yankeefan1
Member
Hi Im just starting out and im wondering about the kits with the wort allready made in the bag, just curious if these are any good and if anybody has experience with these? Thanks.
Opinions on buying kits with work allready made in bag
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william_shakes_beer
Well-Known Member
Exactly what kind of kits are you talking about? We can answer your question better with a link. I have done kits containing all extract (both liquid and dry) and extract with steeping grains. If there is a kit that contains a full 5 gallons of wort ready to pitch I'm not familiar with it.
TopherM
Well-Known Member
I've seen the kits that come with the wort already done, and you just ferment it.
Look at it this way. Do you want to learn to make HOMEBREW, or are you interested in taking a few shortcuts to having some homebrew?
Do you want to learn to make HOMEMADE gourmet dinners from scratch, or do you want to put pre-made food in the microwave?
It's about the same thing. The real finesse/skill of homebrewing comes in creating the wort. Fermentation is the easy part.
Also, brewday where you create the wort is CERTAINLY the fun part! You'll be missing out on the fun part, and really only doing the tedious part.
So, if you want to actually learn to homebrew, skip the pre-made wort and look into extract kits. If you just want to make some homebrew the "microwave" way, no shame in fermenting some premade wort, you just aren't going to really learn much about making homebrew that way.
Look at it this way. Do you want to learn to make HOMEBREW, or are you interested in taking a few shortcuts to having some homebrew?
Do you want to learn to make HOMEMADE gourmet dinners from scratch, or do you want to put pre-made food in the microwave?
It's about the same thing. The real finesse/skill of homebrewing comes in creating the wort. Fermentation is the easy part.
Also, brewday where you create the wort is CERTAINLY the fun part! You'll be missing out on the fun part, and really only doing the tedious part.
So, if you want to actually learn to homebrew, skip the pre-made wort and look into extract kits. If you just want to make some homebrew the "microwave" way, no shame in fermenting some premade wort, you just aren't going to really learn much about making homebrew that way.
not to say that it'll cost a bunch more than buying a kit where you have to put some of yourself into it.
Starting with an extract kit will give you a bunch more satisfaction than buying something that has had 90% done for you. Plus.. you get bragging rights..
Starting with an extract kit will give you a bunch more satisfaction than buying something that has had 90% done for you. Plus.. you get bragging rights..
I won't hate on the pre-made wort kits. You can get your feet wet with the fermentation and bottling process without much work or equipment invested.
But in the long haul, its not the true experience. Its more like heating up a can of Campbell's soup, vs. making gumbo from scratch...yeah the end result is still soup, but you'll be more proud of the gumbo.
But in the long haul, its not the true experience. Its more like heating up a can of Campbell's soup, vs. making gumbo from scratch...yeah the end result is still soup, but you'll be more proud of the gumbo.
OP
OP
yankeefan1
Member
Ya I think ill try the kit with the work allready made till I get use to it, then ill try making my own wort someday. Does anybody have any good links or recipies to do this?
elreplica
Well-Known Member
Hey there fellas
I have made beer and wine every which way and loose, from extracts and kits to grains and grapes. For the past decade on and off, I have been using all grain wort from brewhouse (rj spagnols) and festa (magnotta). In my opinion they are awesome and produce a product you would be proud of. The drinkability of these products is fantastic and compares favorably with any microbrewed product. I have bottle conditioned for years and recently built a kegerator and am enjoying it immensely. My first "hack" is coming with a festa wheat to which I am going to add one liter of fresh maple syrup to make a maple wheat beer. Looking forward!
I have made beer and wine every which way and loose, from extracts and kits to grains and grapes. For the past decade on and off, I have been using all grain wort from brewhouse (rj spagnols) and festa (magnotta). In my opinion they are awesome and produce a product you would be proud of. The drinkability of these products is fantastic and compares favorably with any microbrewed product. I have bottle conditioned for years and recently built a kegerator and am enjoying it immensely. My first "hack" is coming with a festa wheat to which I am going to add one liter of fresh maple syrup to make a maple wheat beer. Looking forward!
The wort-in-a-bag kits can be quite good if fermentation is done well. The Brewhouse Kits in particular are good, as are the Festabrew. You can also alter them by adding hops, changing the amount of water you add (to the Brewhouse kits), etc. Use a good yeast (Wyeast or White labs, or a good dried yeast).
I use them when I am low on beer, and don't have time to do an all-grain batch, or even a partial mash.
