New to this, kit recommendations please.

[Marcuswarren71]

Hi,
I've just started homebrewing with an ibrew kit! Very disappointed with it overall, hence I've gone and bought standard equipment. I've gone in strong with 3 kits on the go, the ibrew lager which is now drinkable after 5 weeks not their recommendation of 2, a coopers Australian lager conditioning and a wilko cerveza in the fv. My tipple of choice is lager, brewing this properly is a long way off due to lack of skill/space/ funds. What I would like to know is can anyone recommend some kits based on the commercial beers I like? I know I'm not gonna get lagers how I want them but I get confused with the differences between ale, IPA, bitter etc as I don't drink them, I try the odd real ale in the pub but I need my beer cold and fizzy. I drink Tyskie, Zwyiec, Leffe blonde, the only none lagers I really drink are Newcastle brown, stones bitter! And mckewans export. Any kits that may be to my liking either as they come or with basic adjustments?

[Hopping_Mad]

Ok, I can't help here as I've never brewed a lager kit, but surely somebody can give a tip?

[Exiled Bradfordian]

So bitters...you might want to try a WIlko Sweet Newkie Brown (proxy for Newcastle Brown), Geordie Yorkshire Bitter (Stones) or Geordie Scottish Export (McEwan's). None of these will be exact matches of course but they are all fairly cheap and condition fairly quickly as I understand it so you can have a swig and decide what's 'wrong' with them to get them to your taste.

I normally brew with beer kit enhancer but you can always use brewing sugar (cheaper but sugar does nothing for mouthfeel/flavour; it just adds alcohol) or spraymalt (dearer but maltier) - I go with BKE as a 'middle ground;)

Too thin? Try a two-can kit or upgrade to spraymalt
Not enough flavour? Add some hops
etc

The only lagers I've done are the Wilko Mexican Cerveza and the Wilko Light Golden Lager. I did the Cerveza with 1kg brewing sugar and 400g golden granulated. I did the light golden lager with 1kg brewing sugar and a pound of cheap-ass honey. Both were lovely, but nothing like the lagers you mention.

I've never seen Stones on handpump. Do you normally drink 'smoothflow'?

[Monkeybrew]

Hi

If you like Leffe Blonde, try brewing a Brewferm Triple or Grand Cru and leave it for at least 3 months in the bottle.

I've just sampled a 10 month old bottle of Brewferm Diabolo and it's blooming lovely!

Welcome and Cheers

MB

[Pau_]

Lovely stuff

[AnthonyUK]

I know it might be hard to believe but lagers are pretty hard to make compared to ales and stouts etc.
To make a good lager or even a pseudo lager (lager with ale yeast) you will need good temperature control which an old fridge/freezer and STC-1000 controller is great for all your brewing needs.
With the single can kits one of the first improvements would be to limit the basic sugar levels used. Beer in general rarely has more than 10% of simple sugar so use instead in order of preference dried or liquid malt extract (DME/LME) or Brew enhancer (a mix of sugar and maltodextrin normally).
Coopers kits are decent quality but there are quite a few all malt kits available now but they are twice the price but it still works out a fraction of the price of shop bought.

http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk/aca ... _Kits.html

[Charlie228]

I'd agree with the brewferm tripple being a good kit. Very nice indeed. As far as lagers go, the Wilko Mexican is nice, and the Coopers European is lovely but definitely needs to be brewed cooler so not ideal this time of year.
Ales are easier if you can't control temperatures and I really like the Wilko Golden ale - which has also been very popular with a lot of friends who don't usually drink ale.

[twentyfootwilf]

You could try Coopers Canadian Blonde. Make it with just a kilo of brewing sugar or a kilo of beer enhance which is usually 50/50 brewing sugar/spray malt or Coopers Brew enhancer BE2 which is 50% brewing sugar, 25% spry malt and 25% malto dextrin. The Canadian Blonde is dead easy to make and turns out as a very nice lagerish drink. My son in law makes it regularly and usually uses just a kilo of brewing sugar and it tastes really good for a lager made with ale yeast, miles better than the last 2 pints of lager I had in the pub (Carling and Kronenberg). You wont be disappointed.

[neilmcca]

I drink more lager than anything else, and the Coopers Aussie lager is my usual choice,
The Coopers Stout (if u like stout) is just bloody immense !!
Coopers I.P.A. / Wheat beer and Dark ale are also incredibly good.

But if u like your lager and funds are tight, Ritchies Simply lager is pretty decent and can be found HERE at a very good price.

[SquireKnott]

They don't do a lager but Festival kits are top drawer & might convert you to a proper drink

I can second the Simply Lager - great at the price.

[Marcuswarren71]

Hi,
Thanks for the replies. I've just put a coopers sparking ale on with all the fermentables recommended on their website.
I am happy that I've got a good production line going and will play about a bit now. I fancy the brewferm grand cru, would be good for Xmas. I tried my coopers Australian lager which has been bottled for 3 weeks and that was promising.
This may sound daft but I'm put off Geordies kits as the cans look like something out of a seventies sitcom, do they make a decent brew with bke or lme instead of sugar, I've gone for better fermentables in all my brews so far.