How many people use kits?

How many of you experienced guys use kits? I've just started getting into this home brewing thing and I see a lot recipes out there but there is tons of kits availible also. Is there any adavantage to kits?

also has anybody used the austin home brew kits? They seem to have tons of options.

I started with kits, and in my opinion that is the best way to go.

Kits are extremely useful when starting out. I found that I would focus my attention on cleaning/santitization, and procedures when I first start brewing. Kits allowed me to do this and make great beer without the distraction of planning reciepes....IMO

Kits are a great way to start and figure things out. The only reason I don't get kits anymore is because I've been gettin into bulk grain buys. The grain is very cheap and all you have to do is get some specialty stuff and you can make anything. Sometimes my recipes are based off of kits from northern brewer, austin etc...

Kits are a great way to try a new style of beer. Then you can always tweak and personalize the kit recipe to make it your own if you so desire to brew something similar in the future.

denmfu said:

also has anybody used the austin home brew kits? They seem to have tons of options.

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Yes, the AHS kits are great. Very easy to follow instructions.

A kit's nothing but a recipe with the ingredients included. The advantage is you don't have to spend time putting together ingredients and hoping a vendor has each one you need.

Granted my experience is with AHS. Do other vendors not include the explicit ingredients and amounts with their kits? I can see how that would be a negative and make it harder to begin learning what ingredients add what flavors if you just get a giant unmarked container of extract and unmarked bag of hops and spices...

Edit:
Didn't see the second part. I've had a great experience with AHS kits; highly recommend them.

I certainly started out using kits and the results were wonderful. I never brewed a kit that I did not like the results. When I found certain ones that I really liked, I would then start to adjust them.

I have used AHS and found them excellent!

Gary

bhop2112 said:

Yes, the AHS kits are great. Very easy to follow instructions.

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+1

I just bottled their PM Blue Moon Clone last night....and Saturday will be starting their Fat Tire clone....another favorite it seems of these forums. Start with the kit...to get your feet wet and understand the steps....then you can take a dive off of the deep end!!

I used extract kits when starting out. I has since gone AG and never done an AG kit. Prolly never will, because of grain prices locally an d I buy hops in bulk. Every now and again I'll do an extract if I am low on time and the pipeline needs recharging, I always just grab a kit. Personally I wouldn't even want to track down a few ounces of steeping grains and some extract when the whole point for me is convenience.

Yeah I am thinking of a kit for the next batch as my first 2 were just off the cuff creations that my LHBS helped me with. So the AHS kits include the detailed recipe and quantities for each ingredient? So you could make them again on your own without the kit?

nobita said:

Yeah I am thinking of a kit for the next batch as my first 2 were just off the cuff creations that my LHBS helped me with. So the AHS kits include the detailed recipe and quantities for each ingredient? So you could make them again on your own without the kit?

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Absolutely. Great instructions.

I have made a recipe book just for my AHS instruction sheets/ingredient lists.

I've done 4 all grain batches to date that were all recipes I found on here or one, my brown porter, that I put together myself. When I started all I did was extract kits. Now i'm planning my first lager and with probably just use a kit for the ease of knowing it should be a proven recipe and I can concentrate on getting fermentation and the lagering process down. Temp controller should be arriving today.:rockin:

denmfu said:

How many of you experienced guys use kits? I've just started getting into this home brewing thing and I see a lot recipes out there but there is tons of kits availible also. Is there any adavantage to kits?
.

Click to expand...

I started with extract kits and have enjoyed the process and the results but wanted more of the "nuts and bolts" of the experience so I started doing all grain recipes. My local home brew supply is a very small section of a small store with that space divided between beer and wine making supplies. They try hard but there is only so much space to devote to this so the selection of grains is quite limited as they also have to cater a bit to the extract brewer. Their selection of extract kits is quite good however so I can choose a kit for whatever kind of beer I would like and manager has offered to special order any that they didn't stock. When I think I have the all grain process all worked out and am tired of the extra work involved in it, I probably will buy another extract kit or more to fill my pipeline.

most people would probably say they started with kits/mr. beer. i still use them.

I started with kits, do extract recipes, yet still buy kits and like to hack them to "make my mark". No AG yet but maybe some day. In my part of the world kits are also good since they are available in the store while DME/LME/grains come from afar and shipping can be a killer.

B

HOLY S#%^!!!
2 pages already you guys are awesome.

Ive done one I've done one brewers best kit (Red Ale) but i'm still waiting to try it since its only been a week and I just picked up and American Ale kit from my local store but I saw AHS kits and there are tons of them to choose from.

The mini mash kit looks interesting, is that the pretty much the same thing as an extract kit with a few steeping grains?

A mini mash is a mash, where enzymes convert starches to fermentable sugars. In a mini mash after you mash your grains you add extract to your wort to "top off" to the desired gravity or flavor profile.

Steeping is just a method to get the flavor and color from the grain, not sugars!

Mini mashing is a good way to get your feet wet with all grain brewing!