Improving a kit

[Scott]

Wondering if you guys could help me, I am due to start my next kit which is a Wilkos Sweet Newkie Brown. I'm going to use 1kg of Brew Enhancer, but wanted to know people's thoughts on anything else which would improve it?

I was thinking along the lines of dry hopping, or possibly venturing into a little partial mash, but that would be venturing into territory which I'm not sure I'm ready for yet!

Any suggestions would be greatly received.

 

[froidy]

Definitely use Dextrose/Dried Malt Extract (DME) Liquid Malt Extract (LME) instead of normal sugar and try a brand name yeast (Safale or similar) instead of the yeast that comes with the kit. As you say the next step is adding hops which I am also toying with the idea of

 

[mattrickl06]

Things i have done so far to improve a basic kit.

Stout - tin of black treacle and 500g extra dark DME
Lager - 30g Saaz hop tea and 30g dry hopped after 5 days in FV
Wherry - added additional 200g of muscovado
Bitter - 30g Fuggles hop tea and 20g Fuggles dry hopping after 5 days
Ginger Beer - added crushed, boiled root ginger
Apple Cider - added 1.5l of cranberry juice and some golden syrup
Grim Reaper IPA - added 1kg of light DME and 500g of pre hopped light DME

I would say that the hop tea adds much more flavour to your brew, whereas dry hopping pretty much just adds a nice aroma to the beer

Good luck

 

[the-erl]

I am due to start my next kit which is a Wilkos Sweet Newkie Brown. I'm going to use 1kg of Brew Enhancer, but wanted to know people's thoughts on anything else which would improve it?

Have you brewed this kit before? If so what do you think it could do with to improve it? i.e. a more bitter taste, more hop aroma, stronger abv?
I recently brewed a muntons gold IPA but thought it was too watery and there was a subtle fruity that wasn't offence but which I wanted to reduce. I brewed it again substituting the dextrose for light DME, giving it not only a better mouth feel but improved the strength a bit as well, and used a different yeast; a drier one that doesn't impart such a fruity taste. I also added a hop tea of 30 grams of cascade and 30 grams fuggles boiled in about half litre of water for 12 mins then dry hopped in the secondary with more cascade, but I'm a bit of a hop head. :grin: I think it all helped to improve on the end result, definately improving on the original kit.
I've yet to cross to the dark side but I think thats the only way to get the brew exactly how you want it however using extract and partial mashing is a great way to have more control of the final product, have a bit more fun on brew day and I see it as a way to ease gently across to the dark side
Let us know what you end up doing and how it turns out.
Erl :drink:

 

[Scott]

I ended up sticking to the instructions as I hadn't brewed the kit before, so had no idea what I wanted improving! :wha:

I decided to go with the Kit Enhancer and brewed to 20L. had a OG of 1.042, hopefully down to 1.008 after a week to give me 4.5%.

Currently have an inch thick crust on top of the brew in the FV so going well so far! :thumb:

Will update once complete and sampled :