Kit Brewers... Input

[PMyers]

Guys (Gals?),

After being out of the industry for a while I am thinking of stepping back in with my own brand of concentrates, in 1.7kg (or 2kg, even?), 3kg, and 3kg boil kits. I have plenty of good formulations tried and tested already, but what I want to know is what do you guys really want to see in a homebrew concentrate? Bearing in mind there are several styles of beer that, in my opinion, simply cannot be successfully recreated using a kit - at least not in a fashion that would be economically viable for either side. However, are you all satisfied with the traditional {insert brand} Lager, {insert brand} Stout, {insert brand} Pilsner? Or would you prefer to see something more different, more original? Would you purchase a kit that doesn't quite fit with tradition, like a black pilsner for example? Please let me know your ideas on this so that, if I do go ahead with the concept I can supply to you guys kits that you really want, and not just another run-of-the-mill lager.

Cheers,
Pete
(It's good to be back)

 

[Jake.v]

Id say something that a first time brewer can make with better direction on the can and still a good drop with just 1kg of dex or brew enhancers. IMO and from what i have read the first few brews with taste like piss turn off majority of new brewers. i have brewed a few times with wals kits from country brewer they have hops in the concentrates which seem to make a better brew with fewer additons

cheers Jake

 

[Pennywise]

Real Hops!

Agree with above, something that a new brewer can just add dex or similar, something very very easy, but still produce a better quality beer than store bought. Also, proper instructions on the kit, not brew at between 18-27 degrees. Decent yeast as well, the list could go on forever.....

 

[PMyers]

Id say something that a first time brewer can make with better direction on the can and still a good drop with just 1kg of dex or brew enhancers. IMO and from what i have read the first few brews with taste like piss turn off majority of new brewers. i have brewed a few times with wals kits from country brewer they have hops in the concentrates which seem to make a better brew with fewer additons

cheers Jake

Jake,
One of the reasons why I have considered 2kg kits instead of 1.7kg is for those who are new to brewing and are likely to just add the 1kg of dextrose with their first brew. Some may think that 300g of malt may not make a difference in 20 litres of beer, but it does!

I couldn't agree more with the hop pellet additions in place of hop oils, and I will indeed be implementing this as a matter of course if I go forward with my plans.

Real Hops!

Agree with above, something that a new brewer can just add dex or similar, something very very easy, but still produce a better quality beer than store bought. Also, proper instructions on the kit, not brew at between 18-27 degrees. Decent yeast as well, the list could go on forever.....

Pennywise,
The type and quality of yeast used in brewing is incredibly important. As such, any concentrate I formulate will use fermentis (Saf-brand) dried yeast. I have looked at cheaper alternatives, and they just don't cut the mustard. They days of 514 and 497 are fading fast, thankfully.

Thanks for the input guys.

Cheers,
Pete

 

[DU99]

sounds like a good idea and using real good yeast/hops

 

[Jake.v]

i have nothing to do with Wals concentrates but for K&K they are hard to beat due to the hop pellets which adds that extra ooomphh

Pmyers the 2kg kits sounds like a top idea as you said the extra malt will give the beers that extra feel and with the added hops sounds like a winning combo good luck and keep us all updated on how everything is going.

cheers jake

 

[Nick JD]

Fresh Wort Kits. 6L concentrated partial ones. Put a sticker on them saying, "Don't forget to go to the fridge and get your hop and yeast packet!"

Sell them with Fermentis yeast and 20g of matching dry hops.

Include decent instructions that favour great beer production rather than year-round sales in 30C temperatures. Eg. DO NOT FERMENT THIS ABOVE 24C!

Sell them real lagers ... in winter. Seasonally.

 

[QldKev]

There are several 1.7kg kits out there; I think a few offerings in this size but sell them with an addition pack like the Morgans brew convertors and also a decent yeast. Also the idea of the 2kg to ensure a bit more malt is a good idea.

Also a decent ~3kg kit, so you control which additions go in, dex, malt etc and also any late hops you want to add. Sold with a decent yeast. It may be worth limiting this to a 2.7 or 2.8kg kit so it can fit into a 3kg post bag.

Also the idea of a 6L wort kit, to help save on transport compared to a 20L. It may be worth working out with transport if there is a price point for a given weight.

Finally a full size work kit of some of the better beers.


QldKev

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Hoppy APA, AAA, AIPA. I wish these had existed when I K&K'd - I'd have been introduced to the world of hopheadedness a lot sooner.

Goomba

 

[Gormand]

As people have said the instructions are going to be the best thing for this, make them clear, concise and correct and a lot of people would benefit. Maybe even encourage some research somehow, could be as simple as having a quote (varied depending on the can) from a well know brew book stating where the quote is from. Most people will ignore it, but others may go and look it up.

