"Better Brew" Kits

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calumscott

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My LHBS has just posted on Facebook that they've just taken delivery of these.

"They use malt extracts from Europe to America with specific yeast strains for each style. Cleverly packed in pouches."

It seems like they weigh in at 1.8kg in the main, same as a standard one can kit with the exceptions of the IPA and Pils which are 2.1kg. I guess we could be looking at a slightly better "one can" product here? I like the idea that they seem to have different yeasts for each beer style. A common complaint it seems with the others who just supply their "own" yeast with everything.

Anyone brewed any of these?
 
This is the "kit" we start with in the states. They are great kits, and produce very good extract beers. Normally each shop will throw together a "clone kit" of the popular beers in an area. The kit is nothing more than liquid malt extract from drums at the shop that are pre-measured and put into bags. A pre-selected amount of hops are vacuum sealed in foil wrap bags, and a yeast strain is selected for the style of beer the kit is trying to fall into. The yeast is taken from the fridge upon purchase of the kit. Most shops in the states have ceased to carry dark malt extract, and add specialty grains so the brewer has more control over color and flavor instead of relying on just those characters you get from extract. This is not a mini-mash, but rather you steep the grains for 15-20 minutes prior to adding your extract. The kits are designed for brand new brewers who have no experience or even very experienced brewers who want to brew a beer, but only have 2 hours to do dedicate at that time.
 
Found a little more about them on the tinterweb. Seem to be something to do with Hambleton Bard.

Their marketing pitch certainly makes them sound like an attractive proposition, and they're pretty cheap.

So given that I've got a pils, an Admirals Reserve and a porter drinking, the awesome treacle primed Coopers Irish Stout conditioning and a St Peters Ruby Red going in next, I'm thinking the Mild or the Northern Brown...

...or maybe the Yorkshire Bitter...

...or maybe... :hmm:
 
Most of the cheap beer kits are cheap for a reason - bad yeast, plenty of cheap sugar, minimal hop additions...it would be no surprise if they were particularly good!
 
So I decided I needed to try another pilsner for the summer.

To which end I am now in possession of a 2.1kg squidgy bag of Better Brew Czech Pilsner!

Review will follow, of course...
 
I was also looking at these kits. Some are 2.1 kg and spme are 1.8 kg. They have an introductory offer on these kits, knocking a pound off them to £11.99 You could get two of these from my lhbs for the price of a premium kit, which would be 4.2kg of malt extract (if getting the 2.1kg kits) or 3.6 kg (if using 1.8kg kits) compared to the usual 3kg in a premium kit.

Also, the packs of yeast are 10g rather than the usual 6g you get with kits.

RobWalker said:
Most of the cheap beer kits are cheap for a reason - bad yeast, plenty of cheap sugar, minimal hop additions...it would be no surprise if they were particularly good!

The pilsner and one other (which i forget) also contains malted barley, but otherwise there is no sugar addition.

artiums_enteri said:
This is the "kit" we start with in the states.

I think you are mistaken, this is a kit the same as any other UK kit,no hops, no grains, just hopped malt extract and a pack of yeast.

artiums_enteri said:
The yeast is taken from the fridge upon purchase of the kit.

Dream on!
 
I think the idea is a commercialisation of what artiums suggests.

They claim to be a better quality of extract, with the right hopping for the application and the right strain of (dried) yeast to brew it.

So the interesting bit for me I think is how are they producing the extracts?

I understand that there is an industrial chemical process for making malt extract as well as the more beer friendly grain mashing process. Is that what made old school beer kits have that awful homebrew tang?

Anyway, because I'm like that, I'll probably end up having a google about how malt extracts are produced and how wort concentrates are made and try to figure out on what they base their "better" claims...

...that and of course drinking the result of brewing up the pils kit!! :thumb:
 
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