I use them when I am low on beer, and don't have time to do an all-grain batch, or even a partial mash.
elreplica
Well-Known Member
TopherM said:
I certainly agree with making beer (and wine) from scratch from grain and grape. You learn a lot about the science, art and process along the way. But if you want to save some money and time or get your feet wet, these wort kits will steer you in the right direction. But you don't have to be a programmer or know DOS to use a computer anymore
Although I wished the hell I learned to type back in the day :0)
TopherM
Well-Known Member
I agree that the pre-made wort is better than nothing, but TRUST ME, when you serve your buddies a beer you made from grain to glass, and they all like it, your pride and smile will be 1,000,000 times bigger than if someone else made the wort.
I'm just sayin! That's the intangible that is worth the larger investment into extract brewing for the OP!!
I'm just sayin! That's the intangible that is worth the larger investment into extract brewing for the OP!!
Brewhouse kits make good beer with a proper east and can be altered such as in http://www.yeastwranglers.ca/LinkClick.aspx?link=Attachments%2FBrewhouseTips.pdf&tabid=191&mid=569 for example.
But I felt that it wasn't the beer I made all by myself, so I am trying AG now - way more fun
But I felt that it wasn't the beer I made all by myself, so I am trying AG now - way more fun
janivar123
Well-Known Member
Just curious, how would owerseas shipping be on that kind of kit(worth in a bag)
Let me add my experience.
I was all jazzed up with my 2nd batch! Walked into the LHBS and the little 100 lbs, tattooed gal with piercings in her eyebrow & nose said, "Yeah, we got kits! They're the Hamburger Helper of brewing!"
It's a generational thing. When I went to school we thought those guys & gals were stoners! :fro:
My next batch was all grain. No lie, it was much better! Taste Buds don't lie.
I was all jazzed up with my 2nd batch! Walked into the LHBS and the little 100 lbs, tattooed gal with piercings in her eyebrow & nose said, "Yeah, we got kits! They're the Hamburger Helper of brewing!"
It's a generational thing. When I went to school we thought those guys & gals were stoners! :fro:
My next batch was all grain. No lie, it was much better! Taste Buds don't lie.
elreplica
Well-Known Member
yankeefan1 said:
What kits are you looking at? As posted, I've used both brewhouse and festa...
elreplica
Well-Known Member
yankeefan1 said:
East coaster eh?
how's the pulp mill?
Ramitt
Well-Known Member
Easy? maybe, but also probably the most important part.
smalltownbrewer
Well-Known Member
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The brewhouse pilsner is pretty impressive after 2 weeks, so far and affordable.
OP
OP
yankeefan1
Member
East coaster eh?
Yep east coaster, and the pulp mill is still giving SJ some great air haha
elreplica
Well-Known Member
smalltownbrewer said:
Yeah especially if you live in the tax grabbing, gouging, vice-robbing nanny state/provInces of
Eastern Canada! Affordable becomes the operative word!
I know of small beer companies that buy wort from a bigger brewhouse then ferment, age & blend to bottle something very good and unique. That's not Hamburger Helper/Microwave dinner.
elreplica
Well-Known Member
I know of small beer companies that buy wort from a bigger brewhouse then ferment, age & blend to bottle something very good and unique. That's not Hamburger Helper/Microwave dinner.
Although I now brew custom extracts and all grain, I still used prepared wort. Festa Brew creates a number of brews I've had great success with. Their seasonal Czech Pils and Marzen lagers are exceptional, especially when lagered. I've got a couple on now where I've changed out the yeast from S23 to 34/70 and one where I blended the two. I'm also putting on one of their Baltic Porters. I'll go back to all grain in the new year.
madscientist451
Well-Known Member
If I was offered a free beer that someone made, and it was good, I wouldn't care what method they used.
Having said that, making your own wort is actually pretty easy, it just takes some time and practice.
So go ahead and make the wort kits if you want, the main thing is to to have a good time and enjoy your beer. Merry Christmas!
Having said that, making your own wort is actually pretty easy, it just takes some time and practice.
So go ahead and make the wort kits if you want, the main thing is to to have a good time and enjoy your beer. Merry Christmas!
These seem like a pretty cool place to start. All the different methods are legitimate and only one is truly making it from scratch. There are very few people malting their own barley. IMO there is essentially no difference between this and a pre hop extract kit that you just add water to. A partial mash is a little more involved, all grain a little more and the guys that grow everything, malt their barley, roast their specialty and cultivate their own yeast are borderline crazy. Though it would be fun to take it from dirt to glass if I had the space, time and equipment.
william_shakes_beer
Well-Known Member
Do what is right for you. Like many on this forum, I started with extract kits. Once I had mastered bottling and fermenting, I moved to all grain and am very pleased with the results. As I became more involved, I was not satisfied with the limited offerings of extract blends. I wanted more control and repeatability.
