Brewers Choice IPA - Pics

Want to experiment with additions and tweaks to beer kits? This is the place to post.
barl_fire

Re: Brewers Choice IPA - Pics

Post by barl_fire » Tue Apr 13, 2010 2:21 pm

Bought this kit last Saturday, paid £16.49 for it plus £5.98 for a kilo of light dme, so with the safeale 04 sachet it works out to be the most expensive kit I've tried to date. Can't wait to get cracking on with it though. Gonna do it as per kit instructions except for the different yeast and 21l brew length, then plan to keg it with 100g white sugar.

monkeyboy
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Re: Brewers Choice IPA - Pics

Post by monkeyboy » Wed Apr 14, 2010 4:41 pm

just did this kit and it was a lot of fun. Managed to burst one of the grain bags, so had to strain it into the FV, but the smell as the grains and hops steeped was just fantastic. my four-year-old son agreed ;) Used LME (option 3 on their instructions). Really no more complicated than a simple kit - just a little more planning required to get the timings right. Only notable change i made was to make a 'starter' by rehydrating a sachet of safale s04.
OG 1054, and now the waiting begins.
My end goal is to move to AG, and did this as a step in that direction, just to get a bit more experience at mucking about with the process. I'll update this thread with progress so others know what to expect.
Fermenting: AG#22 San Diego IPA
Drinking: Probably.

barl_fire

Re: Brewers Choice IPA - Pics

Post by barl_fire » Wed Apr 14, 2010 7:22 pm

I was wondering actually whether anyone had any opinion on whether this kit might be best bottled or kegged, having never brewed an IPA before. I usually keg most of my ales but for this one I tempted to bottle it instead, what do folk reckon :?:

monkeyboy
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Re: Brewers Choice IPA - Pics

Post by monkeyboy » Tue Apr 20, 2010 9:15 pm

i'm going to keg mine, so i'll let you know how it goes. Right now my most pressing 'problem' is that after 6 days a steady 20ish, the SG is down to 1010, but it still tastes sweet. Too sweet to be done. I know a few people on this thread had experienced the reverse (a high finishing SG) so i was totally surprised. Will check it tomorrow, but i'm now kinda nervous that something is afoot. Lovely colour though :)
Fermenting: AG#22 San Diego IPA
Drinking: Probably.

barl_fire

Re: Brewers Choice IPA - Pics

Post by barl_fire » Wed Apr 21, 2010 3:01 pm

monkeyboy wrote:i'm going to keg mine, so i'll let you know how it goes. Right now my most pressing 'problem' is that after 6 days a steady 20ish, the SG is down to 1010, but it still tastes sweet. To sweet to be done. I know a few people on this thread had experienced the reverse (a high finishing SG) so i was totally surprised. Will check it tomorrow, but i'm now kinda nervous that something is afoot. Lovely colour though :)
cheers I'll keep an eye out. I'm probably gonna keg mine now too once I've got this keg of Edme Yorkshire Bitter drunk. Last night when I was chatting to my better half I mentioned I was thinking of putting the IPA on and buying some bottled water for the PET bottles. Anyhow being the voice of reason she says don't I think I should just wait until at least one of my other four brews is all drunk, so imagine the look I got off her when I corrected her and said don't you mean six :whistle:
I'll be the first to admit that my enthusiasm for this hobby of mine needs reigning in slightly from time to time :lol:

That's going to be a nice and strong brew by the sounds of it, I'd definitely leave it a few more days and do another reading/tasting

monkeyboy
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Re: Brewers Choice IPA - Pics

Post by monkeyboy » Fri Apr 23, 2010 11:49 am

@barl_fire. having just bought another barrel yesterday, i know exactly what 'that look' is :) Accompanied by grumbles that at this rate it's cheaper to buy beer somebody else made. Hardly the point.
i'm contemplating trying to offset the sweetness by trying to raise the bitterness a little. Don't have a specific plan yet, but am thinking of simply boiling up some hops in some water, and then adding it to the brew when i keg it. Or not. Indecisiveness rules. This is when i wish i had two 20 pint barrels so i could split it and experiment.
Fermenting: AG#22 San Diego IPA
Drinking: Probably.

barl_fire

Re: Brewers Choice IPA - Pics

Post by barl_fire » Tue Apr 27, 2010 7:11 pm

monkeyboy wrote:@barl_fire. having just bought another barrel yesterday, i know exactly what 'that look' is :) Accompanied by grumbles that at this rate it's cheaper to buy beer somebody else made. Hardly the point.
Exactly, although I'd just offer to go fill the car boot with £1 bottles of Newcastle Brown and Bishop's Finger from Lidl/Netto, can't lose mate :lol:

manchester beerbelly

Re: Brewers Choice IPA - Pics

Post by manchester beerbelly » Wed Jun 09, 2010 4:58 pm

has any body tryed the extra special bitter? if so what else did you use?

