I need better tasting kits to brew..

[Gent]

I've tried Wilko's Beer Kit, Coopers DIY IPA, and Tom Caxtons Real Ale, I don't really like any of them and they all taste quite similar to each other.

I want to brew things that taste better, more like the craft ales you buy in craft beer bars or in 330ml cans, at the moment Elvis Juice by Brewdog and Mr President are my favourites.

Are there any kits that will get me closer to that or am I looking at all grain brewing if I have any hope of achieving those kinds of flavours..

 

[Sandimas]

Here's a couple of good ones that I've made

Cwtch
https://www.brewuk.co.uk/tiny-rebel-cwtch-3-0kg.html

American Amber
https://www.brewuk.co.uk/ab-amber-3kg-40pt.html

 

[evolram]

The youngs AIPA and NWS are both very nice.

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[evolram]

I'm sat here in the sun drinking my NWS.

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[terrym]

Suggest you look through the review section
http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=61597
One of my go-to kits is Coopers Australian Pale which is in the reviews. I normally boost it with a mini mash, a hop boil and a dry hop.
Youngs AIPA and APA are good kits to try, with the APA marginally better for me.

 

[Sadfield]

I don't do kits, and never have, but I go to two different homebrew clubs, so have tasted more than my fair share. To be honest you are not going to brew commercial quality beers with them and I agree that they are all very similar, probably down to the meagre amounts of hops supplied with them (if you get dry hops at all) and also they tend to have generic yeast bundled in with them(usually nottingham) that isn't always hop friendly. The best attempts I've drunk have been where the brewer has swapped the yeast for US05 and then dry hopped with extra hops.

Looking at the Elvis Juice recipe you could try using the Coopers DIY IPA and add some Grapefruit and Orange zest in the hot water used to dissolve the malt extract, ferment with Safale US05 and then dry hop with 50g each of Citra, Amarillo and Simcoe hops (use pellets for best results).

 

[Linalmeemow]

Make the jump to doing extract recipes. Hardly any extra kit needed (a big stockpot is about it) and the difference in quality will make you wonder why you bothered with kits.

 

[marlon]

You sound like you're ready to consider ALL GRAIN :party:

The difference is stunning...!

 

[jsl2000]

Make sure you buy 2 can kits you'll get more flavour then. Also what's your water like mines really hard hear and makes the beer taste a bit urgh. Use bottled water, cheap as chips from lidl.

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[IainM]

Yup, time to step up to extract or all grain. But, if you have to stick to kits, then the Young's American IPA is a winner, one of the best I did before moving to all grain. I never tried the Cwtch, but that seems close to what you are looking for too.

 

[Covrich]

Whilst I dont disagree with the above about AG or extract.. if you;re simply looking for a better kit and you want teh simplicity of it I woudl recommend the Young's craft kits.

Or if you are feeling more adventurous you could do what Terry does an boost with some grains and hops..

All depends on how much extra involvement you are willing to consider.. but you have plenty of options

 

[Gunge]

Back in the day when I couldn't keep up with the all grain stuff to feed my insatiable consumption, I'd chuck 2 Geordie (yes,Geordie) kits together, minus sugar. The results were very agreeable indeed. Maybe I was the true pioneer of 'two can' kits. Missed the boat there,huh?

 

[shepp]

I've tried Wilko's Beer Kit, Coopers DIY IPA, and Tom Caxtons Real Ale, I don't really like any of them and they all taste quite similar to each other.

I want to brew things that taste better, more like the craft ales you buy in craft beer bars or in 330ml cans, at the moment Elvis Juice by Brewdog and Mr President are my favourites.

Are there any kits that will get me closer to that or am I looking at all grain brewing if I have any hope of achieving those kinds of flavours..

No chance, that's why people go to all the expense to buy equipment and spend all the time planning and brewing all grain.

 

[Poochops]

Tiny Rebel Cwtch - bitter and hoppy and lovely
Youngs AIPA - full of hoppy goodness.
Festival New Zealand Pilsner. Gorgeous hoppy pils style lager
There's a theme here, but if you're not arsed about hops, any of the Brewferm kits are great for Belgian style ales, or what about a coopers stout with treacle to give it that unctuous body and flavour?
If you're after the 'craft beer' feel, any kit with dry hops will do it for you and most are two can kits which give greater body and flavour as a rule.

 

[BeerisGOD]

Here's a couple of good ones that I've made

Cwtch
https://www.brewuk.co.uk/tiny-rebel-cwtch-3-0kg.html

American Amber
https://www.brewuk.co.uk/ab-amber-3kg-40pt.html

Darrellm
How long did you condition the A.A.A for?
The yeast isn't as compact as I'd liked in the bottle as I'd hoped. So I'm senscing a yeasty aftertaste but it could be the flavour of the beer. I'm happy to wait another two weeks if you believe it's not at it's best yet
Cheers

 

[BeerisGOD]

Back in the day when I couldn't keep up with the all grain stuff to feed my insatiable consumption, I'd chuck 2 Geordie (yes,Geordie) kits together, minus sugar. The results were very agreeable indeed. Maybe I was the true pioneer of 'two can' kits. Missed the boat there,huh?

It's that label that puts me off. Amiga 500 graphics for the writing

 

[dps51]

i was like you with kits did not get the tastes I wanted
so then I went all grain biab now got a ace microbrewery system
where you can change thing around to suit your tastes

 

[Martybhoy]

The kits I used before moving onto all grain, were Young's, Brewery and St Peters.

They were pretty decent, as far as kits go.

 

[Covrich]

Darrellm
How long did you condition the A.A.A for?
The yeast isn't as compact as I'd liked in the bottle as I'd hoped. So I'm senscing a yeasty aftertaste but it could be the flavour of the beer. I'm happy to wait another two weeks if you believe it's not at it's best yet
Cheers

Long time since I did the kit in fact it was the last kit I did but going on memory it was

2 weeks fermenting and then I dry hopped for 5 days.. and bottled..

after 3 or so weeks bottled the beer tasted okay but still looked like a urine infection..

After 5 weeks it was good.. although after 2-3 months when the dry hop fades it goes downhill fast.

Got to be honest I dont remember a yeast problem.

 

[Tanzanite]

Back in the day when I couldn't keep up with the all grain stuff to feed my insatiable consumption, I'd chuck 2 Geordie (yes,Geordie) kits together, minus sugar. The results were very agreeable indeed. Maybe I was the true pioneer of 'two can' kits. Missed the boat there,huh?

Gunge me and you both , i have just chucked two sundew kit four tins (6kg) on a Oktoberfest yeast to 30ltr) and i have two scotch heavy kits (one can in each bought in the great tesco sale) so both will make 30 pints of creamy heavy, brewed with a WLP028 Edinburgh yeast.