Some good suggestions here. I'm currently of the mind that the best thing to do is just to introduce some sort of improvement. If there's some acceptance after that, then it opens the door to fancier stuff like proper extract brewing.
I was thinking while up there, basically whipping up some sort of combo extract, tin of something, coopers extract can, finishing hops. Not sure about steeping grains. Pitching a decent yeast, swamp cooling if necessary. Then letting him see how it turns out. I can go back to the idea of sending him a wort kit if that doesn't work.
Mmm Danstar saison yeast. Interesting. It can't be the same strain as Wy3724... they talk about how it finishes fast and they don't talk about temperature much. Probably the one that's sold as a French saison?