Best Homebrand Brew

[boingk]

Hey guys, just picked up a few Homebrand cans (Draught & a Lager) from the local Woolies and was wondering what people have done with them. I'm planning a relatively simple 'kits & bits' for each, and thought it'd be worth seeing what has worked for others. No toucans though, thats what the toucan thread is for.

So, whats been your best Homebrand kit-based brew?

 

[krusty_oz]

A mate of mine has done a draught with home brand sugar and kit yeast and fermented it around 20. Nice and easy to drink on a hot day you when your planning to have a big night. Sure there might be better but after you have a few glasses of something better you'll have lost sensory awareness to tell the difference.

I have also used a HB lager as a base for a Marzen, did it as a partial mash with Vienna malt, Caramunich, Hallertau hops and Saflager 34/70. Drinking it now, nice amber colour and malty flavour. Will also be doing another HB kit with CoopersBE2, Carapils and fermenting at 13C with leftover 'lager' yeast from a coopers pilsner.

 

[thylacine]

very popular starting point...

eg..http://www.hbkitreviews.com/search-Generic.html (no review, no review...)

 

[boingk]

Don't mind the sound of that last one, kruzty, cheers for the input.

thylacine...yeah I'm 'boingk' on there as well and have put up my share of reviews. Last I saw I topped the reviewer charts That aside, yeah they aren't too popular.

Might just do what I usually do with kits, and chuck this at them:

Lager kit 1.7kg . . . . . Draught kit 1.7kg
500g LDME . . . . . . . . 500g LDME
300g Dex . . . . . . . . . 300g Dex
200g Munich . . . . . . . 200g Crystal
20g Saaz @ 15min . . . .20g Cluster @ 15min

I'll post back with how it goes, as well as the eventual recipe if it changes.

Cheers - boingk

 

[mfdu]

i did one using a 1kg can of malt and a homeland draught, 20g of galaxy hops at 20mins, five mins and dry hopped. used cascade lager yeast at 12 degrees, i think. absolutely nutso overhopped for three months. and then, beeewdifulllll - like being hit in the face with a pink grapefruit.

 

[fcmcg]

fermenting at 13C with leftover 'lager' yeast from a coopers pilsner.

I'd be interested in how you plan to culture yeast from the coopers pilsener...i didn't think you culture from beers that have not been "bottle conditioned". or are you talking about kit of coopers pils you did and plan on doing the slurry dance ?
Cheers
Ferg

 

[manticle]

Best guess, Krusty is referring to either slurry or kit yeast from a thomas coopers heritage pilsner or similar.

 

[krusty_oz]

Best guess, Krusty is referring to either slurry or kit yeast from a thomas coopers heritage pilsner or similar.

Yes, its the kit yeast from the Thomas Coopers Heritage Pilsner. I used the Saflager 34-70 in its place.
Got the Pils on tap at the moment, did it as a partial with 2kg Wyerman Pilsner, 250g carapils and added Saaz at various times and added another 10g in a sock to the keg (not enough for my liking though - will have to give the keg a shake)

 

[Brewman_]

Hi,

Maybe a silly question. You guys seem to be pitching for some good K&K beers and using all good ingredients, yeast, temp control, and apparent techniques, but why are you opting for the cheapist kit? Is it a purely cost issue, or are there other reasons?

Cheers,

Fear_n_Loath.

 

[manticle]

Just a rough guess but maybe to see what difference good yeast and fermentation practice can make to a notoriously cheap (and by association but not necessarily) inferior kit?

 

[Brewman_]

I am always one for experimenting so why not.

Fear_n_Loath.

 

[boingk]

Thats pretty much hit the nail on the head, fear. I'm seeing how a notoriously sub-par kit will respond to some minor tweaking, and if the results are any good then so much the better!

like being hit in the face with a pink grapefruit.

AHHH! My eyes, my beautiful eyes!



- boingk

 

[Brewman_]

I kinda did this type of thing in June but for different reasons.
I had a bad run of infection in around May. After nearly throwing a heap of 34 / 70 Wyeast, (1024) slurries out that I had saved, I changed my mind and made a simple inexpensive test to make sure I got past the infections.

I used Coopers Euro lager, enhancer 2, 34 / 70 yaest fermented at 10 Deg.C with a small amount of Cascade. I kegged and left for a month in the shed. No lagering at all.
The result was a very drinkable beer. It was light, clean, easy to drink with that little hop character from the cascade.

I must admit, it was not my best beer, but certainly not my worst.

Fear_n_Loath

 

[krusty_oz]

You get to have a little fun with the labels!!

 

[boingk]

Righteo, both fermenters are kicking along nicely and I decided on the following for each:

Lager kit 1.7kg
200g Munich
50g Wheat
20g Saaz @ 15min

Draught kit 1.7kg
200g Crystal
50g Amber
20g Fuggles @ 15min

I also added 500g LDME and 300g Dextrose to each batch, and ditched the pathetic stock 5g no-name yeasts for some spare Coopers kit yeasts. Took off like a rocket after a small starter made with grain liquor.

Will post back when drinking time has come!

Cheers - boingk