kit and make a stout, what would you recommend?

Cheers!

 

[Wolverine]

Many thanks for the really useful replies folks - Exactly what I was after!

Good idea also about making a bit of the darker stuff, you may well be onto something there - I think we are going to make three or four kits, across the colour spectrum so it's certainly not out of the question.

If you were going to buy a kit and make a stout, what would you recommend?

Cheers!

I would recomend a coopers stout made with 1kg of Demerara sugar and 500g extra dark spray malt gives you a abv of 4.8% and a very decent stout. it's a one can kit but don't be put off ...
with the spray malt it's practically like a 2 can kit in quality.

 

[guyb]

Many thanks for the really useful replies folks - Exactly what I was after!

Good idea also about making a bit of the darker stuff, you may well be onto something there - I think we are going to make three or four kits, across the colour spectrum so it's certainly not out of the question.

If you were going to buy a kit and make a stout, what would you recommend?

Cheers!

I would recomend a coopers stout made with 1kg of Demerara sugar and 500g extra dark spray malt gives you a abv of 4.8% and a very decent stout. it's a one can kit but don't be put off ...
with the spray malt it's practically like a 2 can kit in quality.

and tesco direct have started selling Coopers kits: http://direct.tesco.com/q/N.2001261$3976154/Nr.99.aspx