Beer Kit Brewing.

[dannylockley]

Love it kits and mod kits all the way

 

[MyQul]

I'm rather envious of the speed you can make a kit at. What started me was the cost of HBing compared to buying from the pub/supermarket. I then realized the difference in cost between kits and AG ad started to make AG beer.

I'm not much of the "hobbiest" as Cov described it, I tend to make the same few beers over and over. I'm always trying to think of ways to make AG faster but at the same cost and quality - For quite a while now I've been doing an AG brew day over three days. It makes things a little easier especially 'saving' on the mash time as I do an overnight mash and am a'kip (one of my favourite 'hobby's' @stevej )when the mash is happening

 

[thegoatboy]

I'm still a kit man, as I've only made one kit!

I've just ordered an aquarium heater and thermometer and hopefully will stick a new batch of festival landlord special

Few more kits and I may try an experiment or two, but I'm also eying up a big stock pot to try something better.

 

[wheazy_joe]

OK then.
I'll start with a kit brewing question.
I'm gonna do a Finlandia Traditional Ale next week.
Anyone done this? No review here.
I'm doing it purely out of curiosity.
It's a 1KG kit, for 16L.
Kit calls for 600G of sugar. I'm not about to start weighing out stuff, so my options for fermentables I have to hand are 1.5KG LME, 1KG BKE, 1KG Medium Spray Malt or, plain old brewing sugar.
So.
Q. Given that it's a 1KG kit, does anyone see any potential problems if I was to use 1.5KG LME? Would I be better off using BKE or Spray Malt instead of the LME?
Thanks.

Hi Bevvied, firstly I'm not aware of that type of kit, but will defo look into it as I've been looking for some smaller batch kits. 16ltires would be ideal.

In terms of fermentables, if it says to add 600g of sugar, I would be inclined to go down the Brew Enhancer route as this is a mixture of fermentable and non-fermentable sugars (the pack will tell you the exact split) meaning you should hit the target ABV and the beer will get enhanced body & mouth feel from the non-fermentable sugars.

I'm no expert but that's my tuppence worth!

Please post updates on how the brew goes.

 

[wheazy_joe]

What does the coopers Euro lager taste like?? I was thinking of doing an AG lager with us05 however my Dad did a John Bull Lager (which comes with ale yeast) and If I was honest I thought it tasted a bit dodgy. does the Euro lager have that crisp finish??

I've done the Euro lager twice:

First time with the proper Brew Enhancer and a Saaz tea. Fermented at about 15degrees C and it turned out absolutely fantastic. Real clean and crisp with a nice touch of bitterness from the boiled Saaz tea I added.

Second time round I started brewing and realised I had no enhancer, so it got plain old T&L sugar and the same Saaz addition as before. Fermentation was pretty much as before also. Final product was nowhere near as nice, has a strange malty smell, which isn't evident in the taste, but is still slightly off putting.

Not sure if the discrepancy from brew 1 to brew 2 is simply down to the brew enhancer or maybe it is inconsistency in the kit product?

Either way i would defo make it again using the brew enhancer, it is easily as good any 'normal' lager you can buy from the supermarket, but not comparable with the real premium lagers (i.e. Pilsner Urquell and the likes).

 

[wheazy_joe]

Not sure if this is the best place for this query, but it is related to kit brewing so here goes:

I've done the Youngs American IPA once and have a second batch on the go, fantastic kit.

I've been considering doing the Coopers IPA, has anyone done this, is it worthwhile?

I'm wondering if, by the time I add brew enhancer and probably some hop additions, would it be costing as much as the Youngs premium kit? So really, whats the point, I'd be as well just sticking with the Youngs kit!

Or is the Coopers kit quite hoppy already and doesn't need any additions (other than BE obviously)?

