Pimping a kit..

[Frisp]

While I re-accumulate my AG kit, I have needs! I needs beer.

I have a "Simply" Yorkshire bitter with a KG of Muntons dark enhancer. which im hoping will fill a keg to keep me going until I slip more "Beer kit" past SWMBO's steely gaze..

My "Simply" Lager kit has turned out Thin on flavour as a thin lager can be,

So Im thinking maybe a few hops in a hopbag steepded in the boiling water whan I mix the kit up , and maybe let it steep there for 20 mins before Lifting the bag out and topping up to fermentation level.

or

should I just dry hop into the fermenter with 5 or 6 IBU ?

Im thinking challeneger or first gold..

what think ye?

 

[damienair]

I’ll be sticking on a kit at the weekend. It’s a Coopers Canadian Blonde which I’m going to make up with light Dry Malt Extract. After 10 days I’m going to make a hop tea with Citra and Mosaic hops and add it to the brew for the last 4 days. Hops will be in a hop sock. I did it before and it turned out great.

 

[Frisp]

I’ll be sticking on a kit at the weekend. It’s a Coopers Canadian Blonde which I’m going to make up with light Dry Malt Extract. After 10 days I’m going to make a hop tea with Citra and Mosaic hops and add it to the brew for the last 4 days. Hops will be in a hop sock. I did it before and it turned out great.

Hop Tea, Good Idea.. far better than a gandfull of hops floating in the fermenter

 

[damienair]

I was a week delayed getting this brew on. It’s bubbling away since Sunday. Forgot to say I also swapped out the coopers kit yeast for a Verdant IPA yeast. Looking forward to seeing what it turns out like. I’ll be adding the hop tea next week.

 

[Paulus]

I am looking for advice on pimping a simply lager 23L kit.

Saflager W-34/70

I will be adding 1.6kg light DME and around 300g dextrose.
I would also like to add a hop tea (Saaz). Or boil the DME in 2l of water and add the hops as in boiling wort.

I have never made hop tea before but I assume I can just boil it like wort so add 50g at 60mins then 20g at 15mins to 2L of water then add to the wort in the fermenter?

Or I can boil the DME with 2l of water then add 50g Saaz at the start(60m), keep it boiling (probably lid on the saucepan) then 20g at 15mins.

Do either of these make sense? I have 100g of Saaz so can go higher but I don;t want a really hoppy lager. Just something that has better taste than the original. I am worried that with so much DME the taste will be much sweeter if I don't add hops as well.

I will be adding the yeast at 12C and pressure fermenting once it gets going raising the temp to 20C as the pressure gets to about 15psi.

After 2 days of a stable SG I'll cold crash it for a few days before force fermenting in the keg(s).

If anyone has any warnings, ideas, advice or anything else relevant please let me know.