Fresh Wort Vs Can Kit

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I think they are great but perhaps a bit expensive, perhaps the shipping dictates the cost.

Yes, shipping is a big factor - but you need to remember you are comparing your hobby costs with someone that needs to make a commercial return. There are also costs that you don't even have to consider such as fire inspections, waste water charges let alone labour costs.

No Affiliation Fully affiliated as the producer of the FWK distributed by Morgans.

Dave
 
I made an FWK last year, it finalized my decision to go AG, it's clear that FWK's are a better product than cans of goop, the flavor is fresher and cleaner.
My FWK wheat kit was around $40 for 15 litres topped up to 20. I can make the same AG and control the process or change the flavor profile for less than $30 and a few hours labor.
I think they are great but perhaps a bit expensive, perhaps the shipping dictates the cost.
At $40 I think they are good value. K&B would be close to if not over that price to make an equivelant beer.
I've done about 10 of them over the last 18mths of various styles and gotten some very good beers but have recently moved to full extract
while I wait for my 3 vessel mash system to be made.
 
It's a good point. All those k&k types who post questions such as 'is all-grain really that much better than kits' just need to try a FWK. Case closed.

I disagree here. A vast majority of K&K brewers have no idea how to properly treat yeast. If you can't keep temperature under control, underpitch, or have poor sanitation, people could be very, very disappointed with FWKs and be put off brewing forever; thinking that infected/off-flavour-ridden beer is as good as it gets.

AG/FWKs isn't the dog's bollocks, it's part of it... or at least one of them :eek:
 
I've only made one FWK - an Amber Ale by ND Brewing - and the difference is night and day to kits. When you consider how ridiculously easy it is to tip it in your fermenter with some water and add the yeast , then consider the results, I think its good value. I enjoy the work involved in "brewing'' my kits and bits beers but for many people 5hrs to make an AG brew is just too much effort.
Mine was $41 inc saflager yeast and you get a $2 return if you bring back the cube.
 
I disagree here. A vast majority of K&K brewers have no idea how to properly treat yeast. If you can't keep temperature under control, underpitch, or have poor sanitation, people could be very, very disappointed with FWKs and be put off brewing forever; thinking that infected/off-flavour-ridden beer is as good as it gets.

AG/FWKs isn't the dog's bollocks, it's part of it... or at least one of them :eek:

Good point Adamt. Dont go for a FW expecting it will deliver you great beer without appropriate attention to sanitation and temp control.
However, if you have a handle on all that and you want a glimpse of what AG can bring you, get yourself a FW ASAP. As others have mentioned, it clinched the deal for me in terms of moving from kit to AG. I bought at least 10 FW's before moving to AG, but I never went back to kits again.
 
^^^Agreed, thats an assumption I failed to mention. Dodgy brewing will give dodgy beer, no matter how much you spend.
Maybe I'm a bit weird but I took my time brewing cheapo kits for probably a year (mostly coopers with the odd homebrand/farmland toucan) and began experimenting bit-by-bit. First with malts then with dry hopping and hop boils and gradually moving on to better quality kits and then took the plunge on the FWK.
I knew the FWK should give me a better beer but I was unsure how much better and wanted to get set up properly and practice first. I got myself a bar fridge for fermentation and a fridgemate for temp control as well. I can imagine a rookie brewer using saflager in the middle of summer at 25+ degrees and getting disenchanted by blowing their dough on an average brew.
 
Well it's an assumption but i would hope that the instructions on the FWK are a bit better than the Coopers kit instructions, i can't remember what was written on my FWK but i do know that i read them twice before i made the brew...
 
I disagree here. A vast majority of K&K brewers have no idea how to properly treat yeast. If you can't keep temperature under control, underpitch, or have poor sanitation, people could be very, very disappointed with FWKs and be put off brewing forever; thinking that infected/off-flavour-ridden beer is as good as it gets.

AG/FWKs isn't the dog's bollocks, it's part of it... or at least one of them :eek:


I disagree with your disagreement.

Even a poorly handled FWK will turn out a far superior beer than an equally poorly handled goo kit.

Not as good as it gets, but far superior nonetheless.

BTW, I think it's a little unfair to assume that the 'vast majority' of k&k types have no idea about temperature, sanitation etc. While there are no doubt many who still think 28c is the ideal fermentation temp, those who frequent this site will definitely be aware of those factors, and even older (ie non-internet user) k&k brewers I meet seem to understand it more and more.
 
fresh wort kits were around many many many many years ago. Coopers used to do them before kits. My father swore by them (I still remember following my mother with a trolley or two full of them when they were on special at FRANKLINS for $5.00). They then went on to cans to reduce shipping space.
Coopers FWK were the full five gallon job. Originally they came in a bag in a box, then later in a square cube - many of which ended up as camping water containers or had the tops cut off and used for patio herb gardens etc (well it was the 80s and things were a bit pov in those days)

There were 2 varieties, Stout and Pale Ale. They were about $12 when a can of Brigalow was $4.00. Add a pack of Edme Yeast and you ended up with either Coopers Stout or Sparking Ale virtually identical to the bought product. However a fair bit of that $12 would have been freight and that's what killed them but it spurred Coopers into the home brew market and the rest is history.
 
