What next? Ideas from the people in the know

[sherbyderb]

Right i am going to be bottling my coopers aussy lager in the next week and am wanting to get another brew on the go but dont know what to choose, This is where all of you come in.
I like to dring hoegarden, black sheep and the like so are there any kits out there that are like these? Thanks again Andy.

 

[RobWalker]

Hoegarden, I think coopers do a wheat kit. that could be good. Add 15g Crushed Corriander Seeds and 2tbs Orange Peel to it and it'll taste great.

 

[The Ginger Ninja]

Have you conciderd trying an Extract brew? Its a good mid point between kits and all grain. The real bonus is that you can make up your own recipies and feel like your really brewing not just adding water to a tin of goo.

:thumb:

 

[shearclass]

and feel like your really brewing not just adding water to a tin of goo.

There is much more to brewing kits than

adding water to a tin of goo

:!:

I like to dring hoegarden, black sheep and the like

These beers could not be more different, so does this mean you like everything? Kits that I have done and really enjoyed are Woodfordes' Great North Eastern, Brupaks' IPA and Fixby Gold, Munton's Imperial stout (though there is nothing Imperial about it) and lager wise Cooper's Mexican Cerveza was delicious (though it ended up more like a european pilsner, was still amzing).

However, sayign that, it's really up to you!

 

[The Ginger Ninja]

Oh yeah you have to add yeast!

 

[RobWalker]

I've heard the coopers mexican beer is meant to be fantastic. I don't like mexican stuff, but it comes highly rated!

 

[Cussword]

Oh yeah you have to add yeast!

:rofl:

That's just cruel!

 

[sherbyderb]

many thanks for your input everyone. Rob how would i add the seeds and peel to the wort? as this is only going to be my second ever brew so i am very new to all this so you will have to bear with me
G N as this is only my second brew i am just getting to know the ropes so i may go onto the extract later on when i know more.
Shearclass I would say these two are my favourte beer drinks so i wouldnt mind trying something like one of these if there was anything out there that tasted a little bit like them.
Again thnaks for the input :

 

[The Ginger Ninja]

G N as this is only my second brew i am just getting to know the ropes so i may go onto the extract later on when i know more.quote]

Theres never any rush, I did at least 4 or 5 kit brews before I went on to extract and then AG.

You could give 2 can kits ago.....

 

[shocker]

Ive been happy doing extract and grain mixes for years now . My grandfather was a maltster (I still have the wooden shovels) so he would be furious were he still with us, but I dont feel any need to go AG....unless I REALLY feel like it. Theres plenty you can do to play around with kits , after all, they are just malt extract and hops,so you can add different hop flavours,use some other extracts and even some grain when you feel comfortable.

I dont think that is a great idea to go rushing into AG , for lots of reasons.Do a good few kits, make some mistakes and learn how to deal with problems without panicing (anyone who says they havnt ever paniced is not being truthful!) . Learn how things go right and wrong , get comfortable with the equipment and processes, then play around adding to them. CJJ Berrys book has a good few extract-plus recipes that are a good way to move on from kits.

All the above really applies to the basic,traditional kits,thinking about it.Having been out of the game for a few years I am pleasantly surprised by the premium kits on offer and the range they cover.If I was you I would try a real ale,then an IPA and a stout , that will cover a lot of ground.

 

[shearclass]

Oh yeah you have to add yeast!

:)

Yes and investigating how different yeats change the flavour of the beer, playing around with boiling some hops with some water before adding it to the kit, dry hopping, lagering, steralising, steralising, steralising, bottling, conditioning, drinking.

I am going to try extract soon as I have acquired a boiler, and I am grateful of the introduction to brewing that kits have given me.

Each to their own though. :

 

[The Ginger Ninja]

I started doing extract brews in a 10L saucepan I pinched from me mam, so it is possible to do a few extract brews this way before investing in a boiler.

You should check out building your own boiler out of a plastic bucket and a couple of kettle eliments, its a cheap way of doing it :thumb:

 

[RobWalker]

It's better to steep them in for a while after fermentation, make a tea bag out of muslin and suspend it in the beer with fishing line when it's finished fermenting. Just an idea!