Austin Homebrew Supply "Kickers"

Sir Humpsalot · 12-20-2006, 05:31 AM

Hey folks. I noticed that if you order a kit from Austin Homebrew Supply, you have the option of adding a 1% alcohol "kicker" for $1.99. Normally, if you want to bump up the ABV by a percent you add 1 lb of dextrose, right?

So why does AHS charge $1.49 for a pound of dextrose, but $1.99 for a 1% kicker?

Anybody know? Does it include some DME in there? Or are they just taking advantage of newbs who are too uninformed to realize that you can buy the same thing for less elsewhere on their site?

I hesitated to post this. I know they're a popular supplier and I don't mean to make waves, but it just struck me as a little sketchy. Hopefully there's a perfectly good explanation for it though....

Cheers!

dcbrewmeister · 12-20-2006, 11:38 AM

Never bought one - I just drive up there from San Antonio and I don't think they have ever even mentioned it. I've seen the option if I buy one of their brew kits but the have never asked if I want it.

Maybe in person they don't want the BS of it just being DME. I dunno for sure.

**Bobby_M** · 12-20-2006, 02:35 PM

I wouldn't assume dextrose. They probably add one pound of light DME or another 1.1 pound of LME if that's what the kit uses. Certainly the 1% gain is an approximation and depends on the recipe/style.

Sir Humpsalot · 12-20-2006, 03:38 PM

Well, the cost of the liquid yeast when buying a kit is the same as the regular cost on their website.

Well, the cost of the yeast fuel when buying a kit is the same as the regular cost of yeast fuel on their website.

Yet the cost of a "kicker" doesn't correlate to anything. It's a fair amount less than the cost of DME, but more than dextrose. Everything else is the same price, except for this. So I'm betting it's just an extra fifty cents for AHS. At any rate, I don't much like the idea of adding something if I don't know what exactly it is. That's sort of the point of homebrewing, imho.

It just seems kind of weird. I was just wondering if anyone could confirm what the kicker was.

au1991rx · 12-21-2006, 03:24 AM

I have a Dunkelweizen kit I ordered from AHS with the 1% boost. The small bag states it contains 14oz. corn sugar to use in boil. It says it will not change the taste, color, or aroma. White granular corn sugar.

Sir Humpsalot · 12-21-2006, 05:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by au1991rx

I have a Dunkelweizen kit I ordered from AHS with the 1% boost. The small bag states it contains 14oz. corn sugar to use in boil. It says it will not change the taste, color, or aroma. White granular corn sugar.

So you could have gone to where they sell sugar separarately and gotten two extra ounces of corn sugar for $0.50 less money.

That's a damned stupid thing they're doing there.

**Orfy** · 12-21-2006, 06:34 AM

Not on their part.
Call it a different name and charge more!

dcbrewmeister · 12-21-2006, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toot

So you could have gone to where they sell sugar separarately and gotten two extra ounces of corn sugar for $0.50 less money.

That's a damned stupid thing they're doing there.

You could have called them on their 800 number and they would have told you exactly what it is. I did, they told me.

fezzman · 12-21-2006, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orfy

Not on their part.
Call it a different name and charge more!

Does their priming sugar cost more than their corn sugar? j/k

**Austinhomebrew** · 03-29-2007, 07:57 AM

Our Alcohol Boost is not DME, LME or corn sugar. It is a blend of 55% Maltose and 45% Glucose. Corn sugar is Dextrose.

Many breweries use this sugar as an economic way to boost alcohol content without effecting flavor.

This blended sugar is more expensive than simple corn sugar, that is why there is a price difference.

Forrest
Austin Homebrew Supply