First ever kit beer

[tatlock]

Hi Gents,
Gonna do my first ever kit beer soon.
I have been reading this section of the forum for a while now and it seems like the coopers kits are the ones to go for.
Just to check i need to add 1kg of spray dried malt to the kit?
I wanna make sure thats all i need to order.
Fed up with spending hours doing all grain and hoping i can get a good beer with minimum effort.
Let me know if this is all i need.
Cheers
Gaz

[trucker5774]

Hi Gaz, yep! 1 kg of spray malt should do it. There will be so many opinions on this, that it comes down to try it and alter it next time. Most will say avoid white household sugar. After that, most combinations of spray malt and glucose (brewing sugar), up to a total around 1 kg will do it. I tend to use anything from 500g to 750g of spray malt and make up the balance with glucose, depending on the desired strength. (see my post BASICS EXPLAINED) Cheers John.

[Scotty]

Hi Gaz,

Yeah, Coopers kits in my experience are by far the best 'budget' kits to go for. Adding spray malt will make a difference over normal sugar.

As for all grain over kits, AG is by far superior to beer kits but you may well find a kit and sugar combo that you enjoy with minimal fuss. I am converting to AG soon but I will be doing the odd Coopers kit now and again.

[PureGuiness]

Once you've paid the extra for the Spraymalt you end up pretty close to the price of a Premium 3kg kit anyway. I've done about 4 3kg (2 x Woodfordes and 2x Brupaks) kits and about 3 budget kits and would now go for the 3kg kits every time.

[rollin danny]

Ive got aWoodfordes Wherry coditioning in a king keg down the cellar. Had a sneaky taste Bloody gorgeous!.I dont think you can beat these kits for quality and value especially if you get them from Wilko's for £14.99.I swopped the yeast for a pack of Coopers and got 1.012 fg.When it go's right its nectar.

[Scotty]

Ive got aWoodfordes Wherry coditioning in a king keg down the cellar. Had a sneaky taste Bloody gorgeous!.I dont think you can beat these kits for quality and value especially if you get them from Wilko's for £14.99.I swopped the yeast for a pack of Coopers and got 1.012 fg.When it go's right its nectar.

True, but it's more likely to go wrong though!

[tatlock]

i was gonna go for a 3 kg kit in the first place but read so much on here about stuck fermentations it put me off!
Cost is not that important to me i want quality with little effort!
quite happy to spend up to 25 on a kit(including post) if it is going to deliver.
too much choice!!!

[lollypopp]

Having done both a couple of times, For me it's always going to be the one tin kits, with the kilo of spray malt, works out the same price as the twin kit anyway! and coopers seem to be great, and hit the spot everytime, the stout can be a bugg er, but I haven't done that one with spray malt, only brewers sugar, but have to say! tastes lovely!!!

[trucker5774]

Hi Gaz. Sounds like the Woodfordes Whery could be a good option for you. If youve been doing AG, you must be spetty clued up on the whole process. A few simple changes to a kit or making up from extract is almost as "instant" There are plenty of recipes which just involve boiling some of those hop thingies and some sweet stuff........maybe some cereals (not sugar puffs). It's only another 30 mins and its something to do will waiting for the sterilising to take effect and the yeast to rehydrate, as the kit can is warming in hot water!

[tatlock]

Whilst away on holiday last week i came across a shop selling a few homebrew bits.They had a muntons gold highland heavy kit for just under £20 so i got that.
Gonna do 1 can on its own and start experimenting with additions over the next few weeks and see if i can get a decent beer.

[trucker5774]

Hi Gaz.............funny you should move away from AG as I'm thinking of giving it a go! It will be interesting to see how you get on with this "split kit". Are you going to half the volume or bulk it up with other "sugars" Sounds like it may be on the edge of extract brewing.

[tatlock]

I was going to do 2 demis with the one can to start,(16 pints),see how it comes out and go from there.
It was after doing a few turbo ciders recently that I thought i would give kits a go for the first time.
It was such a quick and easy process! i think i may be getting lazy in my old age!!!

[Gill]

Hi Gents

I'm a gent? Wow, that's news.

Just wanted to say welcome, and that like trucker I'm aspiring to eventually go AG while you're coming the other way! Though I'm a total newbie, I've read great things about the Coopers, Woodeford's and Brupaks kits (my next two brews are Brupaks, a Fixby Gold and then a Dry Irish Stout).

Really friendly lot here, I'm having a whale of a time.

Gill.

[Toiletbrewer]

kit brewing is so simple,

I've started using LME and candy sugar, works really well. Spray malt is bloody expensive.

[Mogwyth]

kit brewing is so simple,

I've started using LME and candy sugar, works really well. Spray malt is bloody expensive.

Not sure I agree take one coopers kit add 1kg of fermentables.

Spray Malt-------45p a pint total cost
BKE---------------39p a pint total cost
Brewing Sugar---36p a pint total cost.
Gran. Sugar-----28p a pint total cost

To my mind the improvement with spray malt is definitely worth the small amount extra IMHO. The only time I don't use SM is in Belgium beers where candy sugar is an essential ingredient. As far as I am aware candy sugar is not normally an ingredient associated with British ales.