Finlandia Traditional Ale

[Bevvied]

I thought I'd give this little kit a go, for curiosity sake really.
Not much to be found online at all about it, so thought I'd share my adventures along the way.
It's a 1KG kit. The destructions come with projected ABV for brew lengths of 15L and 20L (5.6% and 4.3%) if using 1KG of sugar. Not sure how realistic those are, but, as I want a lowish ABV session brew, I've gone for 18L and used a 1.5KG can of LME.
If you come across this kit online, some of the kit descriptions, mention using 600G of sugar. Or say it's a 16 Litre kit, or a 32 pint kit. Nowhere on the actual kit instructions does it say anything other than brew lengths of 15-20 Litres and using 1KG sugar. On the can label itself, it's clearly marked as a 20L kit.
I'll pop back in a couple of weeks time, come bottling time, with an FG.

Used
The Kit
http://www.thehomebrewcompany.co.uk/finlandia-traditional-ale-10kg-32-pints-p-1145.html
The LME 1.5KG
http://www.thehomebrewcompany.co.uk/light-premium-liquid-malt-extract-15kg-p-2284.html
Wilko ale yeast, as I've been bought half a dozen packets.

Pitched at 21C
18L
OG 1042
In water bath at a steady 20C

Apologies for poor pic quality, I ain't no Dave Bailey and my phone camera is naff.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I thought I'd give this little kit a go, for curiosity sake really.

At £5:45 for 32 pints you've not lost much if it turns out awful.

 

[Bevvied]

It could be worse than awful and my son will still neck it if I don't like it!
It seems a great bargain, about a tenner all-in, with the LME as well.
I'm hoping it's OK obviously. I'm happy for the most part to have my Stout, but It'd be nice to have a house ale available too.

 

[H0PM0NSTER]

Looking forward to hearing how it comes out. There's very little on the forums about Finlandia kits.

 

[LarryF]

Beer Enhancer and a hop tea could make it a very palatable beer. It'll be interesting to see how it comes out with the LME.

 

[Bevvied]

Still seeing airlock activity chaps, been a slow and steady fermentation this.
Will update as and when.

 

[Bevvied]

Actually Larry, I'm hoping this is OK as it stands, as I'll then be able to use the kit & LME again and again for hop experimentation. I'm clueless regarding hops so hopefully will be able to test the waters with this kit. It might take me a year to find what I prefer, but I'm in no rush.

 

[Slid]

I have never tried the 1kg kits, but have used the very cheap1.5kg cans of Malt Extract from HBC and they were fine.

At18L, I would think this should be fairly palatable, and a good base for a hop tea or dry hop experiment, when feeling adventurous.:thumb:

 

[Bevvied]

Just took a gravity reading and currently sitting at 1010.
I'll take another reading on Saturday and if the same, get this into bottles and a couple of supermarket 5L kegs.
Taster from the trial tube was just as I hoped. A light ale, smells and tastes OK.
Looking forward to seeing how this develops in the bottle.

 

[Bevvied]

Mmmm, currently sitting at 1009, defo lower than 1010 anyways.
Back In a day or two!

 

[Bevvied]

Gonna get this in kegs and bottles this afternoon, seems to have finished at 1009. Don't know if it's the yeast or 15/16 days in the FV, but it's very clear.
Taster from trial tube doodar was OK, nothing off, so good to go.
Will update in the kit review section proper, with some pics, in about a month when I get around to trying it.

 

[clibit]

Sounds like a simple base kit that could be adapted in all sorts of ways.

 

[sdt7618]

Well just bought two of these as par of another order, for 4:36 each!! think i could pop both into an 33l fv and brew to 30l. however after reading here will wait until they arrive and might brew them seperatly one as per instruction the other with a 500g medium spray malt and some challenger hops I have kicking about to make a tea and dry hop.

Can't beat 30l of beer for the price. even with the malt and hops etc it will still be about 20p per pint!

 

[sdt7618]

Popped this on tonight, set of at 17l of og 1.040. With 1kg of brewing sugar.