I need better tasting kits to brew..

[Braindead]

Catch by far the best kit out there.
Muntons are working on releasing 2 more Tiny Rebel kits once they sort the recipe out.

Hopefully CwbTropicana

 

[BeerisGOD]

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.

Cheers covrich
Sounds like I've a got June to really appreciate them

 

[Gent]

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

Cheers man I might check out Cwtch.

The youngs AIPA and NWS are both very nice.

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I think I'll look at NWS, thanks.

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.

Will take a look into APA, thanks!

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).

Yeah I spoke to a homebrew club, costs a small fortune to brew it yourself, I could just buy it from the brewery for the same price! I think I might try your recipe with the grapefruit/orange zest + extra hops if I can get it close I'll be over the moon without having to go all grain just yet, if you could provide some steps & suggested quantities for me regarding the grapefruit/orange peel and hopping times/methods that would be fantastic as I've little clue about those things coming from a tin can world, thanks!

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.

Yeah I think that's the next step once I've used my remaining tins, going to experiment with hopping the tins and adding things for different flavours I think!

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

The difference is stunning...!

Oh definitely, once these tins are gone I will be buying a nice 23 litre pot!

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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I've brewed Coopers IPA with Coopers 1.5Kg Liquid Light Malt Extract and I didn't notice a huge impact to flavour, I think it's time to go all grain.

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.

Cwtch keeps coming up and if it's the kinda thing I'm after I will try that one next I think, thanks!

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

I'm feeling like an adventure, my tastebuds need it!

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

Looks like I have no choice here :P

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.

Brilliant thanks for your list and input, Cwtch keeps coming up again and again so 100% going to give that a go.

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

:P I know what I need to do!

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.

May try Young's before I get more equipment for AGB :P

 

[BeerisGOD]

Bleedin ell' well least you've taken everyone's suggestions into account

 

[Covrich]

they tend to have generic yeast bundled in with them(usually nottingham) that isn't always hop friendly. .

At last someone else says it :lol: Been saying this here for years, it is fine for many beers but if you want something hoppy avoid the nottingham/gervin12/wilko ale yeast as it surpresses the hops profile somewhat.

 

[Sadfield]

Hi Gent,

I would start by removing the zest of one orange and one grapefruit using a potato peeler, being careful not to take too much of the white pith, which is bitter. I would then dissolve the contents of the kit tins with some boiling water and add the zest, leave it for 10 minutes to extract the oils from the zest, and then top up your kit as normal. You can either take the zest out or leave it in, it'll end up at the bottom with the yeast, once fermented. Add your yeast and allow the beer to almost fermented out, when the krausen has almost cleared from the beer, add the hops and leave for 2-5 days. I use pellet hops and throw them in and let them sink to the bottom, although you can use a sanitised hop sock.