Can I mix two Muntons beer kits to make one strong beer?

I have two Muntons beer kits that were given to me. A American Style Beer kit, and a Canadian Style Beer kit.

I don't want to brew either kit really, so I'm thinking about mixing the two in 6 gallon batch to get some really strong beer.

My question is, can I mix both malt extracts and yeasts, and expect that everything will turn out well?

What OG and FG should I expect?

Should I add some sugar?

Adding sugar, or table sugar will result in a watery beer, however mixing two beer kits to make 1 high gravity kit might stall out your yeast. What are the ingredients in the kit? Maybe someone can run the numbers on them to tell you what you can expect.

Both products state that they yield 1.036-1.040, so using both in one batch will yield approximately 1.080 and I would suspect that it should finish around 1.008-1.010 giving you about a 9% beer that should be plenty drinkable to those who like that end of the spectrum. 80 is a little high, but I'm sure whatever battle-axe yeast that kit came with will handle it. I suggest a starter and a blow off tube.

If you combine them, you probably won't be able to get them down to 1.008-1.010. Maybe 1.020 or 75% attenuation. With extracts you get a lot of unfermentables which will keep the FG high. That being said, I don't see why you couldn't mix them. You might have to change the hop schedules, but using Nottingham yeast (probably 2 packets preferably) you could probably make it work. If you give me both recipes I can work something out.

storunner13 said:

If you combine them, you probably won't be able to get them down to 1.008-1.010. Maybe 1.020 or 75% attenuation. With extracts you get a lot of unfermentables which will keep the FG high. That being said, I don't see why you couldn't mix them. You might have to change the hop schedules, but using Nottingham yeast (probably 2 packets preferably) you could probably make it work. If you give me both recipes I can work something out.

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Both recipes have the same instructions.

Boil 6 pints of water, add can contents (hopped malt extract), and sugar or dry malt if desired, stir. Pour into fermentor, add cold water, pitch yeast. Set in dark room, 65 to 70 degrees, for 6 days.

OG - 1036-1040
FG - 1008

Go ahead and do it, it's your beer! Definitely make a starter though, I didn't on my first big beer and it stalled out at 1.04.

Do it!
The second kit replaces the sugar OR DME. I do it all the time OG should still be in range but toward the higher side. You won't get a lot more alcohol but you will have a farricher, sweeter brew.

does the kit come with one or two cans. if each kit comes with two cans, you could mix a can of each and have two batches. or mix three cans and save the fourth for another addition. you have many options.

starter is a good idea with a blowoff.

you screw up and you get beer, (worst case senario, without infection)

Best of luck

When I started my brewing career in Australia, they called this a "toucan". Or two-can, if you prefer It can definitely be done, but will be a richer beer than the regular kit, as eikcuf says. The OG won't be a lot higher than it would be with one can and an appropriate amount of sugar or DME, but it will be more bitter, because both kits will probably be prehopped. And the FG will probably be higher.

But yeah, do it.

If those cans are 3.75 lbs like the coopers, then mixing two together with no additional sugar will leave you around 1.042 in a 6 gallon batch. You would have to add 5 pounds of sugar to get up to 1.080 (although I don't think that much sugar would be advisable). You could add a little sugar and a little DME to try to balance it out a bit (as has been mentioned it will be a little bitter more than likely). Good luck with your experiment!

Edit: Doh I just realized that this was an older thread from mid january, did you do it?

I am no expert in this matter but I would say that since normal gravity for these beers is 1.044 or so , two cans is going to double that and you will not get fermentation . Unless you use some wine yeast perhaps .
If you want stronger then make a small wort maybe a gallon or two out of some grains that will go along with the style and some hops and use that two gallons instead of two gallons of water .

unionrdr said:

Not true. I mixed 2 Cooper's cans with a 3lb bag of Munto's plain light DME & 3oz of hops. Got OG1.065,FG of 1.017 for 6.8% by Cooper's formula. That was my extract rendition of the old #3 Burton ale from the 1890's. Had that rusty amber color,slightly sweet flavor to the malt.
I also rehydrated 4/7g Cooper's ale yeast packets for it. I think that one went 5 weeks in primary.

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Interesting . Did you use more water or the required amount for one can ?
I guess after thinking on this that the gravity would not go up double but certainly went up some by your 1.065. Sounds tasty indeed.

So I am guessing that the extra can you used added about .020 to the mix ?

MarcusKillion said:

I am no expert in this matter but I would say that since normal gravity for these beers is 1.044 or so , two cans is going to double that and you will not get fermentation . Unless you use some wine yeast perhaps .
If you want stronger then make a small wort maybe a gallon or two out of some grains that will go along with the style and some hops and use that two gallons instead of two gallons of water .

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A canned beer kit like Munton's or Cooper's would only reach 1.044 when extra fermentables are added, the most basic being a kilogram of dextrose (kit and kilo). The kits themselves are basically equivalent (fermentability-wise) to an equal volume of LME.

that is quite interesting . I figured 2 cans with only 6 gallons of water would come out much thicker than one can . I may have to try me a stout and nut brown mix.