I keep getting a weird urge to do a kit.

Want to experiment with additions and tweaks to beer kits? This is the place to post.
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aamcle
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I keep getting a weird urge to do a kit.

Post by aamcle » Tue Mar 20, 2018 9:38 pm

I could do with some one talking some sense into me, every so often I get the itch to experiment with a kit. Now I usually have more good AG beer on hand than I can easily drink so mucking with kits is daft.

But I'd like to see if I can get one up to the standard of my AG batches, possibly split it into a number of Demijohns and experiment with different volumes, yeasts, hopping and fermentables. The last time I made up a kit I did a small mash (1) including some speciality grains to supply the extra sugar but I'll not do it that way again it seems to me to undermine the point (ease) of a kit.

I suppose the obvious choice would be a Coopers kit as they seem to offer the most flexibility, possibly a lager as the IBUs are low and summer is coming.

What can you recommend, Coopers, a Two Can or say stuff it and get mashing? I wonder if Tesco are going to go mad again soon


ATB. Alan


1 I stuck a controller probe onto a slow cooker.

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Dennis King
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Re: I keep getting a weird urge to do a kit.

Post by Dennis King » Tue Mar 20, 2018 10:30 pm

At last years festival I won a Coopers lager kit in the raffle. I fermented it a few weeks ago using a better yeast and adding some hop tea. Only the second kit I have ever done, the other one was at the festival a few years previous.

Manngold
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Re: I keep getting a weird urge to do a kit.

Post by Manngold » Tue Mar 20, 2018 11:20 pm

I am doing kits at the moment, because of time and children.

Did a wheat beer and added 2kg of summer fruits. Quite tart, but is nice.

Just done a Geordie Lager (on sale in Wilkos) but added the cml Kolsch Yeast and 60g Saaz hop tea.

Both will be summer drinks for friends etc when we have a party. So as long as they are drinkable I will be very happy.

There is something nice about knowing it will only take you an hour to knock it up and keeping the wife happy.

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IPA
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Re: I keep getting a weird urge to do a kit.

Post by IPA » Wed Mar 21, 2018 8:32 am

I did my first one a year ago. My advice is don't bother because it's not at all like real beer. Having said that I have tried a lot of micro stuff that is equally crap. They however cover any faults by hopping it to death. Well there's a thought I suppose you could do he same thing with a kit but there again a kit would probably be not cloudy enough =D>
"You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on." Dean Martin

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jaroporter
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Re: I keep getting a weird urge to do a kit.

Post by jaroporter » Wed Mar 21, 2018 5:04 pm

i get that it's tempting for a shorter brewday, but the quality is such a dropoff i'm a bit unconvinced. i believe they can be improved with minimashes and hop teas and decent yeast but by the time you've done that i honestly find it a lot easier and less fn around (not to mention cheaper) to fire up the mashtun, and you get better beer.
i do admit to the same curiosity about making them though!!
dazzled, doused in gin..

aamcle
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Re: I keep getting a weird urge to do a kit.

Post by aamcle » Wed Mar 21, 2018 5:43 pm

It's the enthusiasm that gets to me, I see lot's of posts "it's great, fantastic , pub quality, flavoursome " and curiosity reaches out and pokes at me.

Can they all be wrong?


aamcle

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Re: I keep getting a weird urge to do a kit.

Post by Manngold » Wed Mar 21, 2018 6:52 pm

@aamcle to be honest the only one that I would consider as being always excellent is Coopers Stout. That stuff is very good.

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Re: I keep getting a weird urge to do a kit.

Post by Clibit » Wed Mar 21, 2018 8:03 pm

I do a very occasional kit, I tend to add beer enhancer, steep a bit of grain of some sort like crystal, and do a short hop boil. I find the bit of grain and the hops make a huge difference. I once split lager a kit three ways, and used the kit yeast, an ale yeast. All had an enhancer added. One had nothing else, one had hops added, one had hops and caramalt added. The enhancer only version was undrinkable, it was like a sweet syrup, the hops version was good, but the hops and caramalt +version was really good - I really enjoyed it. I think the hops made the most impact, giving a much better bitterness balance thanks to the boil, and loads more hop flavour. But the caramalt made a clear difference too, and I only used a bit.

If I do a kit now, I always add hops, and I usually do a bit of a grain steep.

aamcle
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Re: I keep getting a weird urge to do a kit.

Post by aamcle » Wed Mar 21, 2018 9:39 pm

I did a Coopers Irish Stout some years ago and I brewed it short it was still thin but the taste was good.

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Dennis King
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Re: I keep getting a weird urge to do a kit.

Post by Dennis King » Wed Mar 21, 2018 11:06 pm

Rob the malt miller sells some interesting kits. https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product ... ract-kits/

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Re: I keep getting a weird urge to do a kit.

Post by WalesAles » Wed Mar 21, 2018 11:28 pm

aamcle wrote:
Wed Mar 21, 2018 5:43 pm
It's the enthusiasm that gets to me, I see lot's of posts "it's great, fantastic , pub quality, flavoursome " and curiosity reaches out and pokes at me.

Can they all be wrong?
aamcle
aam,
Try this Kit Mod.......
Wilko IPA to 20Lts.
1 Can Kit
500gr Med Spraymalt
25gr Simcoe, Chinook, Mosaic, boiled 10 mins, steeped 30 mins.
Yeast in at 22deg. SG 1040
Day 7 Dry Hop Chinook 75gr Leaf, Mosaic 62gr Pellets, Simcoe 35gr Pellets.
One of the best kits I`ve made.
Great Taste, Great smell, etc, etc
FG 1010

WA

I must do this again.
Odd Hop weights are from just emptying the bags! :D

Sent from my Sofa.

aamcle
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Re: I keep getting a weird urge to do a kit.

Post by aamcle » Thu Mar 22, 2018 8:02 am

I've found a supplier for pilsner LME so possibly Coopers European Lager, a can of LME, maybe some steeped grains, hops, lager yeast x 2, Tasty's lager scheduled, a month at 0°C, add a little yeast, bulk prime and bottle.

aamcle

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IPA
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Re: I keep getting a weird urge to do a kit.

Post by IPA » Thu Mar 22, 2018 8:22 am

WalesAles wrote:
Wed Mar 21, 2018 11:28 pm
aamcle wrote:
Wed Mar 21, 2018 5:43 pm
It's the enthusiasm that gets to me, I see lot's of posts "it's great, fantastic , pub quality, flavoursome " and curiosity reaches out and pokes at me.

Can they all be wrong?
aamcle
aam,
Try this Kit Mod.......
Wilko IPA to 20Lts.
1 Can Kit
500gr Med Spraymalt
25gr Simcoe, Chinook, Mosaic, boiled 10 mins, steeped 30 mins.
Yeast in at 22deg. SG 1040
Day 7 Dry Hop Chinook 75gr Leaf, Mosaic 62gr Pellets, Simcoe 35gr Pellets.
One of the best kits I`ve made.
Great Taste, Great smell, etc, etc
FG 1010

WA

I must do this again.
Odd Hop weights are from just emptying the bags! :D

Sent from my Sofa.
Sounds like my previous post. Another variation of "hop soup" =D>
"You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on." Dean Martin

1. Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming... "f*ck, what a trip

It's better to lose time with friends than to lose friends with time (Portuguese proverb)

Alone we travel faster
Together we travel further
( In an admonishing email from our golf club)

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