Canned extract hard to find?

[JHemdal]

Hi folks,

I've been brewing extract kits for 25+ years. Coopers, Muntons, Williamswarn, etc. Over the past 18 months, it has become increasingly difficult to find no-boil canned kits. I like the ease of: one can of stout extract, 3# of dark DME and six gallons of water. Today I went shopping - and there is NONE out there, Amazon, EBay, my local brew store. Any ideas why?

Thanks,

Jay

 

[PT Ray]

AHS has a good selection of Coopers including Irish Stout in stock. In my opinion, the popularity of prehopped kits has been steadily declining in the States over the past 25 years. As a result, they weren't being stocked to previous levels. I'd also mention imported extract in general isn't stocked to what it use to be. I'd be willing to bet prehopped kits have seen an increase in their domestic markets starting last year affecting stock imported to the States.

I appreciate the ease of a prehopped kit as the next but AHS has such great deals on their recipe kits I can't justify spending more for an inferior finished product to save a little time. Right now AHS has their chocolate stout kit for $22. Your choice of all grain, mini or extract with steeping grains. Brewing my third one (mini mash) today and have to say the first two were excellent. I'll jump on a prehopped deal in a heartbeat. AHS had killer deal on Mangrove Jack's Wheat including a kilo of corn sugar for $20. Picked up 8 and loved them for what they were.

 

[JHemdal]

AHS has a good selection of Coopers including Irish Stout in stock. In my opinion, the popularity of prehopped kits has been steadily declining in the States over the past 25 years. As a result, they weren't being stocked to previous levels. I'd also mention imported extract in general isn't stocked to what it use to be. I'd be willing to bet prehopped kits have seen an increase in their domestic markets starting last year affecting stock imported to the States.

I appreciate the ease of a prehopped kit as the next but AHS has such great deals on their recipe kits I can't justify spending more for an inferior finished product to save a little time. Right now AHS has their chocolate stout kit for $22. Your choice of all grain, mini or extract with steeping grains. Brewing my third one (mini mash) today and have to say the first two were excellent. I'll jump on a prehopped deal in a heartbeat. AHS had killer deal on Mangrove Jack's Wheat including a kilo of corn sugar for $20. Picked up 8 and loved them for what they were.

Thanks, I had been on the AHS web site yesterday, but the only Coopers I saw in stock were lighter beers, their bottling sugar, etc. Another Texas site, America Brew, showed Coopers Stout in stock, but after I ordered it, they called and said it was out of stock. I ended up getting one of their extract kits. Trouble is, all of these types of kits still have grain (mini-mash?) and hops, which means I have to haul out my kettle and spend an extra hour or two brewing. I don't have a discerning palette and I REALLY enjoy just a can of Coopers and the DME pitched with dry yeast...so simple and consistent! WilliamsWarn stout was even better, but that isn't being exported any more.

Jay

 

[D.B.Moody]

I didn't use the hopped extracts, but I did like canned extract from Bierkeller, Edme, and John Bull. They've all disappeared. Mostly I use dry malt extract now. A few of my recipes don't involve steeping grains, but they all involve 60 minute boils for bittering hops. I like my simple, extract brewing; this site, not so much.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

ll of these types of kits still have grain (mini-mash?) and hops, which means I have to haul out my kettle and spend an extra hour or two brewing.

If the grains are crystal/caramel or roasted, one can just soak them in water to extract the sugars / flavors / colors. A common approach is to soak them in 150F water for 30 minutes. This looks / feels a lot like a mash.

To same some time, one can also soak the crystal/caramel/roasted grains in water while the water is being heated to a boil. Add the crystal/caramel/roasted grains at flame on, remove them when the water gets to around 160F. Be aware of the grains that are in the bag - if there are also base malts in the recipe, they require a mashing process (150F for 30 to 45 minutes).

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

I like my simple, extract brewing; this site, not so much.

[Edit -mod] Some people have a relaxed view of homebrewing.

 

[D.B.Moody]

a relaxed view of homebrewing

Thanks. "Relaxed" certainly describes my approach. I might check it out, but I don't have to validate what I'm doing, and I do enjoy watching posters going ballistic, pedantic, and holier-than-thou when secondary fermentation, CO2 barriers, temperature control, and O2 exposure are brought up. Also I'm enjoying some threads like Name that Skyline. Be it known that I got here because very knowledgable, experienced brewers discussed topics I was looking at: HBT kept appearing in the search. I was just Indicating that the OP couldn't expect great help on his concern at this site. Even my answer wasn't real helpful, just commiseration.

 

[passedpawn]

Hi folks,

I've been brewing extract kits for 25+ years. Coopers, Muntons, Williamswarn, etc. Over the past 18 months, it has become increasingly difficult to find no-boil canned kits. I like the ease of: one can of stout extract, 3# of dark DME and six gallons of water. Today I went shopping - and there is NONE out there, Amazon, EBay, my local brew store. Any ideas why?

Thanks,

Jay

I suppose you have to supply your own sugar with these. But maybe it's what your looking for?

https://www.northernbrewer.com/pages/search-results-page?q=muntons+hopped+kit
https://www.homebrewing.org/Flavored-Extract-Cans_c_220.html
https://www.mrbeer.com/coopers-diy-5-gallon-refills

 

[PT Ray]

I don't have a discerning palette and I REALLY enjoy just a can of Coopers and the DME pitched with dry yeast...so simple and consistent! WilliamsWarn stout was even better, but that isn't being exported any more.

