Whats Your Fav. K&k/k&b's ?

[unterberg]

Crystal type malts are grain that needs to be steeped in hot water at about 70 deg (not boiling) then you use the licquor that results from the steep, discard the actual grain and boil the liquid. They don't need to be mashed like base malts and such. Medium Crystal malt adds a slight caramel/toffee taste. Prolly one of the must have malts IMO. Craftbrewer has a fair bit of info on each grain they stock http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=779

Man I'm sooooo slow at typing

Thats alright
At least you pointed out that its an important step to actually boil the liquor achieved from the steeping/straining process to kill any potential bacteria before you add this into the fermenter.

 

[chappo1970]

Crystal type malts are grain that needs to be steeped in hot water at about 70 deg (not boiling) then you use the licquor that results from the steep, discard the actual grain and boil the liquid. They don't need to be mashed like base malts and such. Medium Crystal malt adds a slight caramel/toffee taste. Prolly one of the must have malts IMO. Craftbrewer has a fair bit of info on each grain they stock http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=779

Man I'm sooooo slow at typing

A+
I have to agree with HB79. Since I started doing K&B been using crystal malts and it has made such a quantum leap IMHO to my brews. No HB twang! I only have two 20lt pots and a strainer ($2 shop special) and some other odds and sods but it is well worth the effort. Can't wait to go AG but need to save some more yet. Kegging first then AG.

HB79 what yeast do you use with that pale ale? I need to replenish the stocks ATM, I'm down to 70 odd bottles , so I thought I would have ago at your MGPA recipe and Biongk's "Black Pils" this weekend. I have some S04 on hand as well as CPA LME and the some crystal caramalt will that do for your recipe?

 

[RobboMC]

Best kits I have made are Muntons Nut Brown Ale ( read dark ale )
and Muntons Yorkshire Bitter.

The two can India pale Ale kit isn't bad either,
especially if you add a third can of straight liquid malt. Three cans, no boiling, no steeping,
no fuss and really good beer.

Worth the extra $ if you want to sip good beer rather than make megaswill.

 

[brettprevans]

thread here and here, and here another here, here

hope that helps

edit: also a couple in my sig

 

[Pennywise]

HB79 what yeast do you use with that pale ale? I need to replenish the stocks ATM, I'm down to 70 odd bottles , so I thought I would have ago at your MGPA recipe and Biongk's "Black Pils" this weekend. I have some S04 on hand as well as CPA LME and the some crystal caramalt will that do for your recipe?

It's not my recipe, It's one thats floating around Oliver & Geoff's site. It calls for US-05, you could use S-04 but I don't think you'll get as much of a hop hit as S-04 tends to favour the malt where as the 05 is a hop hunter

 

[tcraig20]

One of my favourite kits and bits would have to be this:

1x coopers euro lager
500g LME
250g dex
500g carahell, steeped
10g saaz and 10g hallertau at 5 minutes.

Ferment at 10-12C with S-189.

 

[Nick JD]

My current favourite is just bits.

2kg LDME
0.5kg Dextrose
0.2kg caramalt & 0.2kg carapils steeped @ 65 degrees
25g of any hops for 60 min
25g of any hops for 5 min (then chuck in fermenter)
Safale.

Beats any kit by a country mile and only about $5 more...

 

[Rodolphe01]

recipe linkage

ignore the IBUs & recipe colour, takes no account of the goo. it is my favourite so far.

 

[Bribie G]

recipe linkage

ignore the IBUs & recipe colour, takes no account of the goo. it is my favourite so far.

That would be a very nice drop, I take it that the Carapils quantity is based on buying a kilo and splitting it over three brews.... worked for me

I've found that Coopers plain old Lager does a really good job as an ingredient especially if you can get it on special for ten bucks, as opposed to the $14 fancy tins like blondes or cervezas. Just need to take account of the extra bitterness from the Lager tin.

 

[Rodolphe01]

quantity of carapils is pretty much completely random haha, i'm a nubbin and just pick a number between 250g and 400g

 

[Mantis]

I've done three Coopers Master Blend Wheat kits now, with an added can of wheat malt, and Czehk Saaz for extra flavour. Even with the kit yeast (shock horror!), I'm really happy with the results for an everyday drinking beer (everyone who has tried it also enjoys it, so that's saying something

yep. Made a few of these with light and wheat dry malt and lots of saaz. Same result, I loved it and so did the missus, and the friends I gave some bottles too.
Used US05 yeast in mine and thinking back came out like a light golden ale, just lovely.

