The Range- Make Your Own Home Brew, IPA Review

[JimmyB78]

I Bought one of these kits in The Range and brewed a few weeks ago. I brewed to instructions with a kg of dextrose, gave it 2 weeks in the fv then bottled. A week in the airing cupboard and then 2 weeks in my nice cool outhouse.

Thought I'd crack a bottle over the weekend to see how it was getting on.

First impressions were good; a nice colour, a good pffft as I opened the bottle, poured nicely with a good head and quite a nice aroma.

It tasted ok, quite hoppy but with a definite 'homebrew taste' but that may mellow with a few more weeks conditioning. It's quite drinkable but that homebrew taste means it is well below the Wherry I did before this.

It may be one that's a good base kit to use with a brew enhancer or dme or something instead of the dextrose.

SG - 1043
FG- 1008
ABV - 4.6%

 

[Andyhull]

Great looking pint looks nice and clear, good head too.

With the addition of sugars (etc) does it not work out around the same price as a 2 can kit?
I remember them not being very cheap!

 

[JimmyB78]

They've reduced most of their kits to £14.99 and then £2 for the dextrose. I've not tried Enhancer/spray malt etc so not sure how much they are but guess it's approaching the 2 can kit cost.

If i do a kit again I'll just get a 2 can one as the Wherry I did is a very nice pint rather than just drinkable.

 

[bigsteve1911]

Thanks for posting this, I've just bottled my IPA and as it's my first ever homebrew beer i wasn't sure what to expect!

Hope it turns out looking as good as your pint does here :-)

Steve

 

[Antrog65]

Looks pretty good. Did the head stay down the glass?

 

[bigsteve1911]

Looks pretty good. Did the head stay down the glass?

If I can answer this on behalf of the OP, then - yes it did!

It's definitely mellowed over the last few weeks, and is now a nice drinkable beer.

Looking forward to making my next brew - not sure what to do though!

 

[Monkeybrew]

Looks pretty good. Did the head stay down the glass?

Looking forward to making my next brew - not sure what to do though!

Can I recommend 1 can coopers stout, 1 kg med DME, 1 large mug brown sugar.

Just did this recipe (famous on another forum), brewed out in 10 days, drinking great in twenty.

 

[hopin mad]

I like these kits, although the lager is a bit insipid.
my favorite way is to a bag of youngs beer enhancer and about 500 gms of dextrose, this should have about 8.5% alcohol when finished, let it sit for a while before drinking

 

[Moley]

I'm curious about these kits which come in strong plastic pouches and wonder if they are the Better Brew kits with different printing.

Has anyone still got the packaging, and does it say Hambleton Bard anywhere in the small print?

 

[JimmyB78]

Apologies, I'd missed that there'd been questions in this thread!

The head lasted as far down the glass as I got before giving up and tipping it down the sink I've tried a few of them but they all have a nasty taste to them, the rest of the batch is being tipped away later today to make room for a wherry. I'll have a final taste just to make sure before they go just to check again.

However I don't think it's down to being a bad kit. I don't think it got infected as it isn't that kind of taste and i'm pretty scrupulous with my cleaning/sterilising, I used a non rinse steriliser so it isn't that. the only thing I can put it down to is that it was too hot when it was fermenting. It was during the olympics and was regularly getting up to about 28 indoors so think it could that (fusel alcohol??)

Moley - I had a good look at the packet to see if it was Hambleton Bard at the time of brewing, there wasn't anything on it to suggest it was made by them. Seem to remember it just had 'Made for the Range'. The pouch is slightly different to the BB ones in that it has a double pocket inside with the malt in one pocket then the instructions and yeast in the other. From what I remember the BB ones were single pocket with the yeast taped to the bottom.

 

[robieelliott]

ive just kegged one of these up, i fermented with an additional 500g dark Muscovado sugar. couldn't resist having a few jar's with a friend. its a little too hoppy at first but definitely my best brew to date (of the three I have done)!

 

[CaptainMallard]

I'm curious about these kits which come in strong plastic pouches and wonder if they are the Better Brew kits with different printing.

Has anyone still got the packaging, and does it say Hambleton Bard anywhere in the small print?

They don't say "Hambleton Bard", but when I contacted them, they told me they are the same as the Better Brew kits.

They've started including a small pack of hops which you add 7 days in. Unfortunately, that meant my IPA had some hops floating in it, but it was still one of my better brews.

 

[hopin mad]

I have recently had 2 of these kits not clear, they retain a slight haze. but having said that still taste good and the haze has no effect on taste. wonder if short cuts are being taken in manufacture.

 

[Daza1604]

I've just started this kit after my youngs ipa (first ever brew failed)

12 yours in and it's bubbling away. My youngs took 4 days to get started which is where I think the problems were last time. Will update over he next week as to how it goes

 

[Daza1604]

After some advice is possible

Reached botteling stage on my brew and just wondering what people opinions are as to the taste at this stage. I've read reviews of many kits where at this stage the beer tastes nice.

I'm tasting this and it does have a hint of an ipa beer it's really not that great. I'm trying to imagine a cold fizzy version of what I'm tasting and I don't know if that's going to change it enough to make he beer any better

 

[Covrich]

Well It will depend from kit to kit.. That is the thing about kits, I think they can be a little inconsistent in results from brand to brand.. and well sometimes even teh same brand can vary if they are older.

Do you think possibly that it may have the home brew twang? does twang sound like a fitting word??

Unless they are dry hopped I don't find many kits done straight that hoppy if that's also what you mean..

 

[Daza1604]

Hi sorry I didn't mention the kit came with dry hops. I'm very new to the world of home brew but like I say the liquid does have a beer like taste but not a great after taste

 

[Mbanyard]

I really liked the ranges IPA kit, the late hop pellets addition gave it a real intense hop flavour. More like an American craft IPA.

Would definitely do it again

I brewed for 7 days

 

[sdt7618]

Bottled mine up last night, after 15 days in the FV with the last 7 being dry hopped with the supplied hops in a small muslin.

Tasted alright, though not great from what I got when siphoning. hoping it clears up ok as was very cloudy when bottling but that could have been me moving the FV to the sink.

will let you know how it goes in the coming months when I finally crack the first of it.

 

[Mbanyard]

I found with this one a few weeks of aging was good - but if left a long time the hop flavours fell off quickly.