Kit taste vs Extract

[badgerdan]

This is kind of a kit question but as I'm about to go into extract brewing I've put it here.

Basically I've tried Coopers Dark Ale, Real Ale, Draught and Lager plus some other Mexican Cervaza style beer but all of them, even after a very long time in the bottles pretty much taste the same with the only difference being the dark ale having 'that taste' a little stronger and the Lager not as strong. Plus the Cervaza lager tastes exactly like the Real Ale and nothing like a real Cervaza.

Basically is that a 'kit' type tastse or homebrew taste and when I move to Extract is the quality and taste going to vastly improve, or is that only really with AG?

I only have the time for Extract but it costs alot to have the ingredients delivered here (no hbs anywhere close) so am hoping extract really does have an improved taste compaired to the kit beers.

[RichardG]

Chris does have a point, but one I believe can be mitigated by using the freshest extract you can get. I have also seen comments to the effect that extract 'twang' is less of an issue with DME, but I'm not sure of the validity of that. Having said that, I started using kits and have now switched to extract. personally I find the results of the later much better (but that's just my opinion; you should make you own judgement) than I did with kits, good enough though some of these were. Ultimately I want to get to AG, but for reasons to dull to mention here, it'll be some time before I can. Meanwhile, I've been pleased with what I've achieved using extract and see no reason to go back to kits.

[badgerdan]

Yeah I heard DME seem to be a little better than LME and it's also better for me postage wise so I'm definately going to try extract brewing.

I'm just a little dissapointed with all the make, styles and fancy labels out there but from what I've tasted so far with kits is that there really isn't that much of a diference between them.

Just seems to be just like a t-bag. Same taste but each 'style' only represents how long you've brewed that t-bag for.

I'm going to buy enough ingrediants for a Pale Ale and a Brown Ale and see how they turn out

[RichardG]

I wouldn't want to knock kits, it's a great way to get started and each of the ones I did were perfectly drinkable; indeed the first one I did, Woodefordes Wherry, was very nice. But with each of the others there was always 'something' missing. After 6 kits I decided to try adapting one to something that better suited my tastes (a Coopers Draught in this case), and it was very successful. But, it left me wondering, given all the hop boiling etc, why I hadn't just gone extract anyway, so that's what I've done! I've enjoyed it and would certainly recommend it as the next logical step.

[Waffty]

As a halfway house, why not try the Brupaks pride of Yorkshire range of kits, as they combine the conveience of a kit but with the added customisation of having a 'flavour' pack, by way of a steep/boilable 'tea bag' for want of a better discription.

You make the kit as normal but either boil the tea bag for additional bitterness or steep if for additonal flavour/aroma.

On the subject of aroma, that is deffo one of the things I noticed when brewing by extract i.e you get more aroma, not sure if this lost in the kit making process but even, then you could buy a small bag of hops to dry hop your kit beer. I did this with a Woodfordes Nelsons revenge to make an excellent brew.

So in short, if your happy to eat packet meals (kits), then why not by the same token, if you like experimenting with ingrediants (extract/AG), then why not ?

As for me, I'm up to extract brew number 4 but would be more than happy to buy a Brewferms, Woodfordes, Brupaks or Coopers kit. On that note my next brew is likely to be a Coopers Lager, which I will customise with some Saaz hops both in a mini boil & to add additional aroma

[OldSpeckledBadger]

I'm sure the act of turning a hopped wort into a kit must lose some of the flavours. Now I've got a big stock pot I'm going to start extract brewing again.

[stega]

I`m interested in this question as i`ve done a few extract brews after a year of gettin through many of the kits.
I`m not knocking kits as they`re a great easy way of getting started in homebrewing.
To answer the question i`ve found the difference in extract to kits huge. With extract you lose the twang that you get with most of the kits and you get a fresh hop taste that you get in a pub pulled pint. I think it must be the hop extract that gives the twang which isnt in the unhopped malt.
I`ve done a few clone recipes. speckled hen, marstons pedigree, timothy taylor landlord. All of them even ones with a lot of sugar have been better than any of the kits. To be honest there`s not much difference between a good extract pint and my mates all grain. Some people talk of an extract twang but its not something i`ve noticed.

[WishboneBrewery]

Just seems to be just like a t-bag. Same taste but each 'style' only represents how long you've brewed that t-bag for.

Totally off topic... but!
I'd beg to differ, some tea is rough as yer badgers arse while others are smooth...
Then there's the stuff that I buy for weekend mornings that is nothing like the bull you buy from a supermarket, finest Chinese tea with weird names that unfurl into the original tea leaves.

[Parva]

I went the AG route (sorry, I know I shouldn't). My dad swore by the Geordie kits and whilst I did AG brews he did a Geordie Bitter and a Geordie Best Yorkshire Bitter kit and I treated these to my usual cornie treatment. Result, both Geordie's look absolutely superb in the glass, totally crystal clear. Unfortunately, they taste s**t, mega homebrew twang.

He argues the toss everytime he comes up here and has a pint of his Geordie but never objects when I switch to my AG! I know that extract brewing isn't full AG brewing and I'm not trying to say that kit brewing doesn't have its place (can be done in 30 minutes) but if I didn't have the gear to do AG I'd definitely do extract over kits.