Get 'er brewed - Craft a Beer Kits

[chuff76]

Hello

I searched but couldnt find another thread about these which was surprising as (to me at least) it sounds like a brilliant idea and I might give it a go. Has anyone else tried them yet?

I want to make my own in the style of an American IPA, but am not sure which yeast I should go for. Also, the flavours and spicings - Do people actually use these or is it just a fad?

You get to create your own kit and choose the individual components:

[FONT=&quot]3Kg Malt Extract:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Light Liquid Malt Extract[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Amber Liquid Malt Extract[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Dark Liquid Malt Extract[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Wheat Liquid Malt Extract[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Hop Bitterness [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]0-30-60-90[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Hop Selection[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Please Select Up To 3[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Admiral [ £ 1.10 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Amarillo [ £ 1.25 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Aurora (Super Styrian) [ £ 1.10 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Celcia (Styrian Goldings) [ £ 1.10 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Centennial [ £ 1.25 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Chinook [ £ 1.25 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Citra [ £ 1.35 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Columbus [ £ 1.25 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]East Kent Goldings [ £ 1.10 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Fuggles [ £ 1.10 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Falconers Flight 7 c’s [ £ 1.25 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Falconers Flight [ £ 1.25 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Hull Melon [ £ 1.25 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Motueka [ £ 1.25 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Nelson Sauvin NZ [ £ 1.35 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Palisade [ £ 1.25 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Polaris [ £ 1.25 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Northern Brewer [ £ 1.10 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Magnum [ £ 1.10 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Nugget [ £ 1.10 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Simcoe [ £ 1.25 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Sterling [ £ 1.10 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Strisselspalt [ £ 1.10 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Sorachi Ace [ £ 1.25 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Summit [ £ 1.10 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Sylva [ £ 1.10 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Target [ £ 1.10 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Tettnang [ £ 1.10 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Topaz [ £ 1.10 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Mosaic [ £ 1.25 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Warrior [ £ 1.10 ][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Whitbread Goldings [ £ 1.10 ][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Yeast Selection[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Please Select Your "Dried"[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Mangroves Jack M07 British Ale [ £ 2.25 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Mangroves Jack M03 Newcastle Dark Ale [ £ 3.35 ] Mangroves Jack MU10 Workhorse Beer [ £ 2.25 ] Mangroves Jack M84 Bohemian Lager [ £ 3.25 ] Mangroves Jack M20 Bavarian Wheat [ £ 2.95 ] Mangroves Jack M27 Belgian Ale [ £ 2.75 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Mangroves Jack M44 West Coast [ £ 2.35 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Gervin GV12 [ £ 1.75 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Mangroves Jack M79 Burton Union [ £ 2.25 ] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Fermentis S-04 [ £ 2.35 ] Fermentis US-05 [ £ 2.35 ] Fermentis S-33 [ £ 1.68 ] Fermentis T-58 [ £ 2.00 ] Fermentis WB-06 [ £ 2.89 ] Fermentis S-23 [ £ 3.31 ][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Please Select Your "Liquid"[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Recommended Wyeast (Please add Wyeast Number in comments below) [ £ 6.75 ][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Flavouring & Spices[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Please Select "Flavouring & Spices"[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]None [ £ 0.00 ] Ginger Root (Chopped) [ £ 1.12 ] Coriander Seeds [ £ 0.90 ] Lemon Peel [ £ 1.32 ] Sweet Woodruff [ £ 1.34 ] Elecampane [ £ 1.40 ] Cumin Seeds [ £ 1.45 ] Jasmine Flower [ £ 1.48 ] Sweet Liquorise Extract Pastilles [ £ 1.49 ] Anise Pimpella [ £ 1.50 ] Cinnamon Powder [ £ 1.50 ] Angelica Root [ £ 1.52 ] Juniper Berries [ £ 1.55 ] Clove [ £ 1.55 ] Heather Flower [ £ 1.57 ] Matricaria [ £ 1.59 ] Red Sorrel Flower [ £ 1.62 ] Bitter Orange Peel (Chopped) [ £ 1.65 ] Sweet Orange Peel (Chopped) [ £ 1.65 ] Grains of Paradise [ £ 1.97 ] Curacao Orange Peel [ £ 2.00 ] Cardamon Pods [ £ 2.00 ] Lemon Verbena Leaf (Chopped) [ £ 2.16 ] Star Anise (Whole) [ £ 3.04 ][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
Cheers
Chuff

 

[timcunnell]

There was a bit of discussion about these kits last week on a different thread because I think Get 'er brewed were running a comp to win a kit - and I inadvertently had seemed to have bought a kit for 1p! (I got an email from them saying there had been a problem with my order, and I have heard nothing since!).

I think the kits are a fairly good idea, but limited by the fact that they don't include any grains which would really add an extra dimension. Either way I guess you are going to need a large pot or other means of boiling your liquid, as using hops requires a boil (usually for an hour). If you're aiming to make something like a fairly standard 23 litre batch you can boil more like 12 litres with the malt and hops, and top up with cold water.

 

[chuff76]

Hi Tim

I'll try to hunt down that thread and catch up with the gossip.

Regarding the method for the kit, I think it's very similar to a normal kit from reading the instructions, the only variation I can see is after topping up to 23 litres it says:

"add your isomerised hop solution, this adds the hop bitterness to your malt extract" which is a new one on me...

So I think no boiling required, then I assume the hop teabags that come with it are for dry hopping only.

No idea when the flavourings or spices are supposed to go in!

 

[ManseMasher]

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=56421

Competition opening very soon....

 

[timcunnell]

Hi Tim

I'll try to hunt down that thread and catch up with the gossip.

Regarding the method for the kit, I think it's very similar to a normal kit from reading the instructions, the only variation I can see is after topping up to 23 litres it says:

"add your isomerised hop solution, this adds the hop bitterness to your malt extract" which is a new one on me...

So I think no boiling required, then I assume the hop teabags that come with it are for dry hopping only.

No idea when the flavourings or spices are supposed to go in!

Ah thanks for the extra info on the hops - to be fair I hadn't realised that the hops came as a liquid (isomerised!??) so like you say, that means not boil. This is interesting as I guess it means that you're getting the flexibility of making something of a custom kit, but without too much equipment or additional brewing know-how. So in fairness I can see the point in them a bit more now!

 

[Leon103]

Good in theory but there are plenty of recipes out there to follow or you can by similar products for cheaper.