Beer.Simply Beer kits....

[Brownalemikie]

Has any of you tried their Brown Ale kits? I've made their Stout and was surprised by how good it was for a $19.99 five gallon recipe. Tia

 

[kh54s10]

4.0 / 5.0
25 Reviews
5 Stars 14
4 Stars 3
3 Stars 4
2 Stars 2
1 Stars 2

I haven't brewed a kit (except one I got in a contest here on HBT for a review) for years. But the ratings are pretty positive. I prefer making my own recipes or using a recipe and my own ingredients rather than kits. I save a lot of money that way.

 

[Brownalemikie]

4.0 / 5.0
25 Reviews
5 Stars 14
4 Stars 3
3 Stars 4
2 Stars 2
1 Stars 2

I haven't brewed a kit (except one I got in a contest here on HBT for a review) for years. But the ratings are pretty positive. I prefer making my own recipes or using a recipe and my own ingredients rather than kits. I save a lot of money that way.

Thanks, I read those reviews on their website. I'm kinda hoping some of our HBT members might have some opinions.

 

[kh54s10]

Thanks, I read those reviews on their website. I'm kinda hoping some of our HBT members might have some opinions.

I figured you might have but quoted it in case you missed it.

 

[sonic7173]

I brewed the IPA awhile back and was very pleased as were all my friends who helped taste test. Great beer for the money IMHO

 

[stylus1274]

The brown ale is terrible. I also had the cream ale and that was OK. I won't be buying any more of those kits

 

[RM-MN]

The brown ale is terrible. I also had the cream ale and that was OK. I won't be buying any more of those kits

It's amazing that you have such bad luck with these kits while others find them quite good. Perhaps it isn't the kit.

 

[stylus1274]

It's amazing that you have such bad luck with these kits while others find them quite good. Perhaps it isn't the kit.

Perhaps your backhanded jab isn't appreciated

 

[stylus1274]

Let me rephrase what I said. Maybe 'terrible' was the wrong word to use and a bit too strong.

The brown ale was a bit generic for me. I prefer a more creamy and rich taste which this kit did not have.

The cream ale I had was fine but again it was not great and a bit generic. Just my opinion as what was asked by the OP.

 

[TonyKZ1]

Has any of you tried their Brown Ale kits? I've made their Stout and was surprised by how good it was for a $19.99 five gallon recipe. Tia

I've made all 6 of those recipes and there wasn't one I didn't like. In fact, I made the Brown Ale and Stout twice. I added cherry extract to the wheat recipe and oats to the stout recipe the second time I made it. They all turned out pretty good.

 

[RM-MN]

Let me rephrase what I said. Maybe 'terrible' was the wrong word to use and a bit too strong.

The brown ale was a bit generic for me. I prefer a more creamy and rich taste which this kit did not have.

The cream ale I had was fine but again it was not great and a bit generic. Just my opinion as what was asked by the OP.

I'll apologize. The kits are really just a basic beer. From that simple beginning one can tweak to make whatever one likes with simple additions or substitutions. Take their pale ale kit for example. Increase the bittering hops, add a little more malt extract, and a good dry hop and you have a real pale ale/ipa. Any of the kits can be tweaked if one likes.

 

[Brownalemikie]

Thanks guys. Today I ordered the Stout kit and Brown Ale kit. Plan on adding an extra lb. of dark DME to each batch along with a couple ounces of extra steeping grains. We'll see how it turns out and will adjust as I go. I figure I'll end up with about 100 bottles of beer for $57. That's about 57 cents per bottle....not bad for a extract beer.

 

[RM-MN]

Thanks guys. Today I ordered the Stout kit and Brown Ale kit. Plan on adding an extra lb. of dark DME to each batch along with a couple ounces of extra steeping grains. We'll see how it turns out and will adjust as I go. I figure I'll end up with about 100 bottles of beer for $57. That's about 57 cents per bottle....not bad for a extract beer.

Choose your steeping grains carefully as your dark DME will have some of those type grains in their makeup. If i were making the batch I might go with some extra light DME and the steeping grains for more control over what flavors are added.

With that in mind, consider doing an all grain BIAB batch. Not much more work, not much needed for equipment, more control over the ingredients, less cost of ingredients. If you have a 5 gallon pot, try a 2 1/2 gallon batch with the bag being the only extra equipment cost (assuming your LHBS can mill the grains for you). I use a 5 gallon paint strainer bag that I got at Home Depot.:rockin:

 

[jalc6927]

They are sold through Midwest so they are probably good kits, just basic

Price wise they are worth trying

 

[MikeWazowski]

I added 16 ounces of D-90 Candi Syrup to the Brown Ale recipe.

Turned out nice.