First time muntons gold IPA to augment or not?

Hi guys,

I am about to get started on a batch of muntons gold IPA, and was going to just do the standard straight brew as per what is suggested on the packet, but am having second thoughts.

while rustling around my gears I noticed a packet of "Coopers brew enhancer 2" that I inherited with one of the second hand brew kits that I brought.

I am thinking about adding this to the muntons gold IPA kit to make a kind of "generals drink" as opposed to the "soldiers tipple", but am not sure if it will compromise the taste at all.

Anyone have any recommendations?

also, is anyone has any suggestions for brewing techniques for this kit that will be superior to the instructions that come with the kit (basically just dissolving in boiling water) I would love to hear them.

Anything you add to a kit recipe will change the intended flavor. If you don't like the brew when it is finished you won't know if is the type of beer or your addtion to the recipe that screwed it up.
Can't comment on the recipe procedure without seeing it.

Brew enhancer looks like it is 50% dextrose, 25% maltodextrin and 25% pale DME. I believe Munton's Gold kits are no-sugar added kits (basically, two cans of hopped extract).

So you'd be adding more alcohol with the enhancer, a bit more body, plus a tiny bit more malt flavor. The problem is, the dextrose doesn't add either body or taste and the maltodextrin adds only body. So it will be very little flavor added.

You could add pure DME or LME and/or you could add more hops, maybe even just dry hops for aroma (which will also affect your sense of taste).

I'd stick with the kit directions. These sorts of kits shouldn't be boiled for any period of time beyond dissolving because they used hopped extract, and the hop flavor will be lessened. If you add unhopped DME/LME, you can boil that separately. You can boil hops in the added extract (or even in the brew enhancer) to get more hop flavor or bitterness.

Thanks for the advice guys,

I mixed it up today and just used the standard kit so that I can get an idea of what results that achieves as a base line, and then if I like it make modifications from there to my preferences in future batches.

I mixed the LME in about 5 Litres of boiling hot water from the jug, mixed thoroughly and then topped up to 23L with refrigerated pre boiled water. Then I airated /stirred the wort for a good 5 minutes. The resulting temp was about 12.5 degrees C, so I have put the wart in my fermentation chamber (on a 30W heat pad) and are waiting for the temp to come up to 9.5 degrees C before I pitch the yeast.

Any suggestions for improvement are welcome.

Thank you for all your help so far.

bregiz said:

The resulting temp was about 12.5 degrees C, so I have put the wart in my fermentation chamber (on a 30W heat pad) and are waiting for the temp to come up to 9.5 degrees C before I pitch the yeast.

Click to expand...

9.5*C? That's really low for an ale yeast. I would suggest you pitch your yeast no lower than 16*C and try to ferment between 16*C and 20*C. Unless you mean you're waiting for the temp to come up another 9.5*, so 21.5*C, which is fine if you can maintain your temps. When ale yeast get much above 70*F they'll start making fruity esters that usually aren't something you want (unless you're making a Belgian beer).

Probably meant come up to 19.5 (not 9.5). That would be 67f, I believe.

Yes I meant 19.5 degrees. Sorry for the typo. I ended up pitching when my sensor read 18.5 degrees. By the time I had finished it read 17.5 degrees, but soon came back up again once I had sealed everything up.

getting towards the end of fermentation now.

has been held nicely between 19 and 19.5 degrees C

should I be incorporating a diacetyl rest into the brewing process? if so, what temp would you recommend dialling in?

Cheers for the help

Typically it's lagers that need diacetyl rests. I think a few other yeast strains may benefit from it. I'd be shocked if a yeast used in a basic canned kit would require one.