'Tarting up' beer kits?

[lynsey.a]

I got a new book for my birthday 'Home Brewing' by Kevin Forbes.
There's a recipe in it for Belgian Lefe Blonde - it uses a Continental lager kit, plus 1.5kg pale malt extract, 500g glucose, 25g Saaz hops and ale yeast. I think it looks pretty interesting to give that a go!

Does anyone know of other recipes that use a beer kit plus some other bits and bobs to fancy it up a little? (not got space or funds for AG brewing! Been looking online through!!!)

Cheers,

 

[BigYin]

usually the tweek is to replace any advised sugar with spraymalt, but other than that you should feel confident to try other additions - like some sugar or spraymalt to up the gravity/body, some dry hops in the fermenter to up the hops aroma, etc etc- the world's your oyster :mrgreen:

 

[Dr Mike]

Using a different yeast could alter/imporove the beer you get from a kit. It was years ago now but I once did a nice kit-based bitter by ditching the yeast sachet which came with the kit and fermenting with yeast cultured from a bottle of Spitfire (it used to be bottle-conditioned back in the 1990s but hasn't been for ages now).

 

[soupdragon]

Try this site. I'm sure you can substitute the coopers for any single can kit of your choice :thumb:

Cheers Tom

 

[alanywiseman.]

A good way to improve the taste of the kits is to use hop teas. I recently did one with the Better Brew IPA. I boiled about 25g Chinoock for 15 mins and 25g for 5 then left it to sit after flame out for 20mins and added to the wort before pitching the yeast. After 1 week in the FV I dry hopped with the remaining Chinoock.

It took about 2 months to calm down but it is amazing. Very citrusy with a great aroma.

Another option is to add some grains to some hot water for about 20-30 mins then remove and add to wort (or boil hops first then add to wort). You are restricted in the grains that you can use though, off the top of my head Chocolate, Black and crystal malts are of and add flavour. Carapils can also be used and this will improve head retention.