Got a mini mash of a similar thing in the fermenter at the moment

 

[jacob6699]

I'VE JUST READ SOMTHIN ABOUT COLD CRASH WHAT DOES THIS MEAN AND HOW DO I GO ABOUT IT. ALSO DOES ANY ONE HERD ABOUT GET YEAST FOR PALE ALE BREWS OUT OF PALE ALE STUBBIES IF TERE ALREADY THREADS ON THIS CAN POINT ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

 

[WarmBeer]

I'VE JUST READ SOMTHIN ABOUT COLD CRASH WHAT DOES THIS MEAN AND HOW DO I GO ABOUT IT. ALSO DOES ANY ONE HERD ABOUT GET YEAST FOR PALE ALE BREWS OUT OF PALE ALE STUBBIES IF TERE ALREADY THREADS ON THIS CAN POINT ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

I'VE JUST READ SOMTHIN ABOUT CAPS-LOCK, PUNCTUATION AND SPELL-CHECK.

Nah, just havin a go, mate

Cold crash is when you put your finished beer, still in the fermeter barrel, or a secondary cube, in the fridge for a couple of days to a week. This will cause the majority of the yeast to drop out of the beer to the bottom of the barrel, and gives you a clearer beer ready for bottling.

There's plenty on reculturing from Coopers bottles (here's one for you). Just try a search on "Cooper's yeast", there's plenty.

 

[jacob6699]

yeah yeah i no i typed it all out and then relised it was caps lock. im at work and dont ve time to retype things. cheers for your help bro

 

[under]

I've done around 15 K&K. Im happy but it seems to be lacking something.

I think im ready to move over to K&B. The steeping of carapils sounds easy.

Maybe even just steeping mixed grains adding malt and hops? And doing away with the actual kit of goo. Sounds pretty easy.

 

[muckey]

Cold crash is when you put your finished beer, still in the fermeter barrel, or a secondary cube, in the fridge for a couple of days to a week. This will cause the majority of the yeast to drop out of the beer to the bottom of the barrel, and gives you a clearer beer ready for bottling.

bang on. as an addition to that I often turn the fridge on when fermentations has completed and after 24 hours, transfer to a cube and store cold for 1-2 weeks

I've done around 15 K&K. Im happy but it seems to be lacking something.

I think im ready to move over to K&B. The steeping of carapils sounds easy.

Maybe even just steeping mixed grains adding malt and hops? And doing away with the actual kit of goo. Sounds pretty easy.

someone's picking up speed on the slippery slope................ :lol:

 

[under]

someone's picking up speed on the slippery slope................ :lol:

Heh. I would move straight to AG. But I have no room. When I get my own place with a decent shed or garage im definately moving over.

 

[brettprevans]

Heh. I would move straight to AG. But I have no room. When I get my own place with a decent shed or garage im definately moving over.

Under have you seen this thread. perfect example of how little room you actually need to go AG> if your in Melb I'd recomend you bid for this and go AG.

EDIT: fill in your location details

 

[buttersd70]

Maybe even just steeping mixed grains adding malt and hops? And doing away with the actual kit of goo. Sounds pretty easy.

Replacing the kit goo with unhopped malt extract, and then boiling hops for longer (to bitter and flavour it yourself) is extract brewing. Combined with the use of specialty grains for steeping, it's a very good brewing method...it gives you a lot more control over the process. You're not locked into the volumes, bitterness levels, and flavour profiles that the goo manufacturers supply you with, so your options are a lot more open. Partial mashing and AG allows even more control (because you can control how fermentable the wort is, because you are mashing the grain yourself), but extract brewing with specialty grains is a great intermediate step and can produce some excellent results. have a read of Palmers 'how to brew', it goes into good detail.
link

 

[muckey]

Under have you seen this thread. perfect example of how little room you actually need to go AG> if your in Melb I'd recomend you bid for this and go AG.

have to say thats very true. very little room and very little cost. My biggest issue was getting my head straight. The rag and bone brewery was easy to beg, borrow or steal. Butters will probably want some of his kit back soon h34r:
edit - now to unhijack the thread.
- see butters post - grain steeps, replace sugar completely with malt extract. Hop boils, dry hopping, better yeasts will all give improvements. try them all and find out what you like. I found that my kits were going to need grain steeps to give the flavour I was looking for. I decided at that point to end my kit days and begin my AG adventure as I found malt extract flavour to be very bland and grain steep is the only way to get a fuller malt flavour.