Brewers Best Beer kits

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c1377

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I am looking for my first Home Brew.
I want to start with either AustinHomeBrew.com's 1554 Clone or a brewer's best beer kit I can get here in town. The brewer's best beer kit is about $10 cheaper, so it may be better suited for a first brew BUT I want to brew something I know that I will like.

I don't like strong bittering hops
I do love a strong hop aroma

I don't like most pale ales, or light bodied beer (exception: blonde double-bocks & maibocks).
I prefer medium/full bodied beer, with caramel(and/or)toast/biscuit/chocolate flavour(s), in that order.

the local brew shop has: red ale, scotch ale, english brown ale, traditional european bock, american nut brown ale

QUESTION

so what do you reccomend?

stick it out and wait for the 1554 clone to arrive
or go ahead and start with one of the Brewer's Best kits listed above (which one?)
 
Maybe an American Wheat? You've kinda stumped me there. Just hold off on the bittering hops in the beer that you brew and you'll be fine : )
 
I'd wait for the 1554. AHS has really good kits with great instructions. The clones are always good and this beer is dark enough to hide some mistakes. I've never been a huge fan of the Brewer's Best kits. Never know how long they have been there or what conditions they were stored in and don't taste all that great.
 
Just my 2cents but the BB red ale kit was one of the best that I brewed. Everyone that tried it loved it. Easy to start with, good directions, simple and a good product when it is done. But like I said just my 2c.



SD
 
I started with Brewer's Best kits...

I found each of my beer form them to be too sweet. So, if you use them I'd recommend buying a little extra of whatever bittering hops are in the recipe and adding them to your boil.
 
Kind of late now (sorry, I just saw this), but I've made many of the Brewer's Best kits. They are easy to make and true to style, and not highly hopped or bitter. If you like those styles, then you'd be fine with those kits.

You have me stumped on what kind of style you'd like (I never heard of a lighter bodied blonde dopplebock or maibock), so I don't have any specific recommendations, but if you like Newcastle you'd be fine with the English Brown ale kit. It's pretty light bodied, like Newcastle.
 
You have me stumped on what kind of style you'd like (I never heard of a lighter bodied blonde dopplebock<edit: Double-Bock> or maibock), so I don't have any specific recommendations, but if you like Newcastle you'd be fine with the English Brown ale kit. It's pretty light bodied, like Newcastle.

I am probably describing the Blonde Double-Bock/MaiBock beer wrong. They are lighter in colour and are crisp (like a pale-ale, unlike a stout) but still have lots of flavour, so maybe they are a light coloured, medium bodied beer?

Anywhoo.. thanks for the help. I will probably get a Brewers Best Kit, so I can start tomorrow, and then order for my second batch.

<hr>
as a side note, I think I just had a bad beer. I dumped it down the sink. It was a new belgium mothership wort (wheat beer). It was cloudy and had smelled like dishwater left in the sink all weekend, or leftovers in the fridge gone moldy. -this was my first wheat beer (that I can remember) and was rather dissappointing.. I hope all wheat beer does not taste like that.
 
I am probably describing the Blonde Double-Bock/MaiBock beer wrong. They are lighter in colour and are crisp (like a pale-ale, unlike a stout) but still have lots of flavour, so maybe they are a light coloured, medium bodied beer?

Anywhoo.. thanks for the help. I will probably get a Brewers Best Kit, so I can start tomorrow, and then order for my second batch.

<hr>
as a side note, I think I just had a bad beer. I dumped it down the sink. It was a new belgium mothership wort (wheat beer). It was cloudy and had smelled like dishwater left in the sink all weekend, or leftovers in the fridge gone moldy. -this was my first wheat beer (that I can remember) and was rather dissappointing.. I hope all wheat beer does not taste like that.


I think blonde dopplebock is a full bodied beer, as are most bocks, but maybe that's just my perception. They are crisp, because they are lagers and lagering really does provide that crispness. Also, the hops are German noble hops, so those are kind of "crisp" tasting hops, too. There is a malty cleanness in the flavor that you don't get in ales usually.

Well, I think ALL wheat beers taste horrible, so I'm no judge of a good one. Most people do like them, though, so maybe you just got a bad one. If you want to try another one, there is one called Blue Moon, a wit style. That's a popular one ( I don't like it, though- but many people do).
 
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