Which Kit next?

Discuss making up beer kits - the simplest way to brew.
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IanRMartin

Which Kit next?

Post by IanRMartin » Wed Aug 23, 2006 8:47 pm

Hi Guys,
Now i have a dual reg and another corny from norm i want to get started on filling it!
Especially as i just picked up my corny with the Brupaks Honely Mild in and it was upsettingly light :o
Here is my scruffy corny setup which i hope to find a fridge for at some point, probably when the wife has forgiven me for speeding so much money just up to this point ;)
Image

Here is a rather poor selection of beers i have had in the last 6 months or so, ignoring most pub stuff.
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Out of these the only one i really didn't like was the Coniston Bluebird bitter :out , Not sure what it was that i don't like, I think it was to hoppy :(

My first kit I have brewed was the honley mild i'm suping at the moment and really enjoying but to be a bit critical it is a little too mild, I did only boil the hop tea bag for the minimum time of 10mins.

So down to it, what kit would you recommend i do next bearing some of the above in mind.

Thanks, looking forward to your recommendations.

Ian

Vossy1

Post by Vossy1 » Wed Aug 23, 2006 9:44 pm

Just done the Woodforde's Nelsons Revenge and it's very good B)
Its got more body than the Fixby Gold.

Vossy1

Post by Vossy1 » Wed Aug 23, 2006 10:56 pm

You read my mind DaaB, I've got a Brewers Choice IPA, option 3 spray malt, waiting to be done in the kitchen B)

mysterio

Post by mysterio » Wed Aug 23, 2006 11:06 pm

Coopers IPA is great, as is their Bavarian lager.

EDIT: Just noticed you don't like hops, you'll probably want to stay away from the IPA then :rolleyes:

IanRMartin

Post by IanRMartin » Thu Aug 24, 2006 11:54 am

QUOTE (Vossy1 @ Aug 23 2006, 09:44 PM)Just done the Woodforde's Nelsons Revenge and it's very good  B)
Its got more body than the Fixby Gold.
What sort of beers are they?
and is it Woodforde's Fixby Gold or another make?

Cheers

IanRMartin

Post by IanRMartin » Thu Aug 24, 2006 12:02 pm

QUOTE (Daft as a Brush @ Aug 23 2006, 10:02 PM)My two favorite manufacturers are the Coopers and Brupaks. Why not give the Brupaks brewers choice range a go. Its based on spray malt with a hop tea bag and also a grain tea bag for added flavor. They require the addition of 1kg of spray or 1.5 kg of liquid malt extract, as the base is spray malt, i'd use Brupaks unhopped pale liquid malt extract.

http://www.hopandgrape.co.uk/admin/cata ... e=0&page=1

Here's a couple of lightly hopped beers. I've tried the Weisbier and while it wasnt hoppy enough for my palett it was still as good as a commercial beer.

Brupaks BLACK COUNTRY MILD
   
A dark Mild in the West Midlands style. The rich chocolate malt flavour is balanced by the characteristic taste and aroma of the classic Fuggles hop. O.G.1.040 - 1.045. (For a lighter brew O.G. 1032 - 1034, reduce the sugar/malt addition by one half).

Brupaks BAVARIAN WEISSBIER
   
The low hop rate and the use of a bottom fermenting yeast allow the distinctive wheat flavour to come to the fore. The mixture of wheat and barley malts give this beer a sweet flavour with a slightly tart finish. To keep the wheat/barley ratio correct, choices 2 and 3 only are recommended. O.G. 1.048 - 1.054

Alternatively there's the Coopers range, avoid the IPA if you dont like hoppy beers, they are well described though to help you choose. You could use 1kg of light spray malt to make these kits up or even 500g spray malt plus 300g brewers sugar for a lighter taste. 
http://www.hopandgrape.co.uk/admin/cata ... e=0&page=1
Let us know what you go for in the end.  :D
Forgive my Ineptitude, so these Brupaks brewers choice range don't come with cans of malt, you have to purchase this seperatly but it needs to be unhopped as the hops are in the kit.
This is the first i've seen of these I think i need to do a bit of reading on this type of kit, am i correct in saying its closer to extract brewing than kit brewing??

IanRMartin

Post by IanRMartin » Thu Aug 24, 2006 12:05 pm

QUOTE (mysterio @ Aug 23 2006, 11:06 PM)Coopers IPA is great, as is their Bavarian lager.

EDIT: Just noticed you don't like hops, you'll probably want to stay away from the IPA then  :rolleyes:
I think i have realised IPA's are not to my taste :( at the moment, but i have noticed others mention as they get into homebrew there tastes can change a bit, with a trend from malty beers to hoppy beers.
Who knows in a couple of years :rolleyes:

IanRMartin

Post by IanRMartin » Thu Aug 24, 2006 8:09 pm

QUOTE (Daft as a Brush @ Aug 24 2006, 08:00 PM) The kit is a big bag of hopped spray malt with a grain tea bag and hop tea bag for a fresher flavour. Like a single tin kit you need to add extra fermentables, the idea though is that its your choice (hence brewers choice) you either add brewers sugar, more spray malt or LME. Personaly i'd go for the LME. I mainy suggested them as I figured you didnt like hoppy beers and there were a couple of lightly hopped beers in the range :)
So is there alot of boiling involved? (With the hop and grain bag and all the spray malt)
Compared to your instructions with the pride of yorkshire kits that is!

I enjoyed doing the honley mild kit and was very tempted to do the linthwait light or the birkby bitter of the same type of kit.

Cheers for your input on this Daab

Vossy1

Post by Vossy1 » Thu Aug 24, 2006 10:46 pm

IRM pm me your e-mail and I'll send you a scan of the brewers choice instructions B)

IanRMartin

Post by IanRMartin » Fri Aug 25, 2006 1:08 pm

I have decided to go for The Brupaks "LINTHWAITE LIGHT" from the Pride of yorkshire range.

I do like the look of the brewers choice range but it does work out a bit more expensive compared to the other range especailly using options 2 or 3 which would be the only ones i would consider.

Also out of the brewers choice range the only two i think i will like are the blackcounty Mild (seening as i've still got a mild on the go i don't want to do this one) and the BAVARIAN WEISSBIER which at £16.50 just for the kit plus £7.25 for the liquid malt £23.75 :o compared to £16.49 all in for the linthwaite light, its just a little to expensive for me at the moment.

I am hoping though that what mild i have left plus this brew will take me nicley upto some cooler weather when i fancy having ago at a larger, probably the brewers choise Premium larger.

Ian

Vossy1

Post by Vossy1 » Sat Aug 26, 2006 7:28 am

Hi IRM, The Linthwaite Lite was the kit that I lost in secondary. Up to this point though it was looking to be as good as the Brupaks Fixby Gold.
It did however have a more pronounced hoppy aroma than the Fixby Gold.
I don't think you can go wrong with the Brupaks kits they are very good quality.

I've got the Brupaks Almondbury Ale going into secondary today. I'll report back when the trial sample has been tested ;)

The Woodforde's Nelsons Revenge is described as a premium ale @5%. It is definately heading toward the strong ale side of things. Not that hoppy, ie, less hop aroma than the Brupaks Fixby Gold but more malt taste.
I had some of this again last night and it's getting better all the time.

I can tell when the beers getting toward my taste when the wife says...that not as nice as it was....I don't like it anymore....hooray :lol: more for me

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