GalBrew
Well-Known Member
On the bright side mid strength beers are on trend right now.
Why 3.8ABV%?
- Thread starter Foonz
- Start date
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Be able to session it [emoji6].
I recently brewed that can, it's a good kit that I like to play around with. I generally steer well clear of maltodextrin for a few reasons and only use dextrose for priming.
With all can and kilo I will add 1kg of dlme or as someone else suggested a can of lme
With all can and kilo I will add 1kg of dlme or as someone else suggested a can of lme
I agree, for simple kit beers the rule of thumb is to avoid those enhancers (and sugar/dextrose IMO) and just use LDM (light dry malt), 1 kilo will give you an average full strength beer. The kit cans and enhancer packs usually have some info about expected alcohol level on them as well - eg some of the heavier style ales from the Thomas Coopers range will suggest using 1.5kgs of LDM which will give you a stronger beer. With the dextrose I wouldn't use it unless you like 'dry' style beers and have time to let it age for a while, otherwise it can cause the beer to taste a bit cidery.
I think this came up in another thread, but look at the Toucan thread and the Coopers recipe page for inspiration for your kit beers. Also IanH's spreadsheet that is pinned to the top of the Kit and Extract tab is good for recipe making, and it's free unlike Beersmith. I pretty much exclusively brew Coopers recipe packs at the moment, just to explore different styles, and while there's been a couple duds, by and large all of them are pretty good and some exceptional. The 2017 Extra Strong Vintage is a cracker. One thing I discovered pretty quick is that the straight kit beers will make decent enough cheap swill, but if you want them to taste a bit more crafty and have some real character, you definitely need to spend more and get some hops and grains. There are guides, books, info everywhere.
In the meantime, leave that beer you made for 3 or 4 weeks before you drink it, I think you'll be surprised at how nice it is, despite the low alcohol.
I think this came up in another thread, but look at the Toucan thread and the Coopers recipe page for inspiration for your kit beers. Also IanH's spreadsheet that is pinned to the top of the Kit and Extract tab is good for recipe making, and it's free unlike Beersmith. I pretty much exclusively brew Coopers recipe packs at the moment, just to explore different styles, and while there's been a couple duds, by and large all of them are pretty good and some exceptional. The 2017 Extra Strong Vintage is a cracker. One thing I discovered pretty quick is that the straight kit beers will make decent enough cheap swill, but if you want them to taste a bit more crafty and have some real character, you definitely need to spend more and get some hops and grains. There are guides, books, info everywhere.
In the meantime, leave that beer you made for 3 or 4 weeks before you drink it, I think you'll be surprised at how nice it is, despite the low alcohol.
