What Is The Next Step Up From K&k?

[mick8882003]

Ok, I have been k&k'ing for some time now and am wondering how to improve my results?

My initial thought is to use either powdered malt and hops. This would seem to be the next step up to me.

I really don't want to get into all grain due to the mess involved.

So is there a middle ground?

Cheers :icon_chickcheers: Mick C

Oh yes and if stuffa reads this sorry about the wyeast yeast, I honestly didn't get time to send it, just started a new job and its been madness.

 

[Wardhog]

Ok, I have been k&k'ing for some time now and am wondering how to improve my results?

My initial thought is to use either powdered malt and hops. This would seem to be the next step up to me.

Yep. Unhopped extract + hops. Powdered or liquid malt extract, both work.

 

[mick8882003]

Yep. Unhopped extract + hops. Powdered or liquid malt extract, both work.

Will I notice a big difference?

Edit: more to the point, is it worth it?

 

[Pollux]

I have recently moved from K+K to kit and bit (some LDME and hops)....

Those beers tasted better from the fermenter than my K+Ks did from the bottle.....

As for if it's worth it.....All depends, do you want cheap or tasty? Remember, it's still cheaper than buying megaswill.

 

[matt white]

Try unhopped extract plus hop pellets as per recipes in this forum. Also make sure a home brew shop yeast such as US-05 is used (and better still recultured for a few brews).

 

[buttersd70]

Will I notice a big difference?

Edit: more to the point, is it worth it?

oooooooohhhhhhhhhh, yeah, baby. Definately. 110%.

 

[Tao]

Steeping specialty grain is fantastic as well. Have a look in Palmers How to Brew, get a grain sock/hop sock and steep grain. Personally I didnt like the dried malt extract, I found it way to much work to stir in. I much preferred unhopped liquid malt extract that I then hopped and added some specialty grain to (Try the Porter in Palmers book).

 

[Timmsy]

Ok, I have been k&k'ing for some time now and am wondering how to improve my results?

My initial thought is to use either powdered malt and hops. This would seem to be the next step up to me.

I really don't want to get into all grain due to the mess involved.

So is there a middle ground?

Cheers :icon_chickcheers: Mick C

Oh yes and if stuffa reads this sorry about the wyeast yeast, I honestly didn't get time to send it, just started a new job and its been madness.

Mate do it. Extract is the way better the K&K and you will enjoy the process and the start using specialty grains. Every bit of effot will result is great tasting beer that you will fights your mates to keep away

 

[matho]

you could try steeping some grains my lhbs sells infusion packs for $4.50
they are about 220g of caramalts and 13g of hop pellets
its just like making a cup of tea, you put the contents of the pack into about 2l of water a 70 deg and leave it there for about 30min
and then you strain the liquid into the fermenter add the can of goo and the dme. It adds more mouth feel i think. i used them for a while then moved to partials then to ag.
if your lhbs dosn't make them then pat at Absolutehomebrew sells them online (no affliation.)

cheer's matho

 

[PostModern]

Don't f&^k around. Get into AG. Sometimes baby steps can be a waste of time. Do it. You know you want to

 

[Thirsty Boy]

I'll twist it a little from your original question - I wrote a bit of a guide for my brother in law's Dad - a long time K&Ker who was making drinkable, but flawed beers.

I'll attach that guide here for you to have a look at. It is not I'm afraid a document about a "next step" such as added hops, grains, or malt extract, its about tips, tricks and techniques for getting better results out of the straight K&K that you are currently doing.

If you aren't already doing most of what I describe in the document, or at least some pretty similar things - then its my opinion that you have yet to pick the lowest hanging fruit on the tree of brewing improvement - try them out, then worry about the "next step"

Of course you may be doing all that already and you would prefer I just answer the question you actually asked - if so, sorry. You will get plenty of those answers, I thought I would give you a different angle thats all.

Hope this helps a little

Thirsty

View attachment Kit_Beers___Beyond_the_Instructions.doc

 

[Brewtus]

I moved to Kits and Bits i.e. better yeast, liquid malt extract instead of sugar/BE, extra hops. much better. I am now starting to do mini mash i.e half grain/half extract. Trust me it is much more fun and tasted better by far.

 

[Jase71]

Thirsty Boy, i like the recipe for home made no-rinse. Cheers.

 

[muckey]

It's up to you to decide the next step and it really depends on taste.

I thought I liked malt so substituted dex for LDME. Turns out I'm a bit of a hop head so experimented with dry hopping (I always started with a hopped extract) and even tried a couple of different yeasts

seems now I want to improve even further and jumped over grain steeps and full extract brewing, even jumped partial mashing straight to AG..

So there you have it. it depends on what you are after.
have a good read of thirsty boys guide as well. There's some important yet simple tips in there that will help as well.

If you give the group some idea of what you are looking for in your beer then we may be able to provide more than just suggestions

Cheers

 

[dr K]

Thirsty Boy..great concept and great doco.
You make a very important point, get your basics before you step up, if you are using old extract or poorly treated yeast then no matter what you do to tweak the beer you are still fighting with a bad base.
Yes, home brewing has come a long way in the last 15 years, but 15 years ago everything you say was just as do-able, just no-one told me to do it !!


K

 

[frogman]

KEGS.

 

[muckey]

KEGS.

OHHHH YEAH!!!! :super:

 

[rich_lamb]

If you're actually using sugar with your kits then replacing with extract will definitely be an improvement (I only ever made one kit with sugar and it was so awful I tipped it).
But otherwise going from kit to extract isn't much of a change at all.

Playing around with steeping some crystal malt and boiling some hops will be a nice and easy introduction to actually "cooking" a beer and you will be irrevocably on the dark and slippery path - you probably already are. And you can stink up the kitchen with nice beery smells, yeah!

Dunno if you'd get a quantum leap from using liquid yeast over dried per se - as long as you are good to your yeast in either case you should get good beer.

 

[roger mellie]

Like Post Modern Said - forget about the halfway houses.



Come to the Dark Side

Nothing Else compares

RM

 

[Wardhog]

Will I notice a big difference?

Edit: more to the point, is it worth it?

Yes and most emphatically yes. It is surprisingly easy to do, and will open up whole new levels of awesome to your brewing.