Worst beer kit you have done

[terrym]

Many forumites regularly make up beer kits, or used to do before they moved on to AG, and although some won’t necessarily agree there are some good kits out there such as the Coopers Stouts and some of the Youngs American beers which are well liked. Beer kits have come a long way since Boots sold brewing equipment. However there was very recently a short dialogue on here in another thread about the Woodefords Sundew kit in which one poster described as ‘it's watery pi55 and a waste of brewing space’. Which lead me to think about the kits that don’t turn out well.

The worst one I have done is that Woodefords Sundew kit. Thin and twangy, and even dry hopping didn’t raise it at all, and of course it stuck. Very disappointing.

So what kits have other members concluded were a ‘waste of brewing space’ and regretted brewing?

 

[Frogbrew]

Mine too was the Sundew kit, rank

 

[Graz]

I had a positive experience with the Sundew though it was tweaked with a crystal grain steep, brewed short, and had a Cascade dry hop if I remember correctly. Also used a CML ale yeast so it didn't stick. Really wasn't too bad after that.

Worst one I've done in recent memory was Cooper's Family Secret, even a hop addition couldn't rescue it. Still drank it mind you :)

 

[Thumper]

Interestingly, given what I've read about it, mine was probably Wherry. Again, too thin and never quite lost it's twang. Not unpleasant, but probably the least pleasant of the kits I've done, if that makes sense.

My first was a Coopers IPA, made to instructions, and that was really nice. My tweaked Wilko stout was super twangy when I tried the first one, but that's now mostly conditioned out and it's turning into a really decent beer.

I do have a Brewferm Abdij conditioning, which I haven't opened yet. That could turn out to be the worst.

 

[IainM]

The worst I did was a John Bull IPA. One of the best I did was a John Bull IPA. I reckon the former was because the yeast wasn't in good nick.

 

[Clint]

I’d say John Bull ipa wasn’t the best. I’ve got the traditional ale with a coopers dark extract just finished fermenting and the sample tasted very promising...I’m going to leave it another 4 days or so then hopefully keg it.
Edit...it’s a lot warmer today this has started bubbling again....leave it I shall!

 

[Graz]

I do have a Brewferm Abdij conditioning, which I haven't opened yet. That could turn out to be the worst.

Why do you say that? Supposed to be an excellent kit. I've got one at home myself to get underway soon for next autumn / winter along with some dark candi sugar.

 

[Thumper]

I just mean that I haven't drank one yet and therefore don't actually know it's any better. I have high hopes for it, given it's reputation. But then, Wherry has a good reputation too.

I did mine with dark candi sugar as well. It's been conditioning about 2 months now, and I've been told to give it at least 6.

 

[sdt7618]

worst kit was a Finlandia Traditional ale.

at first thought it might be OK, but was pretty rank in reality still have some left and will use it for slug traps come the spring

 

[Drunkula]

Every lager kit ever. Just pointless.

 

[Ciaran12s]

Coopers Cerveza was quite lacking in all aspects. It all got drunk and was ok but there was no aspect of the beer, flavour, body or aroma that was actually good. That was made per instructions and untweaked.

 

[Welsh123]

My worst brew to date was BULLDOG EASTER CHOCOLATE STOUT really horrible , having said that I have a SUNDEW carbonating at the moment and I´m reading bad things lol.

 

[IainM]

Coopers Cerveza was quite lacking in all aspects. It all got drunk and was ok but there was no aspect of the beer, flavour, body or aroma that was actually good. That was made per instructions and untweaked.

Yeah, that is really a non-beer. I love it. You can serve it to people who expect bland swill from beer, without having to disappoint them with the good stuff. Plus, the neutral background makes it a great beer to play around with steeping malts and adding hops.

 

[stevic]

I haven't been that enamored with any of the Coopers kits. I have done the stout, A.P.A, and finally and also my last Coopers kit English Bitter. I haven't thrown any away but of all the kits i have done these are probably my bottom 3.

 

[Nicks90]

It was me that describes the sundew as pi55
It really had absolutely nothing going for it. Don't get me wrong, it brewed fine and it didn't even stick using the supplied yeast! (Did have some S-05 on hand just in case though) OG and FG we're both exactly what it should have been too.
But it was just yellow fizzy bland with some alcohol in it. No hop aroma, no real taste, no lingering beeriness...
I'd suggest a pint of Carling would have more mouth feel and body.

Don't get me wrong, it all got drunk. My mates chucked it down their neck one evening over a big BBQ, but I drank wine instead and let them get on with it

 

[terrym]

I haven't been that enamored with any of the Coopers kits. I have done the stout, A.P.A, and finally and also my last Coopers kit English Bitter. I haven't thrown any away but of all the kits i have done these are probably my bottom 3.

It's a shame you didn't get on with the Coopers kits you tried. Although there are definitely a few also-rans in their range some of their kits are pretty good I think. Not because they are particularly good with a just a kilo of brew enhancer or a kilo of sugar, but as a basis to enhance, with extra malt, grain and hops and other stuff as well. The kit yeasts are usually pretty reliable too, unlike some of the Muntons kits. And if you shop around on-line they can offer good value for money compared to some kits.

 

[Ciaran12s]

You can serve it to people who expect bland swill from beer, without having to disappoint them with the good stuff.

Very true! However they still remain disappointed that the old homebrew isn't 15%abv

 

[Dutto]

Wilco Cerveza and Pilsner Kits.

I've only once brewed a Wilco Cerveza Kit and never a Pilsner Kit on their own; mainly because they are both just about tasteless.

However, this very lack of taste and the fact that they ferment so easily, is why I use them for most experimental brews that I make. e.g Spiced, Chilli, Cherry, Pumpkin etc. That way I know that the full flavour of whatever experiment I'm planning will come through in the finished product.

 

[LarryF]

Bulldog Penine Peak, I found it too sweet for my liking. The Coopers, Wiko, John Bull and Woodfordes kits mentioned all need tweaking with hop additions and a yeast swap out for me or I just find them bland.

 

[MickDundee]

I got a Brewbarrel German pale ale kit from Amazon which was a carton of LME, some hop extract and yeast. I really struggled to open the bottles of hop extract and the beer was only good for a very small window - before that it was too “green” and after the window it started to develop funny flavours (I’m sure it wasn’t an infection). The last 5 bottles ended up down the sink because I’d moved onto AG and couldn’t face finishing it.