Courage Directors kit.

[bobby_d1978]

Has anyone had any experience of brewing this kit? I've had it bottled for just under 2weeks. I tried one last night and had an original bottle to compare it to. Tastes nothing like the original. Has that homebrew funky taste I remember back when my dad did a homebrew.

 

[leecar111]

The funky taste often comes from contaminants or not completely sanatized (my experience. Perhaps sombdoy with more experience can confirm or deny :) )

 

[H0PM0NSTER]

Disappointed to hear that as I was interested in trying the Directors kit.
Still, two weeks in the bottle is pretty young. Definitely worth leaving a few weeks longer to see how it develops. From my experience I've found the greatest difference in taste is caused by the fermentation temperature - I allowed some of my early brews to get too hot and it produced some really off-flavours that took months of bottle conditioning to improve (and sadly were never as nice as brews that has been fermented at cooler temps).
How hot was your FV during the fermentation stage?

 

[Slid]

Most kit beers improve for up to 3 months in the bottle. Two weeks is not giving it a chance and I suspect what you can taste is what is known as the "Homebrew Twang".

Directors is a fairly strong beer, if I recall my student years correctly and a kit based brew of this strength will be even more requiring of time in the bottles, I'm afraid.

 

[bobby_d1978]

Thanks for the advice guys. I don't think it's a bad taste and I do think it is what they call the "homebrew twang". Will see if it improves in time. Will leave till Xmas time. My fermentation temp was a constant 20oC. I think I calculated the Abv 4.9%.

I have a festival razorback IPA bottled for just over a week. This one smells and tastes amazing( when bottling) really hopeful with this one.

 

[H0PM0NSTER]

The Festival Razorback IPA is perhaps the best kit I have done so far (although the Coopers Stout must be a very close second).

Fingers crossed for your Directors - remember to post an update once you've tried it again at Christmas. I really like the commercial version, so would be keen to brew the kit if it tastes anywhere similar.

 

[bobby_d1978]

Update. Tried a bottle of my courage directors to see if any different to my last taste test. Holly s**t what a difference. Beautiful pint. Crystal clear and tastes amazing guys. Would highly recommend this kit.

 

[stevej]

Update. Tried a bottle of my courage directors to see if any different to my last taste test. Holly s**t what a difference. Beautiful pint. Crystal clear and tastes amazing guys. Would highly recommend this kit.

Thats good to hear ive been watching this thread! its been a while since ive done any kit brews i was planning on doing this kit does it taste anything like the original would you say

 

[bobby_d1978]

I would say it is very similar if not better than the original Directors in my opinion. :thumb:

 

[VW911]

I've got this one conditioning in the cellar at work, maybe I'll have to try a sneak preview tomorrow.
Will report back with my findings...

 

[H0PM0NSTER]

Great news on the tasting update! I have just brewed this kit this evening - so very pleased to hear it's improved so well.

I was a little worried about choosing a Muntons kit. I've only ever brewed Woodford Wherry from their range, but wasn't particularly impressed with it and suffered with stuck fermentation on both brews.

However, pleased to find the Directors kit comes with an 11g sachet of Gervin yeast rather than the under-performing 6g version included with Wherry kits. So fingers crossed it does the job. The sachet of powdered Goldings hops is promising too.

 

[VW911]

Update...

Just tried a small sample.
Not quite as smooth and mellow as I remember, but it has been a long time since I tried one.
Very "suppable" all the same... 4/5!

 

[Harlequinuk]

hi all - hope you don't mind the bump?

got the same kit - settled at 1.10 - would finnings help drop out the still floating yeast that's about?

 

[H0PM0NSTER]

You could add finings but I find putting the fv somewhere cold for 24 hours before bottling will help drop the yeast (and hops from any dry hopping with other kits) out of suspension.

1010 sounds like a good final gravity - mine ended at 1014 but I think I brewed it a little short. Good luck and be patient with it. Mine has been in the bottle for about 8 weeks now and it's developed into a nice pint

 

[feralCheese]

I know this is an old thread, but did you guys follow the instructions with this kit?

The instructions suggest moving out of the primary into a secondary with brewing sugar after just five days, and leave in the secondary for a further 3. It then says to bottle / keg as you normally would.
Seems a bit strange to me; I tend to leave in the primary about 2 weeks and then bottle condition from that. Do you think that following the instructions will help the taste profile in any way? My Directors kit is currently bubbling away nicely and am on day 3 so far.

 

[bobby_d1978]

I had mine in primary for 2 weeks ( as with all my brews). Then started to follow the instructions from there. This was one of my favourite kits to date. :thumb:

 

[feralCheese]

Yeah, i think ill leave mine the same. I cant imagine their instructions will add anything flavour wise, and increases the risk of infection in this heat lol

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