brew2enjoy

Recipes 

I just picked up this kit from my local brewing supply store. This will be my first brewing attempt. Has anyone ever tried/brewed this particular beer? Seemed like a good, simple beginner batch to start with.

Suthrncomfrt1884

Recipes 

That was the second kit I ever brewed. It turned out great. Brewer's best makes great kits, but I'd recommend buying a new yeast. I think I used Wyeast Irish Ale on that kit.

__________________
He who drinks beer sleeps well. He who sleeps well cannot sin. He who does not sin goes to heaven.

Another HERMS rig...

KAMMEE

Recipes 

I made the kit for my very first brew, and it turned out great. Two weeks primary, two weeks in bottles. It hits its stride at about two months in the bottle. I used the yeast that came with it, Danstar's Nottingham. I would use the dry yeast as its easy and pretty fool proof for a first beer.

Suthrncomfrt1884

Recipes 

Nottingham has had a lot of issues lately...that's why I say go with a different yeast.

__________________
He who drinks beer sleeps well. He who sleeps well cannot sin. He who does not sin goes to heaven.

Another HERMS rig...

brew2enjoy

Recipes 

Because this beer has a pretty low IBU. I thought about dry hopping it in the secondary to give it a little more hop aroma and bitterness. Do you guys think that might be a bad idea?

Suthrncomfrt1884

Recipes 

Bad idea. Stick to the basics for your first beer. This beer had a perfect balance from what I remember, I'd leave it alone.

__________________
He who drinks beer sleeps well. He who sleeps well cannot sin. He who does not sin goes to heaven.

Another HERMS rig...

KAMMEE

Recipes 

I agree thAt this kit is well balanced and doesn't need it.

billf2112

Recipes 

Good stuff I was thinking about this exact kit for my second brew (Irish Stout is my first and it is in the secondary).

I was thinking of ditching the dry yeast for liquid, any suggestions?

How is the body, I like a full bodied brew. I like "dessert beers"?

__________________
Bill from Pa

On Deck: Irish Stout,
Primary: Pumpkin Ale
Secondary: Empty
Completed: Red, Wit and Blue, Irish Stout, Red Ale, German Style Amber Lager, All Grain Brews: Irish Red Ale, American Stout, Honey Weizen

jsullivan02130

Recipes 

As others have said, don't mess with it.

And FYI, dropping hopping doesn't add IBUs (bitterness). The alpha acids in the hops need to be isomerized through heat to convert to a taste that registers as bitter.

__________________
"There is nothing in brewing so complicated that a little effort can't make even more complicated."

KAMMEE

Recipes 

My preference would be, since its a first beer, to get a fresh packet of dry yeast, Safale 05, if your brewshop has it if you're concerned about the yeast with the kit. Make sure you rehydrate it per the instructions on www.howtobrew.com. If you were going to swap for liquid, get a Wyeast smack pack of American Ale (1056). It would go well in this beer and you can smack it the night before or at the start of your brew day and it will be ready to pitch when your beer is cool. I would also suggest WLP001 from White Labs, but that would be best used if you made a starter which you shouldn't really concern yourself with in at least the first couple brews, so I would go with the Wyeast version if you're inclined to swap out the dry for a liquid yeast.