Malt extract

[simonkidder]

I have only ever made a pear cider kit and some turbo cider attempts. I would like to have a go at making some beer. Now I don't have the nessacary kit to make AG, to be honest I've read quite a few how to guides in here and I've got to me honest I don't really understand them :hmm:. Maybe I would if I made one but I don't have the time or money to buy the stuff (not that I really understand what I need)

So I'm thinking of going for the easy option and making from a kit. Now my main question is can you make beer just using a malt extract or are they just to add to a kit?

I was thinking of making the coopers lager kit and maybe adding some spray malt or malt extract or something don't really know, guidance please

(and your welcome to take the pi*s)

Simon

 

[Eric_S]

Kits are quite easy - if you go for a coopers lager kit just use straightforward table sugar. You could use beer enhancer but I'd be lying if I said they made a big difference. Not with lager kits anyway.

 

[Dave1970]

Another option if you want a lager kit would be a 2 can kit like the Muntons Gold Continental Pilsner...more expensive, but not that much more if you're going to start buying Beer Enhancer. With a 2 can kit all your sugars come from malt just like real beer so it should be a better end product :

 

[simonkidder]

The lager kit was just an idea, I will look for the 2 can kits. Thanks dave

 

[Brendan124]

I've made a few of the Coopers European kits and they turned out great, I usually just add 1 kg of brewing sugar but have tried the brew enhancer with a kit and didnt notice any difference in flavour at all, you just have to experiment with different kits to find the one you like.

 

[abeyptfc]

here's a video of a guy doing an extract brew. i think he explains everything well enough. i think he uses liquid malt extract but you can also use dry/spray malt aswell.
http://www.youtube.com/user/CraigTube#p/search/0/VmhgcuQ5_ps

 

[shocker]

Lager ,surprisingly ,is not the easiest way to start brewing beers .The kits tend to be a compromise to make them do-able without a lot of equipment and experience .I would think that a beer,pale ale type kit would be a better intro with a better likelihood of success....and its important for your first tries to be a bit forgiving so you dont get disheartened .

As has been said the sugars added are in lieu of malt sourced sugars in regular large scale brewing ,so the closer you can get to that the better .You could look up the "how to" on making invert sugar syrup....its dead easy and cheap to do and makes a better end result ,or use spraymalt or plain malt extract to replace the sugar listed on the kit .Remember that a one tin kit is basically malt extract syrup with hop flavouring already added . NO real magic ingredients (on the whole) in there.

Find a kit you like and try to replace the white granulated with something ,some of it at least .You will get a better brew and feel like its your personal achievement ! A tin of malt extract the same size as the kit tin will do it....but for the same price you could have a 2 tin kit .Which amounts to pretty much the same thing ! Or use some glucose from your LHBS or superdrug (they got it on offer !) or make invert syrup ,or use some spraymalt or malt extract from a healthfood shop to replace some of the sugar ,or use a brown sugar to suit the beer type .Have a search around here for things people have done to spice up a kit .Doesnt have to be expensive or difficult ,you can use stuff from the supermarket and your brew will bw your very own....get stuck in mate !