Kit Tweaking. How to customise and improve upon a basic kit

[MyQul]

So you've made a few kits as per the instructions but now you want to take things a step further. Here are a few threads and links on how to do just that (If anyone wants to write a comprehensive kit tweeking guide, please feel free :thumb:)

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=69466&page=1

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=68067

http://store.coopers.com.au/brewing-info/recipes.html

http://www.aussiehomebrewing.com/Customize/CustomizeCoopers.html

 

[Global33]

A great resource! Should we ask further questions here or keep posting on the original threads?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

@MyQul has not locked the thread so ask away.

 

[Global33]

Some questions then as this one is now the sticky...

What exactly is in the main bag of a beer kit?

I've ordered 4 kits and 1.5kg of LME to enhance the flavor of the final beer. If I want to add ABV to final brew how do I work out how many grams of sugar for each percentage point on a 40 pint brew?

I've also ordered some hop pellets. Is the normal way of pimping a kit to get just dry hop or is there any benefit of making a hop tea as well to get flavour as well as aroma?

 

[Tanzanite]

if i used two youngs 1.5kg scottish heavy kits together and brewed to 30 ltrs what would the ABV be ???

 

[Godsdog]

if i used two youngs 1.5kg scottish heavy kits together and brewed to 30 ltrs what would the ABV be ???

Without knowing OG and FG you are pizzing in the wind

 

[Tanzanite]

Without knowing OG and FG you are pizzing in the wind

thought so. i think with a 500g bag of spray malt it should be in the 5% to 5.2% dont want it any higher 4.5% is fine by me

 

[terrym]

@Tanzanite
I use this calculator and find it is quite accurate for LME, DME and sugar additions. AG brewers may find it less so because they are subject to mashing efficiencies.
Beer Recipe Calculator - Brewer's Friend
I would play with it to find out roughly what you want to achieve. It will be accurate for OG , but will only give a rough guide on FG due to all sorts of variables including the kit yeast itself.
By example, your 2 x 1.5kg kits in 30 litres will give an OG of about 1.029 and a target FG of about 1.007 and ABV of about 2.88%. Brew to 20litres and that becomes, 1.044/1.011/4.31.

 

[dps51]

I would change the grain I use also the hops look at other flavors I could add
mash time and temperature also boil time
but I'm still learning so what would I know about how to tweak a brew
just try and error in my cass

 

[Tanzanite]

@Tanzanite
I use this calculator and find it is quite accurate for LME, DME and sugar additions. AG brewers may find it less so because they are subject to mashing efficiencies.
Beer Recipe Calculator - Brewer's Friend
I would play with it to find out roughly what you want to achieve. It will be accurate for OG , but will only give a rough guide on FG due to all sorts of variables including the kit yeast itself.
By example, your 2 x 1.5kg kits in 30 litres will give an OG of about 1.029 and a target FG of about 1.007 and ABV of about 2.88%. Brew to 20litres and that becomes, 1.044/1.011/4.31.

great tool that mate very handy indeed:thumb:

 

[MyQul]

Some questions then as this one is now the sticky...

What exactly is in the main bag of a beer kit?

I've ordered 4 kits and 1.5kg of LME to enhance the flavor of the final beer. If I want to add ABV to final brew how do I work out how many grams of sugar for each percentage point on a 40 pint brew?

I've also ordered some hop pellets. Is the normal way of pimping a kit to get just dry hop or is there any benefit of making a hop tea as well to get flavour as well as aroma?

1. I'm not sure what you mean by 'main bag'

2. Use a brewing calculator. A kit is a just a can of hopped LME so in the drop down box of whatever calculator your using just look for Liquid Malt Extract and add the amount as whatever the can says it is. Then look for sugar in the in the drop down box and then add that. Table sugar is cane sugar, if no cane sugar look for beet sugar as the potential extract is all the same (iirc)

3. You can add a hop tea or dry hop or both. Dry hopping adds aroma and some flavour whearas hop tea is the opposite, it adds flavour and some aroma

 

[Global33]

1. I'm not sure what you mean by 'main bag'

2. Use a brewing calculator. A kit is a just a can of hopped LME so in the drop down box of whatever calculator your using just look for Liquid Malt Extract and add the amount as whatever the can says it is. Then look for sugar in the in the drop down box and then add that. Table sugar is cane sugar, if no cane sugar look for beet sugar as the potential extract is all the same (iirc)

3. You can add a hop tea or dry hop or both. Dry hopping adds aroma and some flavour whearas hop tea is the opposite, it adds flavour and some aroma

Thanks. By the main bag I meant the big bag of stuff that you've told me has hopped LME in it. I didn't know if they added sugar or other things.

I could have phased that last question better...Do people find much benefit making a hop tea to add flavor or dry hopping to add aroma to a kit normally plenty?

