out of date kits!

i bought a couple of kits online at a certain homebrew shop i wont mention and they are practically out of date...i got a brupaks special lager kit which includes the yeast,hops and canned extract and the yeast is like 2 months out of date
..its a sachet of saflager s 23 yeast..and the canned extract use by date is next month,the hops included are like rock hard pellets of rabbit sh@t so it all doesnt look to fresh so i was gonna get some fresh yeast and hops and use the canned extract up and i just wanted some advice on the quantities to use:


so i was gonna get some new yeast dunno about the saflager yeast as its starting to get to warm here so i was gonna get some muntons premium yeast

im also thinking of adding 1 kg of muntons beer enhancer and 500g of dme
what hops would i use and how much would i add for that amount of beer enhancer and dme to balance it out...

also would the beer enhancer and dme extract increase the abv much...the kit is supposed to turn out between 4.0 and 4.3

cheers!

You might end up with a darker lager with an old kit. My local Home brew shop reckons that using any kit within 12mths of its used by date is a bit dodgy (apparantly they have 2 yrs from the time they are produced) I did up a Coopers Pale ale kit that was within six months from use by date (got it on special1/2 price) and it turned out a lot darker than one I had done previously.
If you are going to put in an extra 1.5 kg of fermentables you will definatley bump up the alc content. What does the kit recomend in way of extra extract/sugar?

Don't know if the yeast will be a problem as long as it has been treated nicely they can last long after use by dates, just some might take a bit longer to get going but if you make a starter that should solve that problem and answer the question about its quality.

hey what kind of hops do you like? I use saaz in my lagers(pellets added about a week after pitching yeast) but it depends on your preferences for flavour.

hope this helps cheers Alx

thanks for the reply alex

yeh i think the homebrew shop pulled a fast one on me ,shoddy quality i wont be giving them my custom again...the other kit they sent me the yeast packet had a split in it that looked like it had been hit on the corner of something sharp yet it was under a big plastic cap and the can has no use by date...so it looks like ive been palmed off with some of his old stock.....

the kit doesnt require any extra sugar but says if u do use dme if you can
but also to add extra hops to balance the flavour.....ive neva used hops b4 so i havent got a clue lol.....but looking at the local homebrew list they have got some goldings or fuggles hops on there...do these go well with lager with all the extra's im gonna put in or im am im going overkill here

Beer kits are nothing like milk. Fresh kits are good for many months. That HBS was trying to get rid of old stuff, perhaps negligently more likely just being sleazy.

It will become beer, though. I've been brewing from kits for some time, and too-old or nearly too-old kits seem to be the rule rather than the exception at the store where I used to do business. I guess importing cans of Coopers from Australia to Norway is done in large quantities at a time. With the homebrewing market here being very slow (at least for extract), the cans just sit on shelves collecting dust.

I've never had problems, though. They turn out quite drinkable and then some, even if they are a bit dark.

(That said, I've since started shopping elsewhere, and switched from Coopers to Munton's. I'll soon be getting rid of those pre-hopped extract kits in favour of doing my own hopping and steeping. I want to be an all-grain brewer when I grow up. )

I remember a long long time ago I purchased a few kits.

Unlike other HBS the owner opened all the boxes and removed the grains, yeast and hops and placed them in the fridge to keep fresh.

He would select the appropriate grain, yeast and hops whenever you brought the box to the counter.

I thought all HBS owners should do this to help them maintain freshness of their stock.

If I ever would buy a box again I would open it in the store and request fresh yeast and hops (grains if necessary).

I've brewed 6 year old pre-hopped extract. Added an oz. of Fuggles at 15 minutes and used a fresh yeast. Turned out ok, not the best batch, not the worst.

Tell us the name of the store, we're not above slagging on this board. Especially if it keps one of our own from making a similar bad purchace!

Chairman Cheyco said:

Tell us the name of the store, we're not above slagging on this board. Especially if it keps one of our own from making a similar bad purchace!

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...................we could set up a name and shame thread for bad home brew shops lol

Chairman Cheyco said:

Tell us the name of the store, we're not above slagging on this board. Especially if it keps one of our own from making a similar bad purchace!

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It's no longer in business. They bought into the brewpub next door (mistake) and knocked down the wall between them to expand.

It use to be called Koski's in Moline, IL. I spent many hours in there with Tim Koster, his wife, brother, mother, and mother-in-law. They all worked there. Whenever the ladies were there alone I used to help with brewing questions from customers.

Chairman Cheyco said:

Tell us the name of the store, we're not above slagging on this board. Especially if it keps one of our own from making a similar bad purchace!

Click to expand...

I agree. If the store doesn't make things right then tell us the name. I order online as do many others on the board.

its in the south of the uk.......most of u are in the us is that so

dangermouse said:

its in the south of the uk.......most of u are in the us is that so

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Please at least tell me what county or town this shop is in,as i live in the south of the UK...hope its not the shop i use

its in aldershot:cross:

Thank god for that .The shop i use is http://www.arkwrightshomebrew.com.I visit the shop as it is in Highworth(about 30 minutes for me),the owner Ken is very knowledgable and extremely helpful .
Give them a go