Pure Malt Enhancer & Sugar?

[lazylizard]

Hi all ...

I think I might of made a wee bit of a boo boo... my second kit currently just started is a John Bull 40 Pint Beer Pilsner kit and I also added Mangrove Jacks 600g Pure Malt Enhancer after talking to a friend who suggested it.. so I put them both in together the smell was lovely and then added 1kg of brewing sugar... I then 2 days later after constant bubbling of the airlock ran into a post on the net saying they use the enhancer to replace the sugar... my friend never told me this.. does this mean the planned 4.5% kit is going to be like rocket fuel and hence undrinkable? I always found when the % went above 5.5 % it was undrinkable... or can you add them both the beer and the enhancer? I read conflicting posts by people some saying you can use them both together and some say use the enhancer without sugar so confused here..

thanks

LL

 

[Drunkula]

MJ enhancer adds 0.8%
1kg dextrose adds 2.7%
1.8kg kit ~ 1.8% according to the specs.

So 5.3%.

It won't be undrinkable, but being a lager kit it inherently will taste of disappointment.

 

[lazylizard]

MJ enhancer adds 0.8%
1kg dextrose adds 2.7%
1.8kg kit ~ 1.8% according to the specs.

So 5.3%.

It won't be undrinkable, but being a lager kit it inherently will taste of disappointment.

TY drunkula...

that's a relief... my first kit was a Festival Ale which turned out brilliantly.... very very nice tasty ale...

your 'inherently will taste of disappointment.' comment is that because your an ale man and loathe lager? .. the idea was given to me by a friend to use MJ enhancer to mimic a wee bit the ale added to the Kit I have.. and it would turn out to be a light ale.. that's the hope anyways... if it fails .. and tastes like **** ill just get a festival kit again :)

once again thanks for the reply..

LL

 

[Drunkula]

your 'inherently will taste of disappointment.' comment is that because your an ale man and loathe lager?

No, I've got a pilsner on tap right now. It's because lager kits are awful. They don't come with lager yeast and they're like a beer kit with all the flavour taken out. If somebody gave me some I'd do a side by side with the standard and lager yeast for an experiment to see if they're improved with different fermentation, but based on previous experience they're just not worth doing.

And I really like wheat beers, and to me they're more like lagers than ales.

 

[lazylizard]

me some I'd do a side by side with the standard and lager yeast for an experiment to see if they're improved with different fermentation, but based on previous experience they're just not worth doing.

ah ok.. tbh I was surprised how well the festival ale kit came out... very nice... I have tried a few that failed.. Geordie kit which tasted awful and I promised my self never again.. one young's kit that turned out like water... perhaps it was luck and possibly the time of year i.e. consistently warm when I brewed it but there does seem to be a huge difference with the cheaper kits and the more expensive ones...

 

[terrym]

No, I've got a pilsner on tap right now. It's because lager kits are awful. They don't come with lager yeast and they're like a beer kit with all the flavour taken out. If somebody gave me some I'd do a side by side with the standard and lager yeast for an experiment to see if they're improved with different fermentation, but based on previous experience they're just not worth doing.

And I really like wheat beers, and to me they're more like lagers than ales.

Lager kits are probably the poor relation of beer kits. Just like UK lager from shiny taps down the pub are a poor relation of 'proper' lagers. However I did a small number of Coopers Euro lager which comes with a lager yeast at lowish temperatures, with extra hops etc and it wasn't too bad, and I am not normally a lager drinker.