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FUBAR
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Re: Brewers Choice IPA - Pics

Post by FUBAR » Thu Jun 10, 2010 9:21 pm

manchester beerbelly wrote:has any body tryed the extra special bitter? if so what else did you use?

Its a fantastic pint nice and hoppy,I have one going in the FV at the moment having done this kit 3 times before this time I have used a tin of brupaks malt extract instead of the DME that I normally use,the OG came out at 1054 as stated on the kit instructions.Will be intresting to see if the end result is worth the extra expense [-o<
I buy my grain & hops from here http://www.homebrewkent.co.uk/


I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me - Winston Churchill

manchester beerbelly

Re: Brewers Choice IPA - Pics

Post by manchester beerbelly » Fri Jun 11, 2010 11:25 pm

FUBAR wrote:
manchester beerbelly wrote:has any body tryed the extra special bitter? if so what else did you use?

Its a fantastic pint nice and hoppy,I have one going in the FV at the moment having done this kit 3 times before this time I have used a tin of brupaks malt extract instead of the DME that I normally use,the OG came out at 1054 as stated on the kit instructions.Will be intresting to see if the end result is worth the extra expense [-o<
which malt have you gone for amber ,dark?

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FUBAR
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Re: Brewers Choice IPA - Pics

Post by FUBAR » Tue Jun 15, 2010 8:50 pm

It was the amber malt that I used,have just finished kegging this brew,I will post back in a month or so when I sample it as to wether it was worth the extra cost instead of the DME.
I buy my grain & hops from here http://www.homebrewkent.co.uk/


I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me - Winston Churchill

manchester beerbelly

Re: Brewers Choice IPA - Pics

Post by manchester beerbelly » Wed Jun 16, 2010 12:44 pm

i,ve gone for the dark malt , starting tommorow carn,t wait these kits sound more hands on.

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FUBAR
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Re: Brewers Choice IPA - Pics

Post by FUBAR » Wed Jun 16, 2010 8:48 pm

manchester beerbelly wrote:i,ve gone for the dark malt , starting tommorow carn,t wait these kits sound more hands on.
They are fantastic kits,more expensive yes but after all normally you only get what you pay for.The only brewers choice kit I have done that was dissapointing IMO was the Czech pilsner.I want to try the old ale kit soon as its supposed to taste much like theakstons old peculiar which is a favourite beer/brewer of mine as I spend holidays a couple of miles from the brewery at Masham.
I buy my grain & hops from here http://www.homebrewkent.co.uk/


I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me - Winston Churchill

spudbasher

Re: Brewers Choice IPA - Pics

Post by spudbasher » Sun Mar 20, 2011 1:30 pm

Do yer reckon an ag brew would taste that much better than this method? Maybe a blind tasting of the best brewed kits v,s biab ,extract and ag would be interesting.

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Re: Brewers Choice IPA - Pics

Post by Dave1970 » Wed Jan 04, 2012 8:23 pm

spudbasher wrote:Do yer reckon an ag brew would taste that much better than this method? Maybe a blind tasting of the best brewed kits v,s biab ,extract and ag would be interesting.
Yes AG will taste a lot better. I've just done my second AG brew. The last kit I did was the Brewer's Choice IPA so I have bottles of AG#1(a Fullers ESB Clone) and the IPA on hand. I've actually been a bit disappointed with the IPA...I was expecting more hop flavour, especially considering I dry hopped with some East Kent Goldings, it's gradually becoming OK after 5 weeks in the bottle. The IPA took 4 weeks to clear, AG#1 took 2 days. Even after AG#1 had only been in the bottle 2 weeks it was already good, now after 4 weeks it's great. AG is definitely the way to go, the BC kits as some have said might be a little step in that direction

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