A Return to Kits

[Grott]

Great news. Don't forget you can add to kits with hops and malts, change yeast etc. What I like is it takes **** all time to put down a good brew, you don't need a lot of room and the clean up is simple. I always think you should have a brew to drink so once you have drinking stock experiment and go for the exotic.

 

[Jack of all biers]

Has anyone else gone back to brew a K&K years later and found it was better than you recalled?

Yep, just recently. My first kegged beer too, so going forward and backward at the same time (but not backward in taste). A mate, who brews K+K, wanted to brew a "Craft" beer (hate the term personally) after a recent trip to Melbourne pubs converted him from the plainer beers in life. Anyway, I recommended DrSmurto's Golden Ale, as it gets great feed back though I'd not tried it. Well to guide him through I bought the ingredients as well and gave the kit version a go. Of course years on since my kit days (I used to kit brew in 2001 and did a couple on my return to Aus in 2006) I had improved in my methods somewhat, okay I have temp control down pat. The beer is as good as I have tasted many an AG, so nothing wrong with K+K. And that was my mates who has no temp control (fermented BRY-97 at 22C) and is not to finicky with his processes. Mine was good too.

Keep it up fellas, fermentation process is more important than the wort creation method. Add a few 'fresh' ingredients to the mix to spice your beers up, but concentrate on good sanitation and fermentation methods. :beerbang:

 

[PaulG79]

Great news. Don't forget you can add to kits with hops and malts, change yeast etc. What I like is it takes **** all time to put down a good brew, you don't need a lot of room and the clean up is simple. I always think you should have a brew to drink so once you have drinking stock experiment and go for the exotic.

I got the craft ROTM from Coopers, so that'll be a fun experiment. And you're right, it really isn't a lot of work for very acceptable results. I've noticed too since I've got the cleaning and temp down, the kit yeast isn't that bad really. It does the job providing you're not trying to brew high strength exotic recipes. I'll keep the kit yeast and use it for the more basic brews and keep my US-05 for the more advanced stuff. The point of the experiment was to see if K+K can produce something drinkable with better methods, and the results speak for themselves!

 

[PaulG79]

you're right Jack, 'craft beer' is just beer, the stuff everyone enjoyed for centuries/millenia before the big megacorp swillmeisters came along and made it shit. We here in Oz haven't quite caught up with NZ/USA commercial wise, but I don't care anymore since I can make decent stuff at home for far cheaper anyway. I've had some truly awful, shameful Australian beers in the last few years and it makes you wonder how they do it. With all that equipment and money, how can you make something so bad when I can make something better in the shed with a tin of evaporated extract? I'm looking at you, fake supermarket craft brewers. Coming back from NZ I feel ashamed to be an Aussie beer wise.

I'm keen to put down a few mid strength kits though, can get a bit punishing drinking good beer all the time, cos generally 'good' = high ABV

 

[Shadime]

Yep, just recently. My first kegged beer too, so going forward and backward at the same time (but not backward in taste). A mate, who brews K+K, wanted to brew a "Craft" beer (hate the term personally) after a recent trip to Melbourne pubs converted him from the plainer beers in life. Anyway, I recommended DrSmurto's Golden Ale, as it gets great feed back though I'd not tried it. Well to guide him through I bought the ingredients as well and gave the kit version a go. Of course years on since my kit days (I used to kit brew in 2001 and did a couple on my return to Aus in 2006) I had improved in my methods somewhat, okay I have temp control down pat. The beer is as good as I have tasted many an AG, so nothing wrong with K+K. And that was my mates who has no temp control (fermented BRY-97 at 22C) and is not to finicky with his processes. Mine was good too.

Keep it up fellas, fermentation process is more important than the wort creation method. Add a few 'fresh' ingredients to the mix to spice your beers up, but concentrate on good sanitation and fermentation methods. :beerbang:

What kit did you use for DrSmurtos as the only sparkling ale Coopers has is the Inn Keepers Daughter?

thanks

 

[Jack of all biers]

What kit did you use for DrSmurtos as the only sparkling ale Coopers has is the Inn Keepers Daughter?

thanks

I used the final version DrSmurto posted about in a 2013 post (maybe on Adelaide brewers, or possibly here. Can remember, but as below and I used Caramunich II, 30gm Amarillo at 0min and Lallemand BRY-97 yeast, but otherwise as he recommended below.)

The final kit version I made;
1 can Coopers Lager
1 can Coopers Wheat Malt
250g crystal (caramalt, caramunich, carabohemian, light/medium english crystal)
20g Amarillo @ 15 and 0 (sometimes listed as 15g @ 10, 5 and dry hop, i prefer the former)
US-05
Topped up to 20L (not 23L).

 

[Shadime]

I used the final version DrSmurto posted about in a 2013 post (maybe on Adelaide brewers, or possibly here. Can remember, but as below and I used Caramunich II, 30gm Amarillo at 0min and Lallemand BRY-97 yeast, but otherwise as he recommended below.)

The final kit version I made;
1 can Coopers Lager
1 can Coopers Wheat Malt
250g crystal (caramalt, caramunich, carabohemian, light/medium english crystal)
20g Amarillo @ 15 and 0 (sometimes listed as 15g @ 10, 5 and dry hop, i prefer the former)
US-05
Topped up to 20L (not 23L).

