Premium kit vs cheap kit plus malt and hops

[Ale]

I've currently got my third brew in my fv, a Wherry.

The first was a John Bull Traditional English Ale which I've still got a few bottles of but will finish in week or two which will leave a few for longer conditioning and try again in 6 months.

The second was an Old Ale which is in a pressure barrel. I had a few problems with that, stuck at 1022, then got it going again and about day 8-10ish hit 29C one day. Its was very cloudy so I put it in a pressure barrel with finings. Its got the standard cap on so Im going to buy a CO2 cap and injector with a gift card Tescos sent me for messing up my clubcard points. When I get it Im going to take the cap off and inject CO2. Will also check for signs of infection as I think it may have something. Can I add a campden tablet if it has?

So onto the main point of this post, once my Wherry is out it wont be long until I put my 4th brew in. I'll either go for a 3rd premium 2 can kit or a 1 can kit and use DSM and maybe add finishing hops. Any suggestions on good combinations to try, i.e. kits and light, medium or dark DSM and which hops?

 

[b_smith_90]

Give this (http://www.home-brew-online.com/beer-kits-c1/triple-tykes-special-export-ale-kit-p1048) a go!

 

[funkyslime]

I dry hop every brew I make and have to say the best results I have are with premium kits with hops included ( bulldog ,festival etc). I do dry hop single can kits add liquid and dry malt extract but find by the time you've bought everything separately it adds up to the about the same as a premium kit.

 

[Slid]

I've currently got my third brew in my fv, a Wherry.

The first was a John Bull Traditional English Ale which I've still got a few bottles of but will finish in week or two which will leave a few for longer conditioning and try again in 6 months.

The second was an Old Ale which is in a pressure barrel. I had a few problems with that, stuck at 1022, then got it going again and about day 8-10ish hit 29C one day. Its was very cloudy so I put it in a pressure barrel with finings. Its got the standard cap on so Im going to buy a CO2 cap and injector with a gift card Tescos sent me for messing up my clubcard points. When I get it Im going to take the cap off and inject CO2. Will also check for signs of infection as I think it may have something. Can I add a campden tablet if it has?

So onto the main point of this post, once my Wherry is out it wont be long until I put my 4th brew in. I'll either go for a 3rd premium 2 can kit or a 1 can kit and use DSM and maybe add finishing hops. Any suggestions on good combinations to try, i.e. kits and light, medium or dark DSM and which hops?

Too late for a campden tablet to help I'm afraid. If it is infected, get rid. If drinkable, do so sooner rather than later is the advice.

Doing a premium kit with hop additions seems a reasonable try.

An alternative is to get some US "C" hops like Cascade, Citra, etc etc and add these as a hop tea and / or dry hop to a pale-ish 2 can kit or to a one can lager / pale ale kit plus 1kg DME.

 

[Crystal_Ball]

I'm trying my first single can kit - Cooper pale ale with coopers beer enhancer then dry hopped with Mosaic which was bottled last night. A week ago I bottled a dozen before dry hopping as a comparison. I'm looking forward to the taste test!

 

[Hopping_Mad]

I dry hop every brew I make and have to say the best results I have are with premium kits with hops included ( bulldog ,festival etc). I do dry hop single can kits add liquid and dry malt extract but find by the time you've bought everything separately it adds up to the about the same as a premium kit.

I have only good results with Bulldog and Festival kits. Youngs Craft range have been the best though.

I've had really good results with Simply and BetterBrew 1.8 kg 'pouch' kits with 1kg bags of DME and some additional dextrose getting the total fermentables over 3kgs, then dry hopping them late.

Best effort was Simply Pale Ale and Centenniel, closely followed by BetterBrew IPA and Cascade. Used light DME with both.

 

[louis macneice]

I've currently got my third brew in my fv, a Wherry.

The first was a John Bull Traditional English Ale which I've still got a few bottles of but will finish in week or two which will leave a few for longer conditioning and try again in 6 months.

The second was an Old Ale which is in a pressure barrel. I had a few problems with that, stuck at 1022, then got it going again and about day 8-10ish hit 29C one day. Its was very cloudy so I put it in a pressure barrel with finings. Its got the standard cap on so Im going to buy a CO2 cap and injector with a gift card Tescos sent me for messing up my clubcard points. When I get it Im going to take the cap off and inject CO2. Will also check for signs of infection as I think it may have something. Can I add a campden tablet if it has?

