First batch : kit or simple malt extract?

Hi everybody,
I've been wondering if I'm better starting off a beer kit like Cooper's or if I'm better starting off with simple malt extract? I know Cooper's beer kit are simple as doing 2+2, but still, I heard the taste and flavour was very poor. Moreover, malt extract doesn't seem too much complicated, not as simple as beer kits, but still seems like easy to do.

Any thoughts? My reference is Papazian's book, 3rd edition.

Oh yeah. Is doing a secondary fermentation really rcommended or is doing only one fermentation (with only one carboy) is fine for a first time?

I would do a standard extract recipe
1: malt extract
2: specialty grains
3: hops
4: Yeast

you will get a far better product than a can of coopers, and it is as easy as 3+3 (only slightly more complicated than 2+2)

You should be fine with just a primary fermenter. Unless you are planning to add additional sugars, transfering to a secondary vessel is just to improve clarity.

My Dunklewizen is a pretty simple recipe, should cost about $30 to buy everything at your LHBS and i placed 1st in my club's monthly competition with it.

The easiest would be a Heffewizen

6lb Wheat Dry Malt Extract
1oz Cascade (60 min boil)
Wheat Beer Yeast (E941)

just boil 2.5g water, add the extract and hops
Boil for 1 hour, cool to 70deg, top off to 5gal
pitch yeast, and bottle in 14 days.

I agree with Arkador, do an extract/specialty steeping grains/hops/yeast recipe. Although this may be what you're calling a "kit" anyways

taste and flavor of Cooper's kits is not very poor, its actually very good

it really just depends on what you want to make

if you can find a can kit that you want to drink, have no fear making it - if you'd rather make something you can't find just making it with extract is not much harder

6 of one half dozen of the other - theres barely any difference worth mentioning

My first batch was just a malt extract kit (with specialty grains and hops) from Midwest Supplies. I think this is an ideal start for someone who wants to make quality beer, not just cheap beer. If you take your time, and are careful to follow the process, you should end up with a very good beer.

I racked my first batch to a secondary, but only because I was really anxious to use my primary for a second batch, and didn't want to by a new bucket. I would recommend keeping your first batch in your primary for the entire fermentation cycle. There is less variable this way, and you are more likely to get quality output.

Arkador said:

I would do a standard extract recipe
1: malt extract
2: specialty grains
3: hops
4: Yeast

you will get a far better product than a can of coopers, and it is as easy as 3+3 (only slightly more complicated than 2+2)

You should be fine with just a primary fermenter. Unless you are planning to add additional sugars, transfering to a secondary vessel is just to improve clarity.

My Dunklewizen is a pretty simple recipe, should cost about $30 to buy everything at your LHBS and i placed 1st in my club's monthly competition with it.

The easiest would be a Heffewizen

6lb Wheat Dry Malt Extract
1oz Cascade (60 min boil)
Wheat Beer Yeast (E941)

just boil 2.5g water, add the extract and hops
Boil for 1 hour, cool to 70deg, top off to 5gal
pitch yeast, and bottle in 14 days.

Click to expand...

OK, so malt extract first should be good & easy with specialty grains.

I've been told that, with this temperature, I'm better (as I don't presently have a fermentation chiller) starting off with a Saison (Season?) / belgian ale which, if carefully chosen, may uses yeast fermenting at 25-35 Celsius degrees (77-95 F). Any good recipes for that?

Although, I'll keep in mind your *weizen recipes, as they seem very easy to do and very good to taste

Mutilated : I've read on these very forums some reviews of these beers kits (Cooper's) which said this wasn't really an awesome beer to drink (espacially the Cooper's dark ale). Well, of course, I don't know of all the kits they do. However, I'm pretty sure this is more rewarding to do your own malt extract recipes instead of a kit.