Thanks for the information, Is the Amerillo at 0 for dry hop or added on flame out, if on flame out how long is it added for?
Also is the wheat malt added to the boil or just the steeped crystal?

Thanks

 

[BrockHops]

I've been hearing about this Dr Smurto Golden Ale for ages, so I thought it'd be rude not to do one.
Until I went to my lhbs and they were missing some bits.. so.. being the impatient type I did a quick substitution..

DrSmurto's Golden Ale - kit version
1 can Thomas Coopers Sparkling Ale
1 can Coopers Wheat Malt
250g Caramunich
50g chocolate
15g Cascade @ 15 min
15g Cascade @ flameout
US05 rehydrated

After 9 days, (FG 1.010)
Dry hop
25g Amarillo (back in stock this week )
15g Citra

So totally changed it

Anyway...

 

[Jack of all biers]

Thanks for the information, Is the Amerillo at 0 for dry hop or added on flame out, if on flame out how long is it added for?
Also is the wheat malt added to the boil or just the steeped crystal?

Thanks

20 gm boiled for 15 min, then 20gm at flameout then cool as best you can. Pot in sink of cold water etc

 

[Ronwales]

I'm brewing the coopers brew "a" recipe at the moment found in the strong section in the coopers recipes. I was wondering if anyone has tried yet. Thanks

 

[Hambone]

Wow didn't know about that Coopers site. Just had a look due to this thread. Wouldn't love to give a few of those a go. Thanks fellas.
Cheers Hamo

 

[Hambone]

Wow didn't know about that Coopers site. Just had a look due to this thread. Wouldn't love to give a few of those a go. Thanks fellas.
Cheers Hamo

I meant I would love to give a few of those a go. Too much Belgian Trippel

 

[Sheebz81]

I can't say I have ever brewed anything other than kits and bits recipes. Only been brewing for about 12 months so I am far from an expert, however for what it's worth I would have to say that the best brew I have come across so far is the James Squire Golden Ale Clone from the Morgan's website. 1 can of Stockman's Draught, 1 tin (1.5kg) of the liquid master malt beer enhancer, 12g Amarillo steeped for 10 mins, US-05 Yeast plus another 12g Amarillo dry hopped on day 4. Drinking now and going down an absolute treat 5 weeks after bottling Little Creatures Pale Ale Clone currently in the fermenter.... Looking forward to that in summer!!! Thinking that the Hop Slam IPA might be the next brew I put down.... Sounds tasty!

 

[Yuz]

Just my observation as a noob - so far I'm happy with the convenience and basics, which I tweak a little to get the "taste" for the whole process... I haven't done a "kit" as such, nor followed a recipe nor made a "craft beer" yet. And prob won't
I'll attempt to do a partial mash when I'm a bit more confident but with AG I'm not so sure - gets too involving I think?
I would imagine the product and technological improvements so far plus all the info at hand does play a part?

 

[Ronwales]

Just my observation as a noob - so far I'm happy with the convenience and basics, which I tweak a little to get the "taste" for the whole process... I haven't done a "kit" as such, nor followed a recipe nor made a "craft beer" yet. And prob won't
I'll attempt to do a partial mash when I'm a bit more confident but with AG I'm not so sure - gets too involving I think?
I would imagine the product and technological improvements so far plus all the info at hand does play a part?

I think as long as u enjoy what you brew keep it up. I've been brewing cans for about 2 yrs now and still love them

 

[HaveFun]

Is AG brewing cheaper thank KK ?

Im new to home brew and so far i only have a kegging system. I was thinking to start with KK and move to AG but after i read this post.. for what to spend $1500 for a AG system if they KK are that good i will try first a few before i decide if i move to AG.

What you guys are thinking of the fresh wort kits ?

Cheers

Cheers
Stefan

 

[laxation]

AG is sort of cheaper than KK?

The problem is that it seems every weekend I spend another 20-50 bucks buying some shit, and then every month or two a few hundred bucks buying some bigger shit...

But if you buy everything in bulk you can do really good brews fairly cheap.

 

[Grott]

If you look at it purely in an economical way, all grain has a much longer pay back time in regards equipment (not including brew in a bag), water, heating source, cleaning, sanitising and your time. If you are time poor then kk wins hands down, if you don’t have a lot of cash then kk, if you can’t justify the spend then kk.

 

[PaulG79]

Looking back on this thread I'd have to say I've been doing Cooper's ROTM's for ages now and there hasn't been a single one that didn't turn out good. Couple I didn't like as much, but that's to do with style not the fermenting process etc. 'kit taste' is a far distant memory, infact I think I was probably imagining it. It's just temp control and letting the brew bottle age for a decent amount of time.

I'd be keen to get into BIAB one day just to show myself I can do it, and for the flexibility with recipes - also the vast majority of recipes out there are for AG and trying to convert them back to kit or extract just seems painful. But I don't have the room for the extra gear or the money, and SWMBO hates the smell from a long hop boil (I'm not much of a fan either TBH) so it's not really an option for me at this stage.

But anyone who's wondering if you can make a decent kit + bits beer the answer is definitely YES YOU CAN and even with spec grains and hops and decent yeast it is insanely economical even compared to megaswill.

 

[PaulG79]

If you do a direct side by side comparison with an expensive craft beer the K+B brews obviously aren't as nice, but then they are so much cheaper that for me they win out.