Best Style Using Kits + Bits

[sluggerdog]

Being an AG brewer now and with a lot of kegs to fill (mine are always empty) I was wondering if anyone has found that making certain kits by style are easier and better then others. notes would be great too...

E.G: Sample AG brewer would always make a lager using all grain but if they were pressed for time would make a dark ale using kits and bits and be happy with the outcome...

:beer:

 

[Fingerlickin_B]

I voted "other".

My multi-kit ale seems to suit all palates (pumped out about 4 batches now), but I'd call it a Brown Ale...

The Carlton drinkers think it's great (that could be a bad thing), but it's nice and easy to drink and a bit more flavoursome than the usual commercial offerings.

Not pale, not dark, not even amber, just light brown.

Nothing special, but just in case anyone is interested, here it is:

2x Cooper's "International Series" Australian Pale Ale cans,
1x Cooper's Real Ale can,
500g Light Dry Malt,
250g Corn Starch,
250g Dextrose,
100g Glucose,
Mixed to 45L.

Pitched starters using the yeast from Aussie Pale Ale kits until the latest batch, used SO-4 for that, but it's not ready for tasting just yet.

Mental note: Needs real hops

Again, nothing special, but I am planning on having four kegs of it emptied at my birthday BBQ later this monthnon-stop production until then

PZ.

 

[NRB]

Wouldn't an extract brew be a better compromise? That or an ESB Fresh Wort Kit.

 

[sluggerdog]

Wouldn't an extract brew be a better compromise? That or an ESB Fresh Wort Kit.

[post="95932"][/post]​

Extract beats the whole point of dump and stir, looking at something that takes less then an hour including cleaning up...

ESB fresh worts don't really count as I know they are all good...

 

[Mr Bond]

250g Dextrose,
100g Glucose,
LPZ.

[post="95927"][/post]​

These are the same thing as far as i know.
Sucrose is fructose and glucose and need to be inverted for brewing purposes.
Glucose is also known as dextrose monohydrate and used for simplicity.

 

[tangent]

less than an hour?
go down the pub, brew an AG tomorrow.

 

[Fingerlickin_B]

Sucrose is fructose and glucose and need to be inverted for brewing purposes.
Glucose is also known as dextrose monohydrate and used for simplicity.

I'm willing to take your word for it, but they taste different to me when tasted raw"...maybe I'm just imagining things?

Either way, those are the ingredients as used.

LPGZ :lol:

 

[NRB]

Extract beats the whole point of dump and stir, looking at something that takes less then an hour including cleaning up...

Now I see where you're going. You were a little ambiguous in your question slugger!

ESB fresh worts don't really count as I know they are all good...

Doesn't get any quicker than this though. Pour, pitch, wait.

I found using a Cooper's Pale, 1kg of dextrose/DME mix and 25-50g Cascade for flavour/aroma was a quick, easy and quite drinkable brew.

These are the same thing as far as i know.

True.

See here.

Glucose (Glc), [snip]. The natural form (D-glucose) is also referred to as dextrose, especially in the food industry.

[edit] cut some quotes.

 

[Fingerlickin_B]

Ok then,

250g Brewer's Dextrose,
100g Health Food Store Dextrose "Glucose".

So, 350g dextrose

PZ.

 

[scotty1975]

Hey Slugger,

I'm only an extract brewer atm, and I believe most extract brews need some extra work to make them into a decent drop. This could be because I am a bit of a hop head and most kits seem to be way underhopped, especially if adding malt instead of dextrose.

The best brew I have done is the Coopers Bavarian Lager.

1 x Coopers Bavarian Lager
1 x Coopers Light LME 1.5kg
200gms Light DME
30gms Tettnang Hops Pellets 6.5% AA
30gms Hallertau Hops Pellets 9.4% AA

Boil
10gms Tettnang for 60 mins
10gms Hallertau for 40 mins
10gms Tettnang for 10 mins
10gms Hallertau for 10 mins

The next time I do this brew I am going to up the amount slightly for bittering, and add some at flameout.

Hope this recipe interests you

Scotty

 

[sluggerdog]

Thought I would re-visit this thread, seems the pale ale is a winner but from a guess and look at homebrew kit reviews I would say it's all to do with the coopers kit, if this was not around it would be a different matter.

I am thinking of trying my hand at a stout, as I have never done a stout before I was wondering if I used the ESB stout (or another kit) would it come out nicely or should I just do an AG stout and be done with it?

Search for Stout on www.hbkitreviews.com and ordered by best kit:

Stouts on Homebrew Kit Reviews

ESB followed by coopers

 

[Mr Bond]

.

I am thinking of trying my hand at a stout, as I have never done a stout before I was wondering if I used the ESB stout (or another kit) would it come out nicely or should I just do an AG stout and be done with it?

[post="97835"][/post]​

Slugger,Ive just graduated to AG myself(3 so far) and am toying with pale and wheat type ales @ the mo.
I found by far the best stout kit was an ESB with another 500gms DME plus 150 gms steeped choc ,pitched with a coopers reculture or for a drier finish i used wyeast 2565 kolsch. The coopers one aged better, softer and smoother with age,whilst the kolsch strain accentuated the mocha notes from the choc and was peaking @ 3 months.Oh yeah 18 litres only.

 

[sluggerdog]

Cheers Brauluver, I was thinking of just trying a standard 3kg ESB kit with wyeast 1098 as this is the only liquid ale yeast I have..

Did you try the kit without the extra's?

Thanx!

 

[Mr Bond]

I did Initially,but found it lacked a bit of body IMHO so added the extra malt and specialty to counter the liquid yeast culture and aeration factor and was happy with the balance.

 

[sluggerdog]

Thanks Mate, probably best to give the kit a go as is before I try adding things to it.

Was more of a question like "is a kit good enough or should I do an AG stout"?

Would an un-expierianced stuout drinker like me notice much differance between an ESB kit and an AG stout?

 

[Fingerlickin_B]

the latest batch, used SO-4 for that, but it's not ready for tasting just yet.

I HATE SO-4...this beer tastes like apricots, just like the ESB pilsener kit I used it with...yuck, yuck, yuck!!!! :angry:

PZ.

 

[Mr Bond]

the latest batch, used SO-4 for that, but it's not ready for tasting just yet.

I HATE SO-4...this beer tastes like apricots, just like the ESB pilsener kit I used it with...yuck, yuck, yuck!!!! :angry:

PZ.

[post="99317"][/post]​

Temperature makes a big difference with this yeast,can be tangy and estery over 20c.16/18 works best.

 

[Fingerlickin_B]

Temperature makes a big difference with this yeast,can be tangy and estery over 20c.16/18 works best.

Thanks Brauluver, going from the sachet text I figured 20-22 would be ok...I guess it's just like kit instructions...don't believe what you read

PZ.

 

[deebee]

Some brewers feel they should knock S04 because it is not a liquid yeast but it is a very useful standby in your fridge. It attenuates very well, ferments quickly and paints itself to the bottom of the fermenter leaving a very clear beer. It is prone to fermenting too quickly if let loose so keep temps around 18-20 degrees and leave the beer on the yeast cake for at least 10 days. It will make good beer.

 

[Fingerlickin_B]

20 degrees absolute max, ok.

I have one sachet left...will try at 20 max...if it still tastes crap then I'll just assume that our tastebuds are very different...if it tastes better then great

Thanks for the advice, even though I hijacked the thread :beer:

PZ.