 

[pms67]

It does require additions and you are right,by the time you do that you are as well buying a premium kit.
Im saying that if you do brew it, it is a good base to experiment with, i added 1kg of spraymalt,steeped some grains and dryhopped and got a nice beer

 

[Bevvied]

Hi Bevvied, firstly I'm not aware of that type of kit, but will defo look into it as I've been looking for some smaller batch kits. 16ltires would be ideal.

In terms of fermentables, if it says to add 600g of sugar, I would be inclined to go down the Brew Enhancer route as this is a mixture of fermentable and non-fermentable sugars (the pack will tell you the exact split) meaning you should hit the target ABV and the beer will get enhanced body & mouth feel from the non-fermentable sugars.

I'm no expert but that's my tuppence worth!

Please post updates on how the brew goes.

Cheers Joe.
Truth be told I bought it on a whim. I can't find a review of it anywhere, so when I get it on the go next week, I'll start a thread in the review section and update as I go along. The Finlandia Premium lager seems to get good to excellent reviews, so this Traditional Ale, may prove to be a winner. It may also prove to be a clunker, but I don't mind being a guinea pig.

 

[Joeyriles]

Going back to the original sentiment of this thread: kits were my world for about a year and a half before I decided to take the plunge and, though I now know I make much better beer because of it, I still miss kits. It isn't just the simplicity of the brew day (though that is just indicative of a learning curve which, when you first start, is damn scary) it's the novelty of it all. You're making beer. At home.
With every new kit comes the exhilaration of it having something that the last one didn't have. The personalised labels on your first batch of bottles made lovingly with work's reprographic equipment. The pride you feel when someone says "YOU made this?" No worrying about the mash or campden tablets or yeast starters, just the purity of the endeavour.

To all kit brewers: whether you stay or move into making beer from 'scratch', take pride in what you do and never be afraid to ask questions. The greatest journey begins with a single step...or hop.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Quick update , I have sent Admin an email with the forum request and am awaiting a reply.

 

[terrym]

If there isn't, how about producing one?

I went for it, see under http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?p=527868#post527868

 

[terrym]

Not sure if this is the best place for this query, but it is related to kit brewing so here goes:

I've done the Youngs American IPA once and have a second batch on the go, fantastic kit.

I've been considering doing the Coopers IPA, has anyone done this, is it worthwhile?

I'm wondering if, by the time I add brew enhancer and probably some hop additions, would it be costing as much as the Youngs premium kit? So really, whats the point, I'd be as well just sticking with the Youngs kit!

Or is the Coopers kit quite hoppy already and doesn't need any additions (other than BE obviously)?

I've done both the Coopers IPA and the Youngs AIPA.
I actually prefer the John Bull IPA and the Coopers English Bitter to the Coopers IPA. In all cases I dry hopped.
If you prefer lighter hoppy beers I'd stick with the Youngs AIPA.

 

[ManseMasher]

I went for it, see under http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?p=527868#post527868

Good man! Pen, sword and all that....

 

[wheazy_joe]

Good work Terry!

 

[MyQul]

Just had a look at your write up Terry. Nice work.

 

[MyQul]

Spotted this kit for Courage Directors when I was mooching about on the home brew shop website

http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Directors-Beer-Kit.html#.VjH7HG5ugQk

Directors is a nice drop, I'm almost tempted to buy one to try. Especially if Tescum clik&collect get them so I don't have to pay P&P

 

[Chippy_Tea]

The next sale cannot be far off.

 

[MyQul]

The next sale cannot be far off.

I'll keep an eye out for the sale. Not sure if they have the Directors kit though.

 

[pms67]

A lot of the premium two can kits seem to be overpriced on tescos site even a sale leaves them more expensive than online brew shops?
Wherry may be an exception

 

[LarryF]

I went for it, see under http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?p=527868#post527868

Brilliant write up terrym, I think anyone looking to start brewing should be pointed to this post. It's clear, concise and straight to the point and if followed to the letter would give a complete beginner a very nice beer to drink in as little as four or five weeks after starting.........And then we've got them for life .:lol: