Budget beer brewing & Pimping basic kits?

[Pirate_Pete]

The only thing I do which really pulls down the cost of a brew is I buy Malt in 20kg bags. Last year I split it with a bloke in work.
This time he didn't want it, so I've got the whole lot divided up in ziplock bags.
I would pay $11.50 a kilo, but buying in bulk it's $6.90. The bloke in work says he might have 6 kilos which he'll happily pay $8.50 per kig for.

 

[Global33]

The only thing I do which really pulls down the cost of a brew is I buy Malt in 20kg bags. Last year I split it with a bloke in work.
This time he didn't want it, so I've got the whole lot divided up in ziplock bags.
I would pay $11.50 a kilo, but buying in bulk it's $6.90. The bloke in work says he might have 6 kilos which he'll happily pay $8.50 per kig for.

I see it does make it cheaper! Do you still use kits or use it to form your own recipies?

 

[Pirate_Pete]

I see it does make it cheaper! Do you still use kits or use it to form your own recipies?

Depends if you have somewhere to keep it all too. I've split it up into 1 kilo lots in zip bags
which are then put in five airtight containers.

Just kits mate. I don't have the time to do all grain. I do like adding extra hops though.
I'm happy with the stuff I make as it is.

I do have a recipe someone gave me to try using malt, so maybe in our winter I might get around to it.

 

[Global33]

Depends if you have somewhere to keep it all too. I've split it up into 1 kilo lots in zip bags
which are then put in five airtight containers.

Just kits mate. I don't have the time to do all grain. I do like adding extra hops though.
I'm happy with the stuff I make as it is.

I do have a recipe someone gave me to try using malt, so maybe in our winter I might get around to it.

I don't know if I'm barking up the wrong tree, but was looking at a guide called how to brew and then reading more extract brewing. Seems to be some information around about it, but relatively little in terms of actual recepies.

 

[Global33]

I've just committed. 1 Coopers Candian Blonde Kit, 1 Better Brew Czech Pilsner & 2 Better Brew IPAs. Got two of one kit so I can test using different hops and keeping other things the same. I've also ordered 6kg of LME to go with them all and a bit of brewing sugar to use in small amounts to give the ABV a bit of a boost. I'm getting the hops in pellets from ebay. Ordered Golding's and Cascade so far, but will be getting more.

The site I mention above is dangerous. If you spent £80 you get a free fermenting bin with tap. I'd already bought two so I could use one as a bottling bucket, but this way it means I can have two brews on the go at once to start building up stocks. Looks like I'm kind of commited now. In addition to what's brewing, that's 200 pints. I'm sure that's pretty small compared to what many of you have, but it's rare I buy more then 6 bottles of beer at once.

 

[chuffer]

Yay for all the beer kit tweak contributions, it's an avenue I want to explore more now ive experimented with AG

 

[terrym]

I've just committed. 1 Coopers Canadian Blonde Kit, 1 Better Brew Czech Pilsner & 2 Better Brew IPAs. Got two of one kit so I can test using different hops and keeping other things the same. I've also ordered 6kg of LME to go with them all and a bit of brewing sugar to use in small amounts to give the ABV a bit of a boost. I'm getting the hops in pellets from ebay. Ordered Golding's and Cascade so far, but will be getting more.

The site I mention above is dangerous. If you spent ��£80 you get a free fermenting bin with tap. I'd already bought two so I could use one as a bottling bucket, but this way it means I can have two brews on the go at once to start building up stocks. Looks like I'm kind of commited now. In addition to what's brewing, that's 200 pints. I'm sure that's pretty small compared to what many of you have, but it's rare I buy more then 6 bottles of beer at once.

If you have several FVs you can split a single brew into two by racking off into separate FVs. That way you can compare different hops on the same brew. That's what I did recently on a Sundew kit, using Goldings and Cascade.
To estimate how much overall stock you should be aiming for (in FVs , bottles, PBs, empty bottles awaiting filling etc), I suggest you take your consumption over a month and multiply it by four, since four months gives a reasonable time from pitching to finishing the last drop.

 

[Global33]

If you have several FVs you can split a single brew into two by racking off into separate FVs. That way you can compare different hops on the same brew. That's what I did recently on a Sundew kit, using Goldings and Cascade.
To estimate how much overall stock you should be aiming for (in FVs , bottles, PBs, empty bottles awaiting filling etc), I suggest you take your consumption over a month and multiply it by four, since four months gives a reasonable time from pitching to finishing the last drop.

That's a really good idea. I can see me needing a bigger house (or at least shed) for all this kit. Will have to look out for some smaller buckets with taps. I started working out how much I drink and it's probably to much. Anyway I figure a decent stock will allow me to play a bit with things like leaving bottles to test over time and using a secondary FV to see if I get clearer beer.

Was the Goldings or Cascade better btw?

 

[terrym]

Was the Goldings or Cascade better btw?

Only been bottled for two weeks so haven't opened any yet. At bottling Mrs tm liked the Cascade taster (as she would), and I liked the Goldings better, but that can change as they condition.

 

[chewie]

I don't know if I'm barking up the wrong tree, but was looking at a guide called how to brew and then reading more extract brewing. Seems to be some information around about it, but relatively little in terms of actual recepies.

Greg Hughes book on home brew is predominantly for all grain but he does list equivalent recipes for extract/partial extract.

 

[BeerisGOD]

Greg Hughes book on home brew is predominantly for all grain but he does list equivalent recipes for extract/partial extract.

Cheers chewie. Very helpful info

 

[BeerisGOD]

I started with adding specialty grains with the one can kits mostly. The two can kits didn't need much improving although I did use up some amber malt with the st peters ruby red along with some brown sugar just to bulk u the abv.
This eventually led to mini mashes/partial where you can make your own recipes at decent sized volumes,
Edit
You'll be saving money once you try partial mashes. Haven't done the maths yet but when you can get Maris otter for just two quid for 1kg along around four Holland and Barrett extracts for around 8 quid and table sugar for fifty P it's definitely a bonus financially

 

[Derek McKenna]

Anyone ever add bourbon soaked oak chips to a kit stout?

I am doing a St Peters Cream stout at the moment (day 8 of fermenting) and was wondering if I should add some bourbon soaked oak chips in to add some flavour....

If I add in now during fermentation will it screw up the brew?

 

[BeerisGOD]

Anyone ever add bourbon soaked oak chips to a kit stout?

I am doing a St Peters Cream stout at the moment (day 8 of fermenting) and was wondering if I should add some bourbon soaked oak chips in to add some flavour....

If I add in now during fermentation will it screw up the brew?

Go for it.
But personally id wait till after a FG like you woukd for dry hopping.

 

[Derek McKenna]

I’m a bit perplexed with this one. It’s still bubbling away in the PF for 15 days...
Is that abnormal? Any kit I done before was done after 7 days or so...

 

[Dutto]

I’m a bit perplexed with this one. It’s still bubbling away in the PF for 15 days...
Is that abnormal? Any kit I done before was done after 7 days or so...

I've had some ferment for weeks; especially Woodfordes Wherry which is noted for "sticking" and stouts with a high OG; especially in this weather when it's hard to keep a steady temperature if it's not in a Brew Fridge.

If it's still "glubbing" away and doesn't smell nasty then don't worry for at least another two weeks.

 

[DaryllLand]

I can recommend the following:

1. Use a tin of Golden Syrup in a Coopers Lager Kit and add 50g of Fuggles Hop Leaf whilst it is fermenting. Gives a great low ABV summer drink with that much loved bit of "hoppiness".

2. "Top and bottom" 8 birdseye chillies and add them to a Wilco Pilsner Kit during fermentation. Amazing brew. No taste becomes a slight tingle at the back of the mouth and finally becomes a healthy "chilli" heat just behind the lips! Beautiful.

3. Wait for pumpkins to be at a reduced price after Halloween (10p each at Lidl), chop one up, boil it with a tablespoonful of All Spice and then squeeze out the resulting liquid and add it to a Wilco Cerveza Kit. Makes a great Christmas Beer.

The world is your oyster with a huge variety of adjuncts available.

My only advice is to run your planned recipe past the Forum before you do it ... :thumb:

... 'cos many of the members may have already been through a "never again" experience with what you have just thought of! :lol:

Dutto these sound amazing! I recently made the Coopers Cerveza and would make it again, its going down well in my old Carona bottles with a slice of lime lol! I do want to try the Wilco Pilsner kit so will defo try out the chillies idea with thatone when I do.

Thanks!

 

[terrym]

Dutto these sound amazing! I recently made the Coopers Cerveza and would make it again, its going down well in my old Carona bottles with a slice of lime lol! I do want to try the Wilco Pilsner kit so will defo try out the chillies idea with thatone when I do.

Thanks!

I suggest you avoid 1.5kg kits (like many Wilco kits) unless you are prepared to add more malt extract and brew short. In the end its false economy. The minimum I go for are 1.7kg kits but then usually add 'extras' . And I never brew a one can to 23 litres.

 

[DaryllLand]

I suggest you avoid 1.5kg kits (like many Wilco kits) unless you are prepared to add more malt extract and brew short. In the end its false economy. The minimum I go for are 1.7kg kits but then usually add 'extras' . And I never brew a one can to 23 litres.

I did the Wilko Cerveza and made 26l with it. Dumped 6l as was severely pressed for time when bottling (chose to do it in the wee hours of the morning before departing on xmas vacay lol) but managed to bottle around 20l of it. The stuff I did manage to get into my 330ml glass bottles with a carbonation drop is good! I'm keen on doing it just for the 'beer-to-hand' bottle for when I get in from work.

Will keep reading up on it.

 

[BridgeBrew]

Done a couple of cheap as chip's Mangrove Jack Munich lager kit's from art of brewing £28.50 for 3 x 1.7kg kit's, and 3 2k bag's of dextrose, add 1.2kg bag of Mangrove Jack unhopped LME £4.99, and 500g of dextrose used the kit yeast, and it's a stunning beer (not lager) more like a nice IPA. Tried using a cml Cali Common yeast, turned out very tasty, and it wotk's out at about £14 for 40pts