Muntons Premium Gold Smugglers Special Ale

[troublebrewing]

Well, this is the one I have plumped for, thanks to others who said I should try malt only kit, rather than the onesupplied with the bin and barrell and bits I have bought.

Has anyone any particular recommendations for this kit? Other than 'it's the worst product on the market' type of replies, of course!

[Andy]

Nice one, looks like a good choice.

Lots of people have had good success with Brupaks 3kg kits for future reference....

In the meantime check out DaaB's instructions for 3kg kits.

http://www.18000feet.com/brupaks/my_met ... s_kits.htm

[troublebrewing]

So in about four week's time I could be joining you all for a beer! Yippee!

[DRB]

I've made that kit it came out cr**p, and threw most of it ,34pt away, I had a chemically taste to it probably due to not treating the water ,so make sure you either filter or use half a crushed campden tablet to 25lt of water,theen i'm sure it will be a very good beer.

[troublebrewing]

I have access to 100% purified water (RO), so could I use that? Perhaps if I mixed together some purified water with basic hard water to make something akin to water from a soft water area this would help?

Or is the only way to use campden tablets?

[Seveneer]

I've brewed for 20 years and have never treated the water. I don't think this is your problem necessarilly, DRB.

/Phil.

[oxford brewer]

I have brewed that kit once before,and me and a few friends will tell you it is a rather drinkable ale,well it WAS a rather drinkable ale as we motored through most of the keg in a night

Brew on TB(my first few kits had there downsides,but in all fairness it was my lack of knowledge that was the problem,make sure you dont let the fermenting temp get to high,infact get a stick on thermometer )

Colin

[DRB]

I took a bottle down to the LHBS for them to taste Phil,and he tasted it and said that it tastes like what you'd have if you've got to much chlorine going on,so I took it on face value what he said, as i'm no expert.I cleaned and sanitsed everything thoroughly so I wouldn't think it was thatonly other thing that I can think of is perhaps the fermenting temperature rose to high at some point,as I did do it in the summer,but all in all, I would treat all water in future as there's nothing worse than doing and waiting for a brew for weeks and then tasting and it turned out rubbish,any little thing that helps the brew can only be good.

[BlightyBrewer]

I agree with DRB. I used to have this problem with my ales. The first kit I made, I used Buxton bottled water (it turned out great), but then I started using tap water and it tasted cr*p (medicinal taste). As soon as I started filtering the water (and adding 1/2 crushed campden tablet - I was very paranoid), the medicinal taste disappeared.

[troublebrewing]

Has anyone used RO water for brewing, then?

[Seveneer]

DRB, if you have high levels of chlorine then of course you need to treat it but my point was that I, like most people in the UK, don't need to bother.

/Phil.

[Seveneer]

Has anyone used RO water for brewing, then?

There's a thread at the moment in the "Brewing Liquor" section that might help you.

/Phil.

[troublebrewing]

I'll take a look. ta.

[DRB]

[/quote]but my point was that I, like most people in the UK, don't need to bother.


Phil I cant believe that you really,really ,really know that most of the people in the UK don't need to treat their water .You must be a very sociable fella and have lots of time on your hands .

[Andy]

I don't know whether this is a trend or just in my area but the chlorine levels in my tap water have really been reduced in the last year or so. I could always smell the chlorine in freshly poured water and used to bung it through a Britta filter before drinking. But now I can't smell/taste any chlorine and just drink the stuff direct from the tap.....

For brewing I still use a POU carbon filter but might not bother replacing it when the current filter goes off.