Malt Shovel About To Hit The Homebrew Market

[RegBadgery]

As for 11.5 kits - they maybe onto a winner - I started out brewing 20 litre batches and now brew half sized.

cheers
reg

 

[PMyers]

As for 11.5 kits - they maybe onto a winner - I started out brewing 20 litre batches and now brew half sized.

They may indeed take off. But Edme tried the same thing some years ago, and they failed miserably. I do believe however that the quality of brew these concentrates will produce will be their saving grace. Hopefully, those who want to brew at around 23 litres wont mind paying the price for a double-dump.

Cheers,
Pete

:chug:

 

[Doc]

Yes Reg, but would you pay $5 more for the kit for 11.5 litres less beer?
They would have to be exceptional kits.

Actually maybe we can get them to send us a few so we can brew them and give a review of them from a home brewer perspective. Do you think you could arrange that Pete?

Cheers,
Doc

 

[RegBadgery]

If I tried a kit and thought it worth the price, I'd pay it. It's a very subjective sort of thing and ties in with all the various reasons why people brew and why they brew the way they do using the sort of ingredients they choose.

cheers
reg

 

[Jovial_Monk]

Hehe

brewing a barley wine tomorrow, the Thos Hardy clone from "Brew your own British Ales" bumped up to an all grain 23l batch.

14K of grain, 4 hour boil, 140g bittering hops (whole goldings and plug Fuggles)\

Can't wait

 

[PostModern]

At first I thought the price/volume ratio was totally wrong, however, for $37.80 you make 23L, which does place it in the same range as the ESB fresh wort kits... not really too bad at all. However just having bought a lot of LME and invested in a bit of grain, I think I'll be happy enough to stick to extract and specialty grains brewing for a while

I can think of a few friends who would give this a go, tho.

 

[Jovial_Monk]

Well, I doubt it will take off.

$18+ for what is basically extract, no way. Not comparable to the ESB fresh wort kits, hardly at all condensed.

I have plenty of unit-dwelling customers, doubt a pidlly sized fermenter would suit them.

Only one way I could see it working--sell a 11L pressurized keg thingie that they can put in the fridge, a CO2 cartridge to push the beer out.

They start doing that, soon they will want to brew two kegs worth.

I certainly do NOT intend to stock them



Jovial Monk

 

[kook]

Muntons Premium Gold kits seem to sell OK over here (~42$ for 22.5 litres of brew). The MSB brews would work out cheaper than the MPG. ESB Fresh Wort is $39 over here too (and only one shop stocks ESB gear afaik).

Over here, the kit market has a huge stronghold on the HB industry. Almost all the stores buy their stuff from West Brew Distributors (Brewcraft) and resell it. People either buy a kit and a bag of brew booster of some form, or they buy a complete kit like the muntons premium / premium gold or the woodfordes brews.

 

[PMyers]

Muntons Premium Gold kits seem to sell OK over here (~42$ for 22.5 litres of brew). The MSB brews would work out cheaper than the MPG. ESB Fresh Wort is $39 over here too (and only one shop stocks ESB gear afaik).

Some of the people at the launch did suggest repackaging it into a Premium Gold type look, with two tins in a nice cardboard outer, but the Lion Nathan guys didn't seem too interested in that. I think they might be trying to stake out a sort of niche-within-a-niche market ploy with the 12 litre fermenters, and if they can do it, more power too them. I just don't think the demand will be there for their kits unless they change their concept. Which is a shame really, because as I have stated before, there is great potential in the quality of the product. I know I will definately be trying their Summer Wheat and the Roasted Amber when they arrive in-store.

Cheers,
Pete

:chug:

 

[kook]

They might be preparing to enter the japanese market against coopers. I dont know if you heard but coopers are selling small homebrew kits and ingredient kits over there. Theyre half size too. Its supposed to be more suited to the japanese apartment lifestyle.

 

[PostModern]

What I find odd about the mini-fermenter deal is the brew warming mat. Most people I know in Australia have troubles keeping their kits COOL enough, not WARM enough. Right now, in a cold snap, I have to keep my WLP001 based brews wrapped in a wet towel in the kitchen on the floor in a shady part of the house to keep it at 21C. Who has a house where room temp is < 21C? What kind of yeast are they packaging that needs you to keep the wort warmer than that?

 

[RegBadgery]

Maybe it's the traditional sort of yeast that's recommended to be brewed at at least 25 - 30 degrees . Did anyone at the launch see the brewing instructions?

Anyway I emailed MSB for more information and received a reply of sorts from lion nathan (see following).

When I first saw this thread I thought that maybe the kits were like the grumpy model - ie including specialty grain and hops - that would really be something and would expand the brewing experience of brewers beyond the range of discussion lists like this one.

Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2003 14:56:32 +1000
From: "ROBERT MILEO - LNA"
To: [email protected]

Hi Reg,

No such products on the market at this stage.

Suggest you keep in touch with you local brew store for all information
in the coming months.

Cheers
Bob

-----Original Message-----
From: Reg Badgery [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thu, 24 April 2003 12:55 PM
To: GOODBREWS
Subject: maltshovel homebrew concentrates

Hello- interested in information about your homebrew
kits - are they fresh wort, extract, grain, partial
mash - your own yeast or other? etc.

cheers
reg

____________

 

[Armstrong]

Allow me to clarify a few things.

The Malt Shovel Kits are as follows:-

- 1.7kg Can of condensed extract (no other adjuncts required to make 11.5Ltrs
- They are produced using specialty grains & hops in a full mash then evaporated down after which addition hop oils (not iso-hop) are added for aromatics
- They suppy specialty yeast which differ from can to can and contains at this stage in excess of 10gms ... do not expect a generic 514 ale yeast ... brewing at 25 - 30 degrees is way above the recommended.
- The flavors produced are quite unique to the home brew concentrate market and I quote ... "had to be of a quality that we were happy to put our name on" - Mr Chuck Hahn

The product launch the other night was for the retail Home brew trade and much feedback was put forward regarding these kits. (maybe that's why you didn't get any info off Lion Nathan at this stage)
There were a few issues of concern amongst some, but it was plain to see that allot of effort had been put in to produce a concentrate aimed at the beer lover ... not the penny pincher.

Nothing will be available to us until mid May so we'll just have to give them a run then and make our own opinions.

I may seem it be sitting on the fence here ... and to truthful, that is exactly what I'm doing! I want to reserve my judgement until I've had a chance to knock up a couple of brews myself.

Hope this clears up a few things
:chug:

 

[Indy]

They admitted that with the price tag, and half-sized batch, they would have extreme difficulty convincing the beginner, except in the case you presented in your post.

well, that depends upon the brew shop operators co-operation
ie: if you had know idea about home-brew, and were basically guaranteed of a very nice beer first go...
very tempting...

of course when you first start out you think it will be really easy :lol:
not that it isn't, but there's so many combos :blink: if most of the variables/variations are taken away it's a pretty simple process...

pity they will not be making a 22Ltr can too, i guess slightly cheaper than 2 x 11Ltr...

all the same, i recon i'd probly try a half batch first anyway, uses up less bottles
(i don't have that many )
and i can just sample before deciding if i like it, or decide to make a different type...
it also gives me the perfect excuse to buy one (or two, 'cause you need a secondary) of those ESB fresh wort thingos
btw are they 15ltr containers?

not too bad a deal tho, 14 long-necks for $20 (?)
thats still only about $1.40 a long-neck...

 

[bradmcm]

When I was in the US about 5 or 6 years back - the local HBS
sold Coopers tins and it was suggested to make them up
to 3.5 US Gallons (13 1/4 litres).
Their catalog(ue) stated you COULD add 2lbs of sugar and make
them up to 5 Gallons but they did not recommend it.
I wish more HBSs would give this advice.

Personally I think it's fine to make a 1.7kg can into 11 or so litres.
It may suit some brewers who are not into mass consumption or
are space limited.

I'm sure these kits are not going into the local supermarket
but into the local HBS. There should be at least some advice
there for the brewer.

 

[bradmcm]

Most people I know in Australia have troubles keeping their kits COOL enough, not WARM enough. Right now, in a cold snap, I have to keep my WLP001 based brews wrapped in a wet towel in the kitchen on the floor in a shady part of the house to keep it at 21C. Who has a house where room temp is < 21C?

People that don't live at sea level in warm climes.

Right now my living room is at 16C at 2:20PM.

The temperature in my house won't really get above
this until October now.

Ale brewing is just finishing up for the next 6 months...
time to get those lagers up and running in the spare room!

 

[RegBadgery]

I think that bradmcm raises an interesting point of divergence between the US and Australian homebrewing markets.

In Australia there's considerable emphasis on marketing homebrew as a lower cost alternative to highly taxed commercial beer. In the US, mass market mainstream beer is relatively inexpensive and from what I've read - homebrew can't compete on a price basis - so there's a greater emphasis on the benefit of quality ingredients in homebrew.

cheers
reg

 

[PostModern]

Me, I'm in it for the craft. Apart from making > premium nice beer for

 

[PostModern]

Right now my living room is at 16C at 2:20PM.

The temperature in my house won't really get above
this until October now.

I take it you own a lot of really thick clothing
No offence meant to mountain dwellers, it's just that 95% of us live on the coast.

 

[bradmcm]

To be a complete bastard - what about those that live on the coast in Hobart?? None too warm there
No, I'm not there... I'm not that crazy!
:lol: