kit pimping

[Sandimas]

Let us know how that turns out - I have one of those kits to do.

I regularly pimp the odd kit despite being an AG brewer, sometimes just don't have the time for AG. My general method is not to do a 60min boil as I don't want much additional bitterness, but to do the final stages of the recipe I'm trying to replicate - so the 15min, 10min, steep hopping stages. This seems to work, just pimped a Coopers Australian with the latter stages of the St Austell Proper Job hop schedule and it's come out delicious :thumb:

 

[cornyandy]

I think you can go as far or near as you want, Wherry with a bit of steeped crystal and a homemade teabag (muslin) of goldings works very well but I have done this with a basic Yorkshire Bitter kit to make one of the best stouts I have ever had:-

1 Betterbrew Yorkshire Bitter Kit (�£7 at Boyes)
1 Extra Dark Spraymalt
3 medium Spraymalt (�£1 each short date and damaged bags)

250g Crystal Malt
250g Roast Barley

33g East Kent Goldings pellets
30g (approx.) Goldings hops
15 g goldings hops (end of boil)
Gervin Yeast


Steeped the grains barely simmering water for 45 mins
Strained out and added pellets and hops.

Boiled the hops for 45 mins and added the last 15g for the last 15 mins.

Added the Kit to the bucket, added dissolved spraymalts and hopped mix from earlier.

 

[funkyslime]

This beer has come good quite sweet malt tasting to begin with then at the very end a bitter dryness.
Still got a few kits left so will definitely be do partial mashes with them too.