the reason

[Hawks]

This is one of my favourite topics for awhile and just wished I had read and jumped in sooner as people have already said so many of the things that I think count...

AG is cheaper I believe, although stainless steel products keep appearing and don't come cheap, but hey this is my hobby so cost is not my main factor and I like investing in it.

Leccie costs me about £2 for 23 litres - grain and hops varies by brew but I reckon an average of £10 for these.

I did a few kits way back in the past ( well about 20 years ago), although I have heard things have come on leaps and bounds I decided when I got back into brewing I wanted to go AG. I spent a lot of time on this forum and a couple of similar ones, built all my own equipment and kept initial costs down.

I have found my highest levels of satisfaction ( and ok, a touch of smugness) have come from AG brews where I have created the recipe myself and gone from there. Cloning other beers and copying other people's recipes is still something I do regularly however and was how I learnt after all. On that note - thanks Wez for Big Kenny, just finished a corny and thats a damned fine beer!! :thumb:

I do tend to ignore kit / extract posts but thats because I know very little about it so don't think I can add much. Maybe I should read and learn instead, certainly keep them in the same place. No fighting required, this post has been fun!!

 

[micoo]

No llannige i dont light a fire in back garden. I boil 2l water in kettle and rinse out cans into fv. Add rest of water room tempature works perfect you should try it sometime. anyway ive tasted quite a few AG brews and most are pretty good. not any better than some 2can kits. I see it as AG brewers just start there hobby a stage sooner than kit brewers .

 

[corby_brewer]

not any better than some 2can kits.

I have to disagree with you there Micoo there isnt a kit on the market that compares to a All Grain beer.

I personly still make kits, be it a 1 can Chepo kit or a 2 can premium kit and the end results are good but are nothing like a beer made from grain.

 

[llannige]

No llannige i dont light a fire in back garden. I boil 2l water in kettle and rinse out cans into fv. Add rest of water room tempature works perfect you should try it sometime. anyway ive tasted quite a few AG brews and most are pretty good. not any better than some 2can kits. I see it as AG brewers just start there hobby a stage sooner than kit brewers .

Started with 2 kits,then 1 extract, next I went to AG as the natural progression.So I've been down that road.

No comparison,so much better and cheaper than kits.

Still whatever floats your boat. :thumb:

 

[Moley]

Ok, I said I would never brew another kit but I have also said that I've never tried a 2-can ‘premium’ kit. It seems unfair to pre-judge.

So I was walking around Wilkinson's yesterday and a Wherry shouted “brew me, brew me” and jumped in my basket - as they tend to do. I will deliver my verdict in a couple of months' time.

 

[micoo]

waytogo moley any more AG brewers like to try a 2 canner. Iam gonna give an AG a go i think....... yes definitely any body got a nice easy recipe for a 20L brew , something dark stouttish

 

[prolix]

Moley I had to brew a kit about 18 months ago as the brewery was under seige from the builders and the beer had run out so brewed a wherry from wilkos as I had remembered them being really good almost pub standard.

I was so disappointed when it was ready, it was almost but not quite unlike my AG.

 

[unclepumble]

Ok, I said I would never brew another kit but I have also said that I've never tried a 2-can ‘premium’ kit. It seems unfair to pre-judge.

So I was walking around Wilkinson's yesterday and a Wherry shouted “brew me, brew me” and jumped in my basket - as they tend to do. I will deliver my verdict in a couple of months' time.

I have brewed many a wherry and used to think they were the dogs knob, hoppy and nice to drink unlike most canned brews, however it is not a patch on any ag brew I have drunk so far, I would like to do a decent WHERRY AG BREW SOON SHOULD I COME ACROSS THE RECIPE.

SHANE :drink:

 

[ilikerossi]

Even if the cost of making home brew was greater than pub prices I would still do it because it makes me happy!
I've enjoyed kits, got 3 Barrels on at the min, but I think there's only so far you can go with them as you're making someone else's recipe and I'm sure fresh wort will taste nicer than condensed. Can't wait to start AG : but any brewing is good brewing :

 

[evanvine]

On the premis that you can't knock it till you've tried it and so that I know what's being talked about.
I am going to get me a Woodford Werry kit to see what it's all about!
I need another keg anyway and I've got a spare slot between now and the 23rd of Jan.

 

[corby_brewer]

I am going to get me a Woodford Werry kit to see what it's all about!

Good on you Jim :thumb:
Ive got 4 bottles and a corni of Werry conditioning as we speak, ill bring you a bottle up on the 23rd Jan.

 

[rickthebrew]

It will be interesting to see how AG brewers find the wherry, it was one of the first kits i brewed and i found it really good, i have one in a keg that has been there since the beginning of August, it was brewed for xmas as i didn`t think i`d have my AG kit ready before next year - however due to some luck on freecycle and really wanting to start AG brewing i started back in october. One thing with the wherry i found is that it takes a good 7 - 8 weeks to clear properly and the yeast sediment can be a bit loose - i found gentle chilling (in the garden on a coolnight :thumb: ) and carefull pouring helps!

I`ll be trying my kegged wherry around xmas eve - so will report my findings, it is a goodpint but after trying my own AG stuff it didn`t seem quite as good as the first time around
I`m tucking into one of my Pacific Gold at the moment and for my first go at AG i`m really happy with it :thumb:

This is a great thread and the disscusion of kits - AG is good to see - but at the end of the day brew what you enjoy to drink :