Boiling Kit beer?

[Chard]

I read on the internet that a good way to improve a kit beer was to dilute the canned malt extract a bit and boil in a stockpot on the stove. the idea being that, like when brewing AG, you get a hot break. also a good oppertunity to add flavour/aroma hops without dryhopping or making hop tea.

now ive always made my kits by just adding boiling water to rinse out the can but this intrigued me.

has anyone tried it or looked into it?

[EoinMag]

I'd suggest that if you do it, you might as well go straight to extract as you will have to add the hops back somehow as from what I understand boiling the extract would drive off the hops that are in it.
So either kits or extract, people generally say that extract beats kits, so if you boil you may as well do it with straight liquid extract as waste the hops that were put into the kit extract only to have to readd them.

[Barm]

yeh - that's rubbish: the hot break has already been done - prior to the extract being condensed and canned!
The point about driving off hop oils is true though - and another reason not to boil. Coopers recommend (in their kit instructions) not to boil for exactly this reason.

[jubby]

Woodforde's brewery used to send an information sheet on request, which gave tips on how to improve the kit. One of those tips was to boil for 20 mins and add hops to steep or towards the end of the boil. I used to do it and i don't think it made any difference except for the hop addition which you can do without boiling. Just steep hops in hot water for 20 mins and add to the brew. As EoinMag says, you might as well go extract, although it may end up more expensive.

I would buy some hops; Goldings for darker beers and Cascade for light beers (that's just my taste) and steep 50g for 20 mins and strain into the mix. In my limited experience with kits, this proved the best.