Wilkinsons Best Bitter

[Slid]

This is a two can own brand kit - one of three available from Wilko, along with Golden Ale and Real Ale.

For some reason, the Blue colouring or the kit name is such that it seems much less popular than the other two. It certainly looks very similar once it's in the FV.

Anyway, I picked this up during the last Wilko homebrew sale for the princely sum of £12.75 and have brewed it as a sort of ESB with 500g of medium DME and 600g of demerara sugar to 25L. Plan to add a hop tea with some (unfashionable?) hops called Junga that I got for £1 from Rob the Malt Miller. Given the age of said hops, I may add more as a dry hop after racking to secondary.

It looks pretty good after ~ 30 hours, with a wonderful first cloud-like krausen.

Using a Coopers yeast sachet from one of the other (many) kits I got in the last Wilko sale.

 

[Smileyr8]

Have not tried this one, its on the list. I still have 2 Golden ales left from the last sale and the Wilko Real ale brewed for Xmas was highly praised by both my father & my father in law.

 

[Ashley]

I got 5 of these in a sale back in aug/september for 2 quid a kit. Only 1 was past SBD and the others went until 2016. I have added all sorts to them. Medium DME brew enhancer golden syrup and hop teas.

I wouldnt buy them again unless they were 2 quid each.

 

[Slid]

LOL - truly a glowing recommendation from Ashley :-D

Any specific issues here you could share?
:electric:

 

[Ashley]

LOL - truly a glowing recommendation from Ashley :-D

Any specific issues here you could share?
:electric:

To be honest they weren't really to my taste. They're not as clean or flavourful as woodfordes kits for example, and woodfordes wherry is cheaper in wilko than the wilko own brand 2 can kits.

I improved a couple of them with the additions but they're very dark and until you add extra hops to the i just thought they just tasted like "home brew".

This is must my opinion though. I dont like IPA but that's very popular so i can't argue with the masses.

A mate of mine that makes wine saw them and picked them up for me. He got himself a couple to try and he quite likes them. But i think thats because he added nothing and enjoyed the 5p a pint price tag lol

 

[Slid]

Can't argue with that, mate. :thumb:

Would agree that the pricing structure on the 2 cans is just wierd at present and I would be inclined to add hops (at least) to all these Wilko kits on principle.

That is, the principle that it makes better beer and it takes very little time or expense to do so, once you think you know what you are doing...

.....With a can-opener, then why not?

 

[Ashley]

Can't argue with that, mate. :thumb:

Would agree that the pricing structure on the 2 cans is just wierd at present and I would be inclined to add hops (at least) to all these Wilko kits on principle.

That is, the principle that it makes better beer and it takes very little time or expense to do so, once you think you know what you are doing...

.....With a can-opener, then why not?

LOL

If anything these kits really inspired me to look at AG as although they were cheap and drinkable they inspired me to start adding things and when i did that, and realised how much you can tailor to your requirements, i thought sod it, lets make the plunge.

it also helps that my mrs picked up on my amibitions and bought my kit for me. :

 

[Slid]

Good for you, Ashley

Enjoy:thumb:

 

[Ashley]

Something that might be of interest, though, is that i have had one of these kits in fv for 2 and a half months. I just coildnt be bothered to bottle it as i wasn't too keen on the contents. I put 500 of DME and a fuggles hop tea and teabag in it. I bottled it yesterday while bottling up my timothy taylor batch. I will let you know how that one turns out :-)