Best VALUE beer kit.. Opinions?

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Came across this budget range, currently on offer: http://www.art-of-brewing.co.uk/acatalog/MasterPint-Pale-Ale-1.6kg-1940.html#SID=9
Unable to find any reviews. Only 1.6kg but apparently brews to a claimed 5% ABV. So possibly contains more sugar & less malt > higher ABV at lower kit weight?

Some times kit manufacttures are a bit optomistic and will say for e.g 5%ABV but based on the yeast's best attenuation when as a home brewer you may not get that. A manufacturer may flat out lie and say you can get a SG of one value when it's in fact really a lower value as they haven't put quite as much wort in the kit

Looking at the above kit I can't see the instructions so I cant see how much water it says to add. You may very well get a 5%ABV beer but you might only be getting 12L of the stuff
 
Yes, it doesn't say, doesit?
I've emailed them out of curiosity but if I were to buy a 'No Frills' kit I think I'd go with the 'Simply' or Wilko kits recommended earlier. The Simply Pale Ale sounds the most promising budget buy so far.

EDIT
Just received email reply; apparently the MasterPint kits are 40 pints..
 
Good stuff, sounds like the yeast are munching away no problem.
Im sure the Youngs had something like 15g in it!
Let us know how the brews turn out.

Will do, I'll post the results here.
But you've got me thinking; if one were to up the yeast to be on the safe side (my preferred way of doing things) would it be ok to add a sachet of something like safale so4 to the kit yeast, or does the whole lot have to be the same strain?
 
I personally think that with kits, you get what you pay for. There are some kits on the market that are well under-priced and some that are well over-priced. Examples from my experience:-
Cheapest/best Value...decent beer...Youngs Harvest Stout
Most expensive...very good beer...Any of the Brewferm range, but finished beer does not justify the price.
JMHO...anything from the Woodefords range...balances cost with quality
 
I personally think that with kits, you get what you pay for. There are some kits on the market that are well under-priced and some that are well over-priced. Examples from my experience:-
Cheapest/best Value...decent beer...Youngs Harvest Stout
Most expensive...very good beer...Any of the Brewferm range, but finished beer does not justify the price.
JMHO...anything from the Woodefords range...balances cost with quality

Johnny ive just accused you of only critising on here,then i saw this post
Apologies from me mate
Decent post
 
Intersesting points about kits. It would be useful to know exactly what's in them and whether, style for style, they're all the same concentration.
E.g.: Evil Dog costs £25 for 40 pints but contains everything you need, including two hop 'tea bags'. That's almost exactly double the price of a 1.8kg single can John Bull IPA kit, two of which would give you 3.6kg of concentrate.
Yet Evil Dog weighs in at a whopping 4.7kg. What might account for the extra 1kg over the 2 X John Bulls? Extra fermentables? Is E D really stronger and/or fuller bodied than John Bull IPA would be if made doubled up with two cans?
I realize I'm over simplifying but it's an interesting thought given that, pint for pint, two can kits tend to cost - and weigh - on average roughly twice as much as single can kits.
I'm actually currently brewing Evil Dog and John Bull, to which (JB) I added 2 kg of fermentables making a total of 3.8kg.(Ikg enhancer, 750g dextrose, 250g Malt Extract).
In case anyone else is interested I'll post my verdict on the results back here when they're eventually ready to drink.

Having had a quick look at the ED kit it comes in at 7%ABV so that accounts for the extra 1KG. The yeast has to be fermenting something to get up to 7% and that something is the extra 1KG of wort. Wort is malt starch converted to sugarsduring the mashing process. Wort is basically sugary water.

The JB kit is designed to be made up with 1kg of fermentables (sugar/DME/LME) and will at a guess come in at about 4%ABV, even if you do two JB's it will probably still come in at around 4%ABV because that extra kit is instead of 'fermentables'. It's a like for like swap - although doing two cans will give you a better result as just using sugar only adds ABV% and thins out a brew and DME ( dried malt extract) begins life as malt extract syrup which is dehydrated and it's reckoned by some that something 'other' must be taken away as well as water during processing thus lowering the quality of the final brew.

So yes the ED will be stronger than two JB kits because of the extra concentrated wort but they will have similar body as they are both made out of concentrated wort rather than one made up of concentrated wort and the other made up of concentrated wort plus sugar.

Whilst filling in the gaps to my knowledge to write this post what is almost certain to be in a kit can and what I have referred to as concentrated wort is malt extract syrup or LME (Liquid malt extract) with hops added to it - the stuff extract brewer use instead of doing the mash themselves
 
"even if you do two JB's it will probably still come in at around 4%ABV because that extra kit is instead of 'fermentables'
Hm, not sure about that. I meant two kits made up to 23l total, i.e. doubling up on the wort. I don't know enough to actually disagree but I can't see how it could remain at 4% ish (or whatever JB IPA is meant to ferment out to) as surely, the extra kit is fermentables.. Isn't it..? :confused:

johnnyboy, excellent stuff. I've been checking out the options based on your advice, will definitely order the Harvest Stout (be very interesting to compare with the Coopers I've just bottled), now debating between Woodefords Nelson's Revenge and St Peter's Ruby Red which is on offer here: http://www.home-brew-online.com/beer-kits-c1/red-ruby-ale-beer-kit-p220
If anyone's interested.
 