Well it's an assumption but i would hope that the instructions on the FWK are a bit better than the Coopers kit instructions, i can't remember what was written on my FWK but i do know that i read them twice before i made the brew...


Word for word from the cube in front of me:
"DIRECTIONS - Transfer to sterilised fermenter. Add 5L cold water and yeast."

I must add though, any LHBS worth its salt should give some advice to a propective purchaser of a FWK. You would hope, anyway.
 
I'm nowhere near a LHBS that sells FWKs and Ross doesn't do them yet ;) ;) ;) so I've never considered them but:

Are there any in Brisbane (Northside) does anyone know? and
How $$$$$$$$ much?
Also how fresh, as they all seem to come from the Mexican regions and I wonder how fresh they are as we are right at the end of the distribution chain here. I did once do an ESB 3k tin and it was extremely ordinary and obviously past its best.
 
:eek:

Vast, huh?


I disagree with your disagreement.

Even a poorly handled FWK will turn out a far superior beer than an equally poorly handled goo kit.

Not as good as it gets, but far superior nonetheless.

BTW, I think it's a little unfair to assume that the 'vast majority' of k&k types have no idea about temperature, sanitation etc. While there are no doubt many who still think 28c is the ideal fermentation temp, those who frequent this site will definitely be aware of those factors, and even older (ie non-internet user) k&k brewers I meet seem to understand it more and more.

I half agree with your first statement... It will turn out far superior, but a polished turd is still a turd.

Regarding the "vast majority":

I agree that those who frequent AHB have a much, much better idea, and for most who have read and hung around here for a bit a FWK would be a HUGE step up from kits. However:

According to this article, there were approximately 300,000 homebrewers in Australia in 2004. This number would've increased since then but anyway, being a media article, I don't believe the accuracy but you can believe the order of magnitude. For this argument, assume the number is a paltry 100,000.

We have 10,000 members (assuming >95% are Aussie), so at most 10% of homebrewers are members of this site. Only a third of members have actually posted; let's make a very generous assumption that half of the members actively visit here. So at very most, 5% of Aussie homebrewers frequent this site.

So, 95% of brewers don't come here and would likely rely on either the instructions (which are notoriously shithouse) and/or the advice of HBSs. Though not all HBSs are bad, many are, especially those geared at kit brewers ("You want grain? Don't bother with that crap, too much mess, too much effort, doesn't taste any better... Buy this tin, this bag of powder and a tiny portion of feral, manky, poorly stored hops shoved in a teabag..." but I digress). Most of these wouldn't necessarily be brewing absolute crap, but likely have no idea on the basics of brewing.

Based on my numbers and argument I guess you can judge for yourself but I certainly believe it's easily a vast majority (>75%) if not much, much more (when you take into account this is only assuming 100,000 homebrewers)

Jeez, typing that sure woke me up.
 
I'm nowhere near a LHBS that sells FWKs and Ross doesn't do them yet ;) ;) ;) so I've never considered them but:

Are there any in Brisbane (Northside) does anyone know? and
How $$$$$$$$ much?
Also how fresh, as they all seem to come from the Mexican regions and I wonder how fresh they are as we are right at the end of the distribution chain here. I did once do an ESB 3k tin and it was extremely ordinary and obviously past its best.

BribeG try Brewers Choice on Samford road Enoggera they do them (NB I think) I have done two Porters and I am happy with the results. I think you may have met the main Gal behind the counter at BABs. Ask Moonshadow about the FWK she will have all of the info.

Shawn :icon_chickcheers:
 
Brewers Selection by St.Peter's Brewery are listed on Ross website unless he has dropped them from the range.

The amber ale gets a good review from most who have tried it.

We get a few of the Brewceller range here in Cairns but not a great selection of styles.

+1 on quality beer Way way superior to anything made out of cans and dried extracts.
 
Brewers Selection by St.Peter's Brewery are listed on Ross website unless he has dropped them from the range.
There was a whole heap of them on the shelf yesterday.........
 
BribeG try Brewers Choice on Samford road Enoggera they do them (NB I think) I have done two Porters and I am happy with the results. I think you may have met the main Gal behind the counter at BABs. Ask Moonshadow about the FWK she will have all of the info.

Shawn :icon_chickcheers:

Def give this shop a go, I thought the Northside was a wasteland for homebrew shops until yesterday when I finally popped into this store. They had a good range of the St. Peters Brewery FWKs when I was there. They also stock liquid yeasts, grains, good hops etc. No affiliation etc, just excited to actually have a local shop worth going to again since moving from the southside. I will add that the kit cans were a bit more expensive than other places, but you can get goo anywhere... Good yeast and hops is another story.

Edit: The FWKs are ~$38.
 
I'm nowhere near a LHBS that sells FWKs and Ross doesn't do them yet ;) ;) ;) so I've never considered them but:

We have plenty of them BribieG, just look under "Fresh Wort Kits" ;)


cheers Ross
 
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