What's In The Can?

[benny_bjc]

Hi,

I generally brew using extract cans plus extra malt and steeping grains.

Anyway, I was just wondering - what exactly is in the kit cans you get at the HB shop / supermarket?

For example what is in the Pale Ale Cans (apart from hop extract)?
I'm assuming it is a mixture of malt types???

Thanks!

 

[boingk]

Long story. The cheaper kits are generally thought to be basic LME combinations with some isohop for bitterness only. Head up the line and its been brewed with real hops and then reduced down with vacuum evaporation techniques, giving bitterness and hop flavour and perhaps a very mild aroma. All malt extract was grain at the start so its safe to assume the more complex the kit style, the greater the profile of grains used in its construction.

[eg: an Aussie lager may be made with a single base malt [pale or pils] and 20% sugar, with a bittering hop addition only. To contrast, my favourite Porter recipe uses 91% pale, 5% Crystal, 3% Choc and 1% Black roasted malts. It also only has a bittering addition and is then dry hopped very mildly]

The final grand poobah are kits with real hops still in them. Check out Xtract or the Wal's range to see what I mean. They really are nice IMO, but bloody expensive at most places.

Cheers - boingk

 

[RobboMC]

I believe most of the kits contain various malt(s), isohop extract and sugar, in varying amounts depending on the maker and price.
Coopers make kits at 3 levels, called Original, International and Brewmaster. Original are cheaper, International middle range, and Brewmaster are top range, and of course top dollar. Coopers do not allow supermarkets do distribute their Brewmaster kits, these are only available through Home Brew Shops or by mail order.

Muntons ( a UK malt maker ) proudly print on their lables that the kits contain no barley sugars, i.e. they are malt and hops or extract. If you're already using extract cans plus and boiling in hops then stick to it. It's already better beer than almost any kit will make. Lately I've been thinking 1.5 kg of extract and a packet of hops is equal or better value than a Muntons can anyway.

My brewing time is usually limited to about one hour while I also cook dinner, so a pre-bittered kit means I can do a short boil of hops for added flavour and aroma, add a decent kit and cans of unhopped extract, and turn out a fairly decent brew in short time.

With extract brewing, start with a 60 min boil after heating everything up, and I'm looking a about 2-1/2 hours once eveything is cleaned up. Too long for my busy life.

I know of a brewer that makes a Dark Ale in 16 minutes. Kit, dex, malt can, boiling water, stir and done!

 

[Bribie G]

I did a Coopers Stout toucan, 1kg of dex and 1kg of LDME yesterday in 15 minutes, added half a bag of ice from Liquorland and pitched Nottingham yeast immediately :icon_cheers:

Some kits contain glucose syrup, such as the appalling Brigalow kits for example. Might be worth checking the ingredients - if it contains stuff like glucose syrup then they have to say so on the can I believe.