Wilko IPA "Help & Advice Please"

[mancer62]

Although not new to home brewing... I am a simple extract kit guy who just would like to experiment a little with adding hops etc.

Today I plan brewing two Wilko 1.5kg extract IPA (40 pint)kits which I will brew to around 36 pints.....
I plan to make both slightly different to see which is better.
IPA (A) I will be brewing using 1kg T&L white granulated sugar
IPA (B) I will be brewing using 1kg T&L soft light brown sugar.
I know I will be getting told use brewing sugar?DME etc but I want to try it this way to see what results I can get.
I also have 100g citra & 100g Cascade.
Would you recommend I use these both separately or mixing them both half and half? If so what amount? for example would 50g of each be enough?
If separately which do you think would work better with the white sugar citra or cascade or with the soft brown sugar?
Once brewed I plan just to put the hops into a muslin bag and straight into my corny keg where it will remain till the beers drank.
Look forward to replies tyvm

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

I’m very new to this too. A couple of months ago I bought a basic bulldog brews IPA kit (similar to the Wilko one I think), I used 1.2 kg LME and 200g t&l intead of 1.5 kg sugar like the instructions said. I dry hopped with 100g Citra in a hop bag 4 days before bottling and it came out so good, but then I love a hoppy beer. If I were you, I’d probably dry hop one with 100g cascade and the other with the Citra. I use hop bags, sanitise a rubber glove and wring the bags out in the FV just before I bottle.
As an aside, it appears to me the general feeling is that it isn’t necessary to use brewing sugar. I think that the only difference between the two you are looking to do use will likely be one slightly darker.

 

[terrym]

Normal advice is to avoid lots of dextrose or table sugar, in whatever form it comes, and that is more relevant to you since you are using 1.5kg kits. However I am sure you know that. My suggestion is to use 500g light DME and 500g sugar in each kit or you may otherwise be faced with 72 pints or therabouts of thin beer.
Anyway as far as the hops are concerned its entirely down to personal choice. Some will say go for 100g in each, others will be more conservative.
Since you want to do a side by side comparison with the sugars I would use equal parts of each hop in your two brews. 50g upwards in each is fine, more if you prefer. Personally I would for a hop tea rather than a dry hop to get more hop flavour rather than aroma

 

[ClownPrince]

Not much of an expert, so feel free to take my advice with a pinch of salt.

As others have said I'd advise perhaps using Brew Enhancer (50/50 Light DME and Sugar) or even DME (I personally don't see the benefit in brewing sugar over table sugar) in at least one of the kits.
I think table sugar is fine in some brews (give it a go in the Wilko Cervesa, turned out a very drinkable treat for me), but you'd want a bit more body in an IPA.
I'd personally go 50/50 with the hops, and I'd drop them in the fermentor for the last 4-7 days rather than into the keg; reason being it'll probably take you a good few weeks to drink 72 pints and by that point your beer will be getting grassy from the hops.

However these turn out; let us know.