Question about True Brew Kit

TenTentacles · 02-01-2009, 02:02 AM

On the advice of the owner of my local brewer's supply store, I'm starting my very first batch using one of Crosby and Baker's True Brew kits. I chose the porter kit. The kit comes with 8oz of molto-dextrin that are supposed to go in to the boil. On the package of molto-dextrin it says "Usage: 4oz per 5 gallons of beer" but the instructions in the box don't say anything about measuring out 4oz of the molto-dextrin; it just says to add it along with all the other ingredients. I can't see why they would include extra ingredients, but I wanted to get an opinion on whether I should add it all or measure out 4oz.

Incidentally, there is a separate 4oz package of dextrin for priming.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

s3n8 · 02-01-2009, 11:19 AM

I have never used the kit in question, however, I have brewed a few kits early in my brew career. I never had extra ingredients. 4 oz should be approximately 1/2 - 1 cup I am guessing, or roughly the same size as the 4 oz of corn sugar to prime with. Buying a scale will come in handy down the road, but you can probably get away without for a while.

TenTentacles · 02-01-2009, 03:25 PM

Thanks for the advice. Working on the assumption that -extra- ingredients would be included in the kit, I'm going to go ahead and use the entire 8oz of Malto-Dextrin in the boil. We'll see what happens.

irunxcjm · 02-01-2009, 09:21 PM

I used 8oz of malto-dextrin in my recent porter. You should be fine. It doesn't really give any flavor to the beer, it adds body to the beer. I like this in a porter, myself.

tconlan25 · 02-02-2009, 02:31 PM

I used this kit as my first brew as well and had the same question. I just eyeballed half the package and added it to the boil. Thinking about it now I probably would have gone for the whole thing hoping to give it a denser feel.

**InfernoBrews** · 02-02-2009, 03:05 PM

Having Several of these in front of me and knowing True Brew Kits They have everything premeasured if its in the kit add it. The labeling on the Malto 8oz bag Makes this a little confusing and perhaps they should not label them for the kits like that rather to just mark them..