So onto the main point of this post, once my Wherry is out it wont be long until I put my 4th brew in. I'll either go for a 3rd premium 2 can kit or a 1 can kit and use DSM and maybe add finishing hops. Any suggestions on good combinations to try, i.e. kits and light, medium or dark DSM and which hops?

If you're interested in pushing things a bit further you might want to have a look at this thread; it's about combining kits and mini mashes.

Cheers - Louis MacNeice

 

[Ale]

If you're interested in pushing things a bit further you might want to have a look at this thread; it's about combining kits and mini mashes.

Cheers - Louis MacNeice

You forgot to put the link to the thread

 

[clibit]

The quality of any beer results from the quality of ingredients and how well it is made. I've had good beer made from one can kits, two can kits, extract, partial mash and all grain.

A good one can kit with the right additions makes good beer. It's the same as a two can apart from having to add fermentables, and you get to choose. You can use sugar, syrup, honey, DME, LME or grain, or any mix of these. You can add hops. You can change the yeast. With the right yeast and some steeped hops a lot of kits can be improved a lot. Steeping some grains can also improve it, and doing a mini mash makes a big difference. It takes time, adding about two hours, but it's easy, cheap and makes better beer.

 

[louis macneice]

You forgot to put the link to the thread

Oops ... link inserted now.

Cheers - Louis MacNeice

 

[Cwrw666]

So onto the main point of this post, once my Wherry is out it wont be long until I put my 4th brew in. I'll either go for a 3rd premium 2 can kit or a 1 can kit and use DSM and maybe add finishing hops. Any suggestions on good combinations to try, i.e. kits and light, medium or dark DSM and which hops?

I've been having a good experience with Brewmaker Victorian Bitter, which is a 1 can kit. I brewed it short - to 4 gallons instead of 5 - and put in less sugar (1/2 kilo rather than 1 kilo) as I didn't want it stronger, just more flavour. Has turned out really nice both times.
Brewmakers Shamrock Irish Stout is also excellent, and again even more so when brewed short.
Avoid Tom Caxtons Real Ale though - suffers very badly from `homebrew twang'.
On the whole I've found 1 can kits are much improved in flavour if you brew them short. Also avoid large amounts of sugar as I'm pretty sure this is a major cause of `homebrew twang', though others may dissagree.

 

[jamie72]

My last two brews have been one can kits, they were;

1- John Bull IPA made with 1kg enhancer, 250g sugar then dry hopped with Cascade pellets. All in cost about 17 quid (Tesco sale.) Bloody tasty, on a par with the Youngs APA @ 23 quid!

2- Better brew IPA with 1kg Demerara sugar, had a 100g pack of Progress leaf hops to use up so boiled 25g for 10 mins with the rinsed pouch water and some of the dissolved sugar, added another 25g and let steep for 25 mins in the same pan. the remaining 50g went in dry for a week. Bottled it last night and it tasted pretty damned good from the bucket. Again about 17 quid for the brew.

So in answer to the question then I would certainly say that good beers can be made by modifying one can kits.

 

[buzzharvey22]

Sounds like the off flavour or infection in that one beer could be to do with the 29c temperature. I think kits say they can brew from anywhere between about 20-26. But ideally you want to be around the 18/19 mark and keep is constant as you can.

 

[Brewski]

Now I've got one basic brew under my belt (single can kit + beer enhancer + dextrose) I'm going to step it up a bit on my next one.

I fancy an APA type beer so I'm thinking of a Cooper's Australian Pale Ale with some Cascade hops (already ordered), boiled in water for say 15mins (for flavour) and also added later as a dry addition (for aroma). I'm not sure how much to use though, it may be time to play with an IBU calculator (for the hop tea at least).

I was considering also buying a couple of kilos of grain and doing a mini-mash instead of adding beer enhancer but I'll hold off until my next brew - "baby steps" as they say. :thumb:

Patience young Glasshopper...

 

[Ale]

I ended up getting a Coopers stout in the Tescos Homebrew sale (25% off until 18th Feb). Im going to get some dried malt extract. I'm guessing dark for a stout.

 

[clibit]

I would get light DME or enhancer. The kit has all the darkness it needs.

 

[jamesw]

I think it probably depends on what kits and extras you use.
I had a John Bull IPA and just used youngs beer enhancer with it (£13 total) and it was very nice indeed.
I havnt made a premium kit, but i do have a wherry ready to go (if you consider this premium?) so will be able to compare soon!