My taste test...

[Trotters80]

I bought two John Bull London Porter kits.

In one, I put chocolate grains, hops & dark spray malt.

In the other I only put sugar in, just followed the basic instructions.

I could see a slight difference in taste but not as much as I thought I would. Soooooo is there anything else I can do to improve the taste? Otherwise is there any point adding extra ingredients if the taste isn't that much more noticeable?.

 

[Brightonnik]

A porter wouldn't be the best barometer in my opinion.

 

[Slid]

I would have thought that 200g of chocolate malt and 500g of DME would give a one can kit a big lift. A dark beer is not much improved by a small hop addition, as the hops are a bit swamped by the taste of the dark grains.

 

[Grizzly299]

Four things that are likely to improve flavour the most;

1.Leave it in the primary fermentor for at least two weeks, I go for three.

2.Control fermentation temps.

3. Pitch enough yeast and always rehydrate dried yeast in a little water before pitching.

4. Aerate your wort thoroughly.

 

[GlentoranMark]

Time, time and more time!

I think you'll notice a vast difference the longer you leave it. I split a kit before and mixed in some Styrian hops into one. At bottling there was no discernible difference, 3 months in there was a marked change.

 

[Cwrw666]

The biggest thing you can do to improve a 1 can kit is to make it up to 4 gallons instead of 5 and use less sugar. The result will be about the same strength as it would have been, less `homebrew twang' as you've used less sugar, much more flavour per pint.

 

[zippy40]

I love using this kit. I just use dark malt and a bit of sugar which gives it a great lift in flavour. I don't add any additional hops to mine but I want more prominent malt flavours. I get quite intense chocolate and caramel flavours when young and a mellowing of coffee when older brewed.

For the price - one of my favourite kits.

edited to say that I also do as above - don't make it up to the full five gallons