Best value kit ive had was wilko's golden ale when it was 50% and got it for £7.50. Best value kit i had at full price was the wherry which at the time was about £15 quid. Don't iv ever had a good tasting beer from coopers one can kit range to be honest so a couple of quid extra for the wherry is a no brainer.
 
"even if you do two JB's it will probably still come in at around 4%ABV because that extra kit is instead of 'fermentables'
Hm, not sure about that. I meant two kits made up to 23l total, i.e. doubling up on the wort. I don't know enough to actually disagree but I can't see how it could remain at 4% ish (or whatever JB IPA is meant to ferment out to) as surely, the extra kit is fermentables.. Isn't it..? :confused:

Yes, two kits is doubling up on the wort but the second kit of a two can kit is instead of using sugar or DME which you would normally add to a 1 can kit. So the amount of 'stuff' for the yeast to ferment for 1can plus 1kg of sugar/DME is roughly the same amount of 'stuff' to ferment in a two can kit

* when i say stuff I mean sugar, but the sugar in wort is a different type of sugar to table sugar or brewing sugar

Edit. Misread what you wrote. But doubleing up on the wort will still only give to 4% (or whatever) as 1 can with nothing added at all made up to 23L will only give you 1-2%ABV so you need to add some thing to make it up to 4%. This may be 1kg of sugar/DME or another kit
 
As to the amount of yeast I look at start temperatures. One site said it too an hour for yeast to double in size so if that is true it makes little difference. But at start the beer temperature is more critical than at finish and add too much yeast and it will start too quickly and the temperature will rise.

So brewing in an old fridge starting at 18.5 degs I get a small rise maybe 19 degs then it settles down so after around 4 days I start to raise the temperature 0.5 deg per day. So at end of week sitting at 20 degs.

But with extra yeast likely I would need to open the fridge door or even switch on fridge for first few days. So if anything I want less yeast to slow up that first few days.
 
Having tried some cheaper kits my definite favourite are the Simply range, Pale Ale, Bitter, Brown Ale and Export stout with the Pale Ale being the best and better than many more expensive kits. I also like John Bull IPA and Tom Caxton Best Bitter but the Tom Caxton Real Ale, brewed short has been undrinkable so far although I am giving it loads more time. Youngs Lager only done once as my first kit and was good after a few weeks in the bottle but not worth going back to. Coopers kits are good although the English Bitter needs conditioning time. Only Wilko Kits I liked was the Mexican Lager and the Light Golden Lager as the Hoppy Cooper and Sweek Newki were bland and disappointing. Geordie Winter warming was really disappointing.

Loved the Muntons Connoisseur Brown ale..really good.
 
I've not been disappointed by any of the one-can kits I've done. Youngs Harvest Bitter and Mild both very nice, Coopers all good, Geordie Mild very pleasant and Geordie Scottish Export (currently conditioning) very promising in early samples.

But the one that surprised me most was the Brewbuddy Bitter (currently £10.50 at Tesco). It was included in a half-price starter kit I picked up in the sales, really just for the spare bucket and other bits, and I thought I may as well put it on anyway but as it looked a bit naff I didn't want to waste DME on it so just did it with Tate & Lyle and forgot about it. Absolutely delicious - was very sorry when I reached the bottom of the barrel.
 
I brewed a John Bull IPA + 1 bag of Youngs Beer enhancer... worked out about 4%, very nice and malty with only subtle hops.
I got it at Tesco in one of the fairly regular 25% off homebrew sales: £13 and free click and collect.
Brewed to full 23l and bottle conditioned with 2/3 teaspoon of basic sugar per bottle (didnt cost for this, as it barely made a dent in my large kgs bag of sugar)....
works out 46 bottles for £13 = 28p per bottle.
Great value and ive had much worse professional bottles! (maybe luck but its delish!)
 
For a value kit I'm thinking of Youngs Harvest Pilsner £8.25, Youngs Beer Enhancer £3.75 (Tesco Sale that's on now) 500g light brown caster sugar £1.00 and 50g of Amarillo hops £2.25. 25g in a tea and 25g dry hop five days before bottling. So that's £15.25 for forty pints, that's about 38p a pint. The beer has a punch on its own but I'm hoping that the Beer enhancer and the hops will bring up the taste and aroma to make it something special, however I'm pretty sure that to turn this into a really special beer it may take the one ingredient that money can't buy and an ingredient seems to be in short supply, especially with me.....Patience. I think that if left for four months in the bottle this could be a very nice beer, I do have it lined up to do as my next brew and if it turns out well I'll add to the kit reviews already posted.
 
Anyone tried the Youngs Yorkshire Bitter kit or Gordie Scottish Export Bitter? Both £8.63 at tescos now in their 25% off sale
 
Hi
I have tried the Geordie Scottish Exoort bitter. It was one of my first brews. It fermented with ease, bottled as clear as a whistle and tasted amazing. I waz very impressed with what is a budget kit. If I remember right I brewed it with DME and granulated sugar. I would definitely recommend ;-)
 
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