Best ipa kit

[Kenboy]

well I thought I’d gauge your thoughts on your favourite ipa kit. I’ve brewed festival razorback which is so far my favourite and also mangrove jack grapefruit ipa which Didn’t hit the spot with me. I quite fancy the Young’s aipa but at over 6% I find a little too strong

I really like the Mangrove Jacks Grapefruit IPA. Apart from having to buy additional brewing sugar, its a very easy kit which I find works perfect for the 2/2/2 process. ferments out fast and after two weeks of carbonation is more or less clear. I know it has claims at being like Brewdog's Elvis Juice (It isnt!) but its not a bad drinking IPA.

 

[OlsBean]

I've done quite a few IPA kits now but always go back to the Young's AIPA, I've done it 3 times this year, I always bottle it in smaller bottles because of its strength but as someone else said you could easily reduce the sugar to reduce the final ABV if you desire.

 

[bairdy144]

Youngs aipa is a great brew. Have done it twice this year. Going for number 3. The kegs last forever as I can only manage 4 pints before I'm on my back. Lol doesn't taste overly strong which is a major problem lol. Good luck you'll love it.

 

[Roger Wilko]

Lol it’s bubblin away nicely at the minute

 

[GhostShip]

My AIPA has been in my new brew fridge for exactly two weeks. I’ve been a bit concerned as I’ve really not noticed any real activity through the airlock, but then again it’s shut away behind a fridge door all day and night and maybe there’s just a bit of leakage around the lid.

Took a reading tonight and it’s at 1008, so looks about ready to go. Will check it again tomorrow night and then dry hop with a view to bottling at the weekend.

This has been far and away the best of the six kits I’ve done so far and I just hope this one is as good as the previous AIPA - though hopefully a bit clearer. It will be interesting to see if the fridge has made any difference.

 

[Roger Wilko]

Going to leave mine for 3 weeks. Just on to the second week and it’s slowed right Down. Can’t wait to try it.

 

[GhostShip]

My hops went in last night. Bottling on Saturday or Sunday. Smells good!

 

[GhostShip]

A friend gave me some petrofloc tablets. I'm unsure whether I want to use one or not but at what stage would I add to the FV? Bear in mind primary fermentation has all but finished and my hops went in last night. Any help or advice much appreciated!

 

[halfpint]

I may be wrong, but floc tabs are normally added to the last 10 minutes of the boil.

 

[GhostShip]

I may be wrong, but floc tabs are normally added to the last 10 minutes of the boil.

That's pretty much what the guy that gave them to me said, but given I'm not doing AG and don't boil for a kit, are they still relevant?

 

[Pavros]

I wouldn't use whirlfloc or protofloc tablets in the fv - they are used at the end of the boil to assist with removal of proteins before fermentation starts.

It sounds like you are wanting to clear your beer quicker (rather than leave for a long time in the bottle) so you want to use finings of some sort, like Ritchies finings/ KwikClear/ Isinglass. I have never used any of these as I leave the beer in the fv for 2-3 weeks (3-4 for Youngs and Bulldog kits) and they are relatively clear when I bottle. Then 1 month in the bottle usually leaves a pretty clear beer - or, at least, one I can live with!

 

[GhostShip]

I wouldn't use whirlfloc or protofloc tablets in the fv - they are used at the end of the boil to assist with removal of proteins before fermentation starts.

It sounds like you are wanting to clear your beer quicker (rather than leave for a long time in the bottle) so you want to use finings of some sort, like Ritchies finings/ KwikClear/ Isinglass. I have never used any of these as I leave the beer in the fv for 2-3 weeks (3-4 for Youngs and Bulldog kits) and they are relatively clear when I bottle. Then 1 month in the bottle usually leaves a pretty clear beer - or, at least, one I can live with!

Thanks mate. It's the one thing I seem to struggle with. I have had beer in the FV for 3 weeks, then 2 weeks in the bottle at room temperature and then another two weeks in the cold. I use a muslin bag when siphoning to try and remove any hop debris, yet I always end up with cloudy beer. It tastes fine, but it never seems to clear - even weeks or months after it's been bottled.

I won't use the tablets - apart from anything else, I'd hate to affect the taste of the beer. I'll let nature take its course and see how this one ends up.

 

[Pavros]

I do as you do.

I use the little bag you get in the Festival kits over the end of the siphon tube. This end goes into the fv and I siphon and batch prime into a bottling bucket. I then siphon from the bottling bucket into bottles using another siphon tube with another mesh bag on one end and a bottling stick on the other. I transfer very little hop debris over into the bottles this way. This results in clear-ish beer in the bottles. It may be hazy (especially the Youngs kits which use 100g dry hop) but I never have any 'bits' in suspension in my beers once poured.

 

[Scottyburto]

I only really struggle with chill haze and I've no idea how to deal with that at home and know some commercial cask ale breweries have issues!

 

[Frogbrew]

I only really struggle with chill haze and I've no idea how to deal with that at home and know some commercial cask ale breweries have issues!

I'm having same with the b&m IPA, clear in the bottle but cloudy when chilled, don't really care as it tastes superb IMO.

 

[parpot]

Is that the B&M American IPA?

 

[Frogbrew]

Is that the B&M American IPA?

Yes.

 

[Graz]

Thanks mate. It's the one thing I seem to struggle with. I have had beer in the FV for 3 weeks, then 2 weeks in the bottle at room temperature and then another two weeks in the cold. I use a muslin bag when siphoning to try and remove any hop debris, yet I always end up with cloudy beer. It tastes fine, but it never seems to clear - even weeks or months after it's been bottled.

I won't use the tablets - apart from anything else, I'd hate to affect the taste of the beer. I'll let nature take its course and see how this one ends up.

I wouldn't worry, this is kit turned out pretty clear for me. You say you have a brew fridge? With mine I added the hops after all fermentation had ceased, think around 2 weeks, left it a couple of days, then set the fridge to 1°C (it gets close to this but never actually there). While it was chilling I gave the fermenter a few knocks to encourage the hops to drop out from the top. After a couple of days it was all packed down to the bottom.

I then siphoned it out into my bottling bucket with one of these being careful not to disturb the sediment : https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M74BJW3/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Bottled from the bottling bucket, couple of weeks in the warm to prime and then I just cool them when I want to drink them. Bit of yeast in the bottom of the bottle but provided you pour carefully it's very clear. See if I can remember to post a pic later

 

[GhostShip]

I wouldn't worry, this is kit turned out pretty clear for me. You say you have a brew fridge? With mine I added the hops after all fermentation had ceased, think around 2 weeks, left it a couple of days, then set the fridge to 1°C (it gets close to this but never actually there). While it was chilling I gave the fermenter a few knocks to encourage the hops to drop out from the top. After a couple of days it was all packed down to the bottom.

I then siphoned it out into my bottling bucket with one of these being careful not to disturb the sediment : https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M74BJW3/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Bottled from the bottling bucket, couple of weeks in the warm to prime and then I just cool them when I want to drink them. Bit of yeast in the bottom of the bottle but provided you pour carefully it's very clear. See if I can remember to post a pic later

This might be a really silly question (it wouldn't be the first time), but Youngs say the hops should only be in for 2/3 days. If they're in for 3 days and I then drop the temperature of the beer to 1ºC (or as low as I can get it) and leave it for another couple of days, is there a danger the oil from the hops could spoil the beer or does the reduction in temperature nulify the effect of the hops?

 

[Howard Taylor]

Sorry to ask a daft question but I am considering the Young's AIPA kit, how many litres (gallons) does this kit make?