Decent yeast is going to be good. Tips on keeping the fermenter cool, using hydrometer readings, give clear instructions on priming but maybe mention bulk priming as well. Something like "For those looking for easier priming of the bottles, why not look into bulk priming"

As for the styles... well I think its going to be hard to go against the classics. People on here may want more, but if your trying to draw in new people you dont want to chase them away. However you could give little booklets in the lid (I think coopers do this) with tips on how to convert it to a different type. Type of a tops to more advanced brewing book for ach of your styles (And I have no doubt people here could give you a dozen recipes per kit for doing this)

IE
Stout - Convert this to a Milk stout by adding xxg of latose, into a chocolate stout by adding xx of yy at this point in the process.

You could have from the most basic coversions such as adding lactose through boiling hops, dry hopping to pointing them to steeping some grains.

I may be going overboard here, but all things that I think new brewers could benefit from, of course the more you do that the more they may go away from using your kits


I think the basics are fine, (your brand) lager, (your brand) stout, (your brand) pilsner, (your brand) bitter. But I think giving people a little information on how to get the best out of your kit and how to improve/change it will go a long way to getting them noticed.

I guess really it comes down to what market your trying to get into. new or existing people.

 

[Silo Ted]

I have always thought it would be a good idea to offer a complete kits & bits package to emulate each state's "Best in Show" or a range of popular style winners from the AABC results. Include the goop, finishing hops, spec grain and dry yeast so Kitsters can have a crack at a winning style without tryig to work out which grains to buy themselves.

I have also thought that the ESB 3kg tins are a top idea for the kit brewer, basically a custom toucan that alleviates the need to use sugars at all, so they can experience the difference in quality from standard K & K

 

[J Grimmer]

i echo a good kit base with a quality yeast, for this reason i like to do the ESB 3kg kits, reconmended hop additions would be nice and even grain additions for certain styles etc. but proper instructions and even a link to AHB as the wealth of knowledge in outstanding and has really helped me develope as a brewer.

jan

 

[J Grimmer]

forgot to add i like the different styles out their and would love a kolsh kit, black ipa, dunkelweizen and even black pilsner.

 

[nathanR]

A good product at a reasonable price

not like the kits you can buy That cost $40 and if you mess it up you think I should of gone an bought a carton

also tips on the side of the package or maybe a little booklet under the lid with other recipe ideas

 

[pcmfisher]

I think the basics are fine, (your brand) lager, (your brand) stout, (your brand) pilsner, (your brand) bitter. But I think giving people a little information on how to get the best out of your kit and how to improve/change it will go a long way to getting them noticed.

I thought thats what decent home brew shops already do.

 

[The Giant]

Better instructions for sure! Only through research and this forum did i learn the importance of not brewing at 27 degrees

I would love to see kits come with instructions around what u can make with this base kit, for example add this extract/malt/this hops and u get beer close to this? Or if ur feeling comfortable take it one step further and boil these hops at 60,40,20 etc

Like coopers recommend using BE2 with their corona can. I would like to see it go one step further and say use this can, this malt/be2 mix, these hops and u will get corona.

I'm really impressed with the beers i can make from cans, but only through this website did i find all the little tricks of the trade to make it better, ie hops, malts, temp control, length of brew etc

If i followed can instructions i prob would hvae given up cause there is only so much can plus dex at 27 degrees beer u can take for all that effort.

 

[Gormand]

I thought thats what decent home brew shops already do.

But not everyone comes to brewing via a good brewshop.

 

[RobboMC]

Most new brewers start with the idea of making their favourite commercial drop at half the price. When I started my 'goal' was to make Coopers Sparkling Ale. It's only when you get down the track a bit do you realise that much, much better beer is possible. I'd be aiming at providing something similar to the Muntons 3kg packs but still needing some extra punch in the way of dry malt or dex to allow the brewer some say in the result, so maybe 2.3 to 2.6 kg. That way a newbie can just brew it straight up at 3.5 or 4%, and someone more adventurous still has the room to add 'bits'.

Sadly most commercial drops in Australia are thin tan lagers. Good decent malty ales and porters, hoppy IPA's and
flavoursome browns would keep more brewers as they would be just blown away by the quality of their first batch.

And have BREW AT 20 DEGREES stamped across the top of every tin. ( except the pilsener of course which would have 13 degrees written on it )

 

[boingk]

I like the idea of better quality kits on the market, and sticking to the 'classics' isn't a bad idea at all. Once you've got that done you can 'spec them up' by adding ingredients from a list of recommended-for-style-additives or simply by marketing them in an all-included kit.

For example you could do the traditional Lager, Draught, Dark Ale & Stout kits, then do something like this:

"Black Pils Kit" - Includes 1.7kg Lager kit, Fermentis S-23 lager yeast, 20g Saaz hops and 200g Black specialty grain, plus FOOLPROOF INSTRUCTIONS!

It'd be a good way to group things together and sell them as a single kit, without getting overly complicated and crazy with your tinned kits. The added extras could simply be boxed up and sold alongside the kits, with a dollar or two discount for buying both at the same time.

Cheers - boingk

 

[rendo]

I am more than happy to give a few of your trial kits a go and provide honest feedback all for nix of course or split it with you 50/50 ...maybe.
The more kits the better!

rendo

Just kidding.....(about the 50/50)....

my number is 555----

Good luck to you and if you do choose to launch your range, then I hope it goes extremely well for you and produces sensational beer.