Wilkos sale

[ScouseBrew]

Ive got a coopers stout itching to be done at the weekend so I'm off to wilkos after work to pick up a kit in the sale. Looking for ideas/suggestions please folks? I've done the cerveza, but probably drank it too quick as the last 3 bottles where really good.

Hit me with your suggestions, and if i can fight temptation, would three brews last until ...ahem...*christmas*...

 

[terrym]

I have only done the Hoppy Copper see here
http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showpost.php?p=524687&postcount=55
It came good after about 2 months.
@Godsdog seems to use this kit a lot from what I have read on here perhaps he can give you some tips.
Otherwise there are lots of reviews of the Wilko kits in the review section so you could have a look through that for ideas.
http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=61597
Wilko kits were just about good value compared to other one cans but now they have put the price up its less so.
And because they are only 1.5kg my advice to anyone doing one is brew short to compensate for the reduced malt content.

 

[Just]

Have Wilko stopped doing their own 2 can kits, online only a 1 can shows up for the Golden Ale which used to be a 2 can kit (maybe we just need to use two kits' cans?)

 

[unforgiven]

got two cans of cervaza mixed together no sugar etc got to 21ltrs checked the SG 1042 so left it at that airlock was going with in 30 min
see how it turns out:smile:

 

[Clint]

Picked up a wheat and cerveza a couple of bags of dextrose and a hydrometer test jar. Tins are going to be subjected to partial mashing...

 

[Sandimas]

I picked up a Golden and Hoppy Copper: gonna do mini-mashes with them and have a play with some hops.

Weathers's too nice today but the Golden is gonna be a OG 1047 brew with Styrian Goldings and Willamette, probably brew it over Easter.

 

[VillageBrew]

Have Wilko stopped doing their own 2 can kits, online only a 1 can shows up for the Golden Ale which used to be a 2 can kit (maybe we just need to use two kits' cans?)

I think they have - the branch near us only has 1 can kits and then the Woodforde's 2 can kits. Looking at the instructions, packaging etc it looks like the Wilko 2 can ones were made by Woodforde.

 

[Slid]

I think they have - the branch near us only has 1 can kits and then the Woodforde's 2 can kits. Looking at the instructions, packaging etc it looks like the Wilko 2 can ones were made by Woodforde.

The vast majority of kits made and sold in the UK are produced by a single supplier, Muntons. They make the Woodfordes kits, the Milestone kits and all of the Wilko range. There are kits labelled Muntons as well.

I know of Coopers kits, made in South Australia and Brewferm from Belgium. Also Finlandia kits. (There are no prizes on country of origin on those).

Otherwise, the kits all come from Muntons. They are all fine and great and do what they do. They make reliable, drinkable beer.

This thread changed my opinions on the future of homebrewing for good:

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=51779

 

[terrym]

The vast majority of kits made and sold in the UK are produced by a single supplier, Muntons. They make the Woodfordes kits, the Milestone kits and all of the Wilko range. There are kits labelled Muntons as well.

I know of Coopers kits, made in South Australia and Brewferm from Belgium. Also Finlandia kits. (There are no prizes on country of origin on those).

Otherwise, the kits all come from Muntons. They are all fine and great and do what they do. They make reliable, drinkable beer.

That's quite an interesting statement. That effectively means that all the UK based LME kits including Harvest and American (Youngs), Festival and Burton Bridge (Ritchie) and Betterbrew (Hambleton Bard) plus the ones you mentioned are all produced by Muntons. Is that correct?

 

[Sandimas]

That's quite an interesting statement. That effectively means that all the UK based LME kits including Harvest and American (Youngs), Festival and Burton Bridge (Ritchie) and Betterbrew (Hambleton Bard) plus the ones you mentioned are all produced by Muntons. Is that correct?

Quite a few of the re-branded Munton kits are listed here, including Woodforde's:
http://www.muntonshomebrew.com/other-products/other-branded-homebrew-kits/

Spoke to my LHBS and he seemed to think Muntons produced the majority of kits on the UK market.

The quality does vary e.g. Woodforde's Wherry is known for sticking due to having too little yeast included in the kit (but otherwise makes a great brew), the Premium Gold range (Midas Touch, Smugglers etc) make really fine beers.

 

[Slid]

That's quite an interesting statement. That effectively means that all the UK based LME kits including Harvest and American (Youngs), Festival and Burton Bridge (Ritchie) and Betterbrew (Hambleton Bard) plus the ones you mentioned are all produced by Muntons. Is that correct?

No, I don't think Youngs, Festival or the others you mention are Muntons.

Darrellm has already posted the link to the Munton's site that I would have posted. I am not suggesting that there is anything wrong with any of them, BTW.

In fact, they do pretty much as stated on the tin. Except it takes quite a bit longer to do so. :lol:

 

[dps51]

wilko do have some kits on offer
a hoppy beer for £9.50
a golden ale also at £9.50
also some others on offer

 

[Klemay83]

Gonna get couple of tins the Wheat beer kit tomorrow. should see me through the Summer!

 

[Sandimas]

I made up the Golden Ale today that I got in the sale with a mini-mash and a small hop boil.

Despite being an occasional AG brewer, this was the first time I've done a mini-mash with a kit and it struck me that it's a great way to get into grain brewing, as the grain quantity is low so it can all be done in a stock pot. Plus there's only a short hop boil as the kit is already bittered, so you just need flavouring hops. And it's cheaper yhan using spraymalt/LME to make up the kit.

Here's what I did: mashed the grains at 66C for an hour (put stockpot in the oven, turned off, to maintain temp), then did the boil, cooled it a bit in the sink then used it to make up the kit in the FV as normal. Brewed it short to 18L and came out with OG 1046 which was spot-on as predicted in my brewing software (with my usual 68% BIAB efficiency).

Grain Bill
----------------
1.500 kg Liquid Malt Extract - Wilko Golden Ale kit (46.37%)
1.400 kg Maris Otter Malt (43.28%)
0.200 kg Wheat Malt (6.18%)
0.135 kg Caragold (4.17%)

Hop Bill
----------------
13.0 g Styrian Golding Leaf (4.4% Alpha) @ 20 Minutes (Boil) (0.7 g/L)
13.0 g Willamette Leaf (7.1% Alpha) @ 20 Minutes (Boil) (0.7 g/L)
13.0 g Styrian Golding Leaf (4.4% Alpha) @ 0 Minutes (Aroma) (0.7 g/L)
13.0 g Willamette Leaf (7.1% Alpha) @ 0 Minutes (Aroma) (0.7 g/L)