Mangrove Jacks Brewers Series Pilsner

[the_quick]

Brewed above, exact name is new Zealand Pilsner. About a year ago done Mangrove Jacks Czech Pils Craft Series. What a huge difference between those two. And I don't mean taste - the quality of craft series is so much higher - it tasted like a properly brewed beer. The New Zealand pilsner is just much worse - taste of yeast is much prominent and I think it has this "tang" people always complain about. It has been maturing only for 2 weeks in the fridge at 4 degrees, so maybe with time it will get better.
It is drinkable, looks quite nice, but is just not in the same league - I guess you get what you pay for (craft series is almost double the price). This was just a side quick beer, to my all grain brewing. I think I will mostly stay away from kits.

 

[Sherlock]

Brewed above, exact name is new Zealand Pilsner. About a year ago done Mangrove Jacks Czech Pils Craft Series. What a huge difference between those two. And I don't mean taste - the quality of craft series is so much higher - it tasted like a properly brewed beer. The New Zealand pilsner is just much worse - taste of yeast is much prominent and I think it has this "tang" people always complain about. It has been maturing only for 2 weeks in the fridge at 4 degrees, so maybe with time it will get better.
It is drinkable, looks quite nice, but is just not in the same league - I guess you get what you pay for (craft series is almost double the price). This was just a side quick beer, to my all grain brewing. I think I will mostly stay away from kits.

Hi,

I brewed the NZ pilsner a few months back. I also thought it had a bit of a tang to it. Not in an entirely unpleasant way though! I dry hopped with saaz for a few days. Ended up with a nice, dry, crisp...if sliiightly tangy beer. I'm tempted to try it again with more hops and using LME instead of brewing sugar... just to fiddle with it a bit.

I've also tried the craft series MJs which I agree do seem much better quality, although I don't know if that's actually the case. I'd assume so but the higher price might also be down to the packaging and added hops?

 

[danglebell]

So I stopped lurking here and created an account to comment on this beer kit because it's annoyed me so much (sorry for old post bump), it does have that awful homebrew twang, both in taste and smell, and is actually the worst beer kit I've ever brewed in over a decade of homebrewing. It even manages to beat a 3kg kit that wilkos did a long time ago that got infected. If we completely ignore the twang then I'm not even sure what about this is a pilsner, there's no smell or taste of hops at all (even when starting it, there was no scent that indicated hops). I got a coopers pilsner kit after this and wow the difference (have only began fermenting it now) you can instantly smell the hops when you open the can. I have no hope for the mangrove jacks one though and am tempted to just tip the lot, will leave it until the coopers kit is ready to keg and see. Would never buy another of their kits ever again, now I can see why one seller is giving a free item with kits they sell, to try and get rid of them!