 

[ElvisIsBeer]

Assuming I'm not ready to evolve beyond kits just yet.....

And assuming that what I want to do is develop something approximating an Old Peculier clone (for my Dad's birthday).....

Is there a kit that might readily be adapted? And what could be added to make something plausibly peculier?

In "another place" I've just read (since posting this message originally) that Coopers Dark Ale might be a starting point when made with 1kg of medium or dark spray dried malt extract, maybe with 20-30g Goldings as a dry hop addition.

Wondered what folk thought?

 

[Druncan]

As Myqul says. I Dry hop for aroma with 60g 23l 4.0% any USA "C" hops. 100g on 6.5% IPA with extra pressure cooker hop tea 20mins for extra bitterness. Beers totally clear after cold crash an leave for a month. The strong IPA just about blows yer socks off!!! :lol:

Oh yeah, don't go for old kits even if they are cheaper. Fresh is best!

 

[Pavros]

Assuming I'm not ready to evolve beyond kits just yet.....

And assuming that what I want to do is develop something approximating an Old Peculier clone (for my Dad's birthday).....

Is there a kit that might readily be adapted? And what could be added to make something plausibly peculier?

In "another place" I've just read (since posting this message originally) that Coopers Dark Ale might be a starting point when made with 1kg of medium or dark spray dried malt extract, maybe with 20-30g Goldings as a dry hop addition.

Wondered what folk thought?

Yes, the Dark Ale kit made up with 1kg of medium spray malt brewed to 20 litres. I also added 200g of Demerara or soft brown sugar ( I forget which). I didn't dry hop mine but the Goldings addition sounds about right. After about 3-4 months, it developed into a nice pint.

 

[denn]

I bought an American Craft Ale kit from my local brew shop and tweaked it to make a stronger but more tastier brew.

Instead of the five gallon I brewed and fermented only four gallon and used bottled water at 23p per two litres from the supermarket. Just before the end of fermentation I added the hops provided plus 500g of citrus hops. I added three fruit flavoured bottles of still water which supermarkets sell and some mango puree. I was worried about this and hoped it didn't get infected as it did cost a lot more than the kit itself.
The beer fermented out at which point I transferred it to a barrel where I used the other 500g of citrus hops.
The beer stood in the barrel for over a week at which point the sediment had fallen to the bottom. I again transferred it to the fermentation bucket and cleaned out the barrel. The beer was then transferred to the barrel where the beer remained for another week.
I primed my two litre water bottles which I had kept and filled them up. Believe me the flavour was something as good as these craft beer sold in cans and after giving friends a drink they were very impressed.

 

[terrym]

I bought an American Craft Ale kit from my local brew shop and tweaked it to make a stronger but more tastier brew.

Instead of the five gallon I brewed and fermented only four gallon and used bottled water at 23p per two litres from the supermarket. Just before the end of fermentation I added the hops provided plus 500g of citrus hops. I added three fruit flavoured bottles of still water which supermarkets sell and some mango puree. I was worried about this and hoped it didn't get infected as it did cost a lot more than the kit itself.
The beer fermented out at which point I transferred it to a barrel where I used the other 500g of citrus hops.
The beer stood in the barrel for over a week at which point the sediment had fallen to the bottom. I again transferred it to the fermentation bucket and cleaned out the barrel. The beer was then transferred to the barrel where the beer remained for another week.
I primed my two litre water bottles which I had kept and filled them up. Believe me the flavour was something as good as these craft beer sold in cans and after giving friends a drink they were very impressed.

If you have truly added 2 x 500g of additional Citrus (Citra?) hops which, unless you have a cheap source, would have probably cost in excess of £40 let alone the cost of any other ingredients, I would have hoped that your beer tasted as good as beer sold in cans. :thumb:

 

[denn]

Believe me it was something else. I will brew another one day but without the puree which cost over a tenner. I always use bottled water to make beer whether a full mash or a kit. The flavoured water was only 90p a bottle.
The American IPA kit was �£22 and the hops came with the kit although I did buy the citra hops.

I'm new to the forum and placed a post asking about the process of souring beer. I'm not that much of a scientist to go ahead with a sour but my next beer shall include Rhubarb of which I have access to plenty.

PS, I should have knocked a zero from the 500g it should have been 50g, sorry to confuse.

Denn.

 

[Daveb82]

Hi. Hoping someone can help. I'm about to start a st Peters cream stout 40 pint kit. I also bought a coopers dark Malt extract tin. The kit doesn't actually mention sugar being required in the instructions. Would adding this Malt extract risk ruining the beer? Also tempted with adding mint. Any recommendations for how much to add? Cheers

 

[Thumper]

Can't see why it would, providing it's just unhopped malt extract. You'll just end up with a stronger beer. Why on earth would you want to add mint, though?