Enhancements to All-in-One Kits

[SheyMouse]

This is inspired by something I read by Wez last night. He mentioned that he had got favourable results dry hopping a Woodforde's Wherry kit once.

And that got me thinking...

Anyone else taken an off the shelf kit and "enhanced" it? If so, what did you do and roughly (or exactly if you like) how much? I would like to compile a list of suggested enhancements that would make a beginner brewer like myself take their kit brews up a notch and get one step closer to AG brewing.

Wez - can you recall how much hops and what type you found successful for the Woodforde's Wherry kit?

 

[markp]

Hi,

I've posted this link before for customising Coopers kits.

http://www.geocities.com/lesjudith/Cust ... opers.html

I've done the Amber Ale....which tastes great. I've also done the Bavarian Pilsner which I kegged last night.

There are some nice recepies there for people who can't go AG or extract, but are looking for something a bit better than a straight kit.

The recepies will also give you a few ideas on what might work with other kits.

Hope that is of help.

 

[tubby_shaw]

Wez - can you recall how much hops and what type you found successful for the Woodforde's Wherry kit?

SheyMouse, whatever Wez says don't believe him it wasn't my fault :lol:

 

[corby_brewer]

Mr Mouse

What ever you do dont try what i did with THE BEER

 

[Wez]

Wez - can you recall how much hops and what type you found successful for the Woodforde's Wherry kit?

SheyMouse, whatever Wez says don't believe him it wasn't my fault :lol:

:lol:

IIRC - about 10g of Goldings for 5 days...?

 

[corby_brewer]

Wez - can you recall how much hops and what type you found successful for the Woodforde's Wherry kit?

SheyMouse, whatever Wez says don't believe him it wasn't my fault :lol:

:lol:

IIRC - about 10g of Goldings for 5 days...?

unlike my 200grms of nelson sauvin boiled for 15 minutes
:grin:

 

[SheyMouse]

IIRC - about 10g of Goldings for 5 days...?

unlike my 200grms of nelson sauvin boiled for 15 minutes

:lol: :lol:

I've posted this link before for customising Coopers kits.

http://www.geocities.com/lesjudith/Cust ... opers.html

Thanks Markp. That is an excellent site. If you go to the root of it too there is a wealth of information. Clicky

For real craziness, the Beer Recipies with a Difference page is excellent! Clicky

 

[MEB]

IIRC - about 10g of Goldings for 5 days...?

unlike my 200grms of nelson sauvin boiled for 15 minutes

:lol: :lol:

I've posted this link before for customising Coopers kits.

http://www.geocities.com/lesjudith/Cust ... opers.html

Thanks Markp. That is an excellent site. If you go to the root of it too there is a wealth of information. Clicky

For real craziness, the Beer Recipies with a Difference page is excellent! Clicky

Please don't EVER try any of those beer recipes with a difference. The difference is that they change a very ordinary beer kit into an undrinkable vat of *****. :nono:

 

[Varnish]

This was interesting:
http://new.craftbrewer.org/Library/Meth ... rove.shtml

 

[dave]

Here's what I did with my first attempt:

ingredients
Young’s definitive bitter kit brew
about 15-20" sprig of fresh Rosemary
Honey- 1 standard size jar of supermarket economy brand
Assam tea 1 bag
750g sugar
250g malt extract

follow directions for kit, soaking the tea bag in some of the water used to make up the kit.
pull the leaves off the rosemary and bruise with a pestle and mortar, keep it wetted down or you lose a lot of the flavour.
I boiled the rosemary leaves in water for a while too, I don't know if this helped. include the rosemary infused water in the water used to make up the kit. add the sugar as directed, some of it is replace with malt extract as listed above.

At the peak of the fermentation I added the jar of honey.
this messes up the hydrometer readings and I ended up bottling too early. I believe you can take an initial reading, then another just before adding the honey, and again straight afterwards. use this data to adjust, you know better than me.

This beer was really tasty after it had a bit of time to mature in the bottles. Made with about the cheapest kit you can get I was pleased with it.