Kit recommendations please!

[folkfiddleplayer]

Morning, I have my Christmas beer on the go, 1 "Geordie" and 1 "English Bitter".
I'm trying to find out what are generally the best tasting kits and what tweaks people use to get the most out of them.
Many thanks!

 

[Graz]

I know people do tweak the more budget end of the beer kit range with a lot of success but I find I get more consistency from the more premium kits and without changing anything.

The Festival Kits are generally excellent, I also like the Woodforde's kits, Mangrove Jacks but always using a malt extract pouch for the extra fermentables, Young's American range, Munton's Flagship, and the Bulldog Premium range.

 

[folkfiddleplayer]

Thanks for the recommendations. I'm passing the list to Santa!!

 

[Mr_S_Jerusalem]

Being the complete opposite of a beer kit connosswer, I have tried a limited range of what I consider good tasting kits.

Woodfordes Wherry was awesome, made it a couple times never disappointed. Same with Tom Caxtons Real Ale Kit.

Anything made by Simply is worth trying, they make great kits.

My partner bought me Youngs Barley Wine kit once, that was very nice and not at all what I was expecting. Actually I was expecting beer flavoured wine which it was not in any way lol.

Coopers Mexican Cerveza was good and refreshing, although possibly not ideal for the winter season.

 

[damienair]

I’ve had great success with Mangrove Jacks kits. Pink Grapefruit IPA and Juicy Session IPA are amazing kits. I add dry malt extract to make up the kits. I made a Mangrove Jacks Raspberry Berliner Weiss Beer for Christmas and I am drinking the first pint now. Turned out great.
Razorback IPA is also a fantastic kit.

 

[GhostShip]

I’d certainly look at the Dark Rock Session Series. I’ve done a few now, including the first taste of a new brew tonight which I’ll review on here when I get time, but all of them have been excellent and they do a range of styles. I’d always buy the kit with the relevant Dark Rock Enhancer though - superb stuff and comes with Pure Brew.

 

[matt.]

I’ve had great success with Mangrove Jacks kits. Pink Grapefruit IPA and Juicy Session IPA are amazing kits. I add dry malt extract to make up the kits. I made a Mangrove Jacks Raspberry Berliner Weiss Beer for Christmas and I am drinking the first pint now. Turned out great.
Razorback IPA is also a fantastic kit.

Snap for the Pink Grapefruit

 

[folkfiddleplayer]

I’ve had great success with Mangrove Jacks kits. Pink Grapefruit IPA and Juicy Session IPA are amazing kits. I add dry malt extract to make up the kits. I made a Mangrove Jacks Raspberry Berliner Weiss Beer for Christmas and I am drinking the first pint now. Turned out great.
Razorback IPA is also a fantastic kit.

Thanks, I ordered a Razorback IPA kit today, so was delighted to see your comment!!

 

[folkfiddleplayer]

I’d certainly look at the Dark Rock Session Series. I’ve done a few now, including the first taste of a new brew tonight which I’ll review on here when I get time, but all of them have been excellent and they do a range of styles. I’d always buy the kit with the relevant Dark Rock Enhancer though - superb stuff and comes with Pure Brew.

Loads of suggestions... Luckily I'm planning to do a fair bit of brewing in 2024 so will work through them!

 

[damienair]

Thanks, I ordered a Razorback IPA kit today, so was delighted to see your comment!!

I have about 36 pints bottled of Razorback IPA in my garage. Looking forward to doing some damage to the stash over Christmas. It’s a cracking beer. As good as any IPA from a supermarket.

 

[Pavros]

It depends on the type of beer you like.

I like hoppy IPAs so the kits I have made at least 3 times are the Festival Razorback and Golden Stag and Bulldog 4 Finger Jack. The Youngs American IPA, Pale Ale and red IPA are also very good.

The Brewferm kits are good if you like Belgian beers. They only make between 10 and 15 litres and are better if left for 3 to 6 months in the bottle. I've made the Dubbel, Tripel, Christmas and Diablo (I think the names have changed now). Brew the Christmas one by March 24 at the latest for next Christmas.

 

[soupdragon]

If you like a good, easy drinking bitter then Old English Bitter from the Muntons Gold range is a tasty brew. It has a slight sweetness to it and is very, very moorish

Cheers Tom

 

[Sandimas]

Muntons Smugglers used to be my go-to kit, in fact I've just bought one to try again, 8 years after moving to AG brewing - wondering how it will stack up now
https://www.muntons.com/home_brewing/smugglers-special-ale/

 

[Clint]

Have a look on Coopers website. They have a section on customising their kits.

 

[barry.morgan71]

I have about 36 pints bottled of Razorback IPA in my garage. Looking forward to doing some damage to the stash over Christmas. It’s a cracking beer. As good as any IPA from a supermarket.

Interesting, I was really looking forward to it after hearing everybody rave about it. I was very, very disappointed, I don't like it. It's been about 6 weeks since its been bottled and tried 3 or 4 bottles and I dont like the taste.

 

[allotment_fox]

To be honest I've made loads and loads of extract kits for years and years, they have moved on in quality no end over the last 5 years and many are now next level (many listed above) I'd go for a 3KG ish kit I have messed about with yeast and malt with some smashing beers.

But for me the Muntons Hazy IPA Needs no messing about with and will give a very good beer at the end of it.
Get it on your bucket list

 

[damienair]

Interesting, I was really looking forward to it after hearing everybody rave about it. I was very, very disappointed, I don't like it. It's been about 6 weeks since it’s been bottled and tried 3 or 4 bottles and I dont like the taste.

That’s a pity. This is my second time to brew this kit. I liked it the first time and it is lovely now. I like the taste. Although I don’t think I have done a beer yet that I haven’t happily enjoyed. I’m easy going and like Wheat beers, IPA’s and Ales. There are some kits I wouldn’t do again but most have been good.

 

[User 38108]

Muntons Smugglers used to be my go-to kit, in fact I've just bought one to try again, 8 years after moving to AG brewing - wondering how it will stack up now
https://www.muntons.com/home_brewing/smugglers-special-ale/

I have aquired 3 of these I was going to do an exbeeriment with them.
1. Do it just as the kit
2. Change the yeast I have some Thames Valley 1275 Wyeast
3. Do the same as 2 but with some bottled spring water.

Starting just after the festive season

 

[Sandimas]

2. Change the yeast I have some Thames Valley 1275 Wyeast

Good point - I should have said that the Muntons kit comes with only 6g of yeast, which is really not enough for 40 pints and risks the infamous FG 1020 stuck-brew, especially this time of year when it's colder. To reduce this risk you really could do with a full 11/12g packet of yeast, I'll be doing mine 1-can at a time, so 20 pints each: I'll use the kit yeast for one of them and another yeast later.

 

[User 38108]

Good point - I should have said that the Muntons kit comes with only 6g of yeast, which is really not enough for 40 pints and risks the infamous FG 1020 stuck-brew, especially this time of year when it's colder. To reduce this risk you really could do with a full 11/12g packet of yeast, I'll be doing mine 1-can at a time, so 20 pints each: I'll use the kit yeast for one of them and another yeast later.

I can use the other yeast packets from the other kits