I understand that and feel that's why prehopped kits are great. If I gave the impression otherwise that isn't the case. I've made plenty of good beer with Coopers and just some additional extract. No steep this and boil that attempting to improve it. Defeats the simplicity.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

I do enjoy watching posters going ballistic, pedantic, and holier-than-thou when secondary fermentation, CO2 barriers, temperature control, and O2 exposure are brought up.

and Brülosophy, don't forget Brülosophy.

Unfortunately (for me anyway) the p-value topic over in "brew science" last summer caused a number of people that I enjoyed reading to "go silent." [Edit -mod]

Always good to have a variety of information sources and a variety of interests.

 

[Bobby_M]

Hi folks,

I've been brewing extract kits for 25+ years. Coopers, Muntons, Williamswarn, etc. Over the past 18 months, it has become increasingly difficult to find no-boil canned kits. I like the ease of: one can of stout extract, 3# of dark DME and six gallons of water. Today I went shopping - and there is NONE out there, Amazon, EBay, my local brew store. Any ideas why?

Thanks,

Jay

My guess as to why is that more homebrewers are becoming picky about the quality of the beer output and even the extract manufacturers like Briess are being very transparent about the shelf life stability issues with liquid malt extracts. The small increase in effort of using dry malt extracts (for freshness) and boiling hops for the bittering results in a non trivial quality increase. So, less demand for a product that inherently gets worse as it sits around makes for a bad product line.

Sure, there are some folks that still want a "ferment it yourself" kind of kit, it's not what the cool kids are doing these days.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

@Bobby_M, back in #8, OPs question appears to been (partially) answered.

Coopers and Muntons hopped extract is available from a couple of online home brew stores.

 

[hout17]

I might have missed a post but it appears that Cooper's is available on the Mr. Beer Website.

Edit: Looks like I missed post #8 either way happy brewing still.

Happy Brewing!

 

[IslandLizard]

My guess as to why is that more homebrewers are becoming picky about the quality of the beer output and even the extract manufacturers like Briess are being very transparent about the shelf life stability issues with liquid malt extracts. The small increase in effort of using dry malt extracts (for freshness) and boiling hops for the bittering results in a non trivial quality increase. So, less demand for a product that inherently gets worse as it sits around makes for a bad product line.

Sure, there are some folks that still want a "ferment it yourself" kind of kit, it's not what the cool kids are doing these days.

That! ^
I couldn't have said it better.

There are now (the past 10 years, really) so many superior products available that will make so much better beer. Using DME (there's a large variety available now) and steeping grains one can brew pretty much any beer style, closer and more rewarding than any can (+kilo) kit could ever promise to do.

Instead of buying an illusion of a beer pictured on the fancy label of a can or kit, one could brew a real beer that actually much more closely resembles it in looks, mouthfeel, flavor, and aroma!

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Using DME (there's a large variety available now) and steeping grains one can brew pretty much any beer style ....

Continuing on this theme, if one is going to steep at 150F for 30 minutes, then this may be of interest: Easy Partial Mash Brewing (with pics).

Sources of fresh LME: AHA forums had a couple of recent topics where people were commenting on where they are able to get fresh LME.

Remember to store the ingredients properly.

 

[BQ&W]

Thanks. "Relaxed" certainly describes my approach. I might check it out, but I don't have to validate what I'm doing, and I do enjoy watching posters going ballistic, pedantic, and holier-than-thou when secondary fermentation, CO2 barriers, temperature control, and O2 exposure are brought up. Also I'm enjoying some threads like Name that Skyline. Be it known that I got here because very knowledgable, experienced brewers discussed topics I was looking at: HBT kept appearing in the search. I was just Indicating that the OP couldn't expect great help on his concern at this site. Even my answer wasn't real helpful, just commiseration.

While I, too enjoy the posters and looking for ways to improve my beer, for me it's a hobby/enjoyable pastime, not a job. Maybe I'd like to see a "Relaxed Brewing" forum?

 

[D.B.Moody]

Maybe I'd like to see a "Relaxed Brewing" forum?

Yes. And there could be rules about who can post, casually enforced or ignored of course. For instance you're out if . . .
. . . your brew day is longer than six hours including a nap after lunch before putting stuff away.
. . . your first step on brew day is to move the vehicles put of the garage.
. . . you use a step ladder to access you brew kettle.
. . . your brewing, fermentation, or conditioning process involves a hoist.
. . . you actually know what the temperature is in your fermentation vessel.
. . . you have a recipe that calls for 6 grams of something, and you can actually do that.
etc.

 

[duncan.brown]

Hmm... I have a three-vessel HERMS system, so I guess I'm out.

Plus, I purge all reactive gasses from the basement at the start of every brew day and brew from inside a bathysphere. I keep telling the family not to come downstairs while I'm brewing, but the kid won't listen. She can carry herself back upstairs next time she loses consciousness.

 

[BQ&W]

It's all in one's attitude! Whether it's a three-vessel HERMS system or a stove top extract brew, as long as you enjoy your process and results! RDWHAHB! CHEERS!

 

[soccerdad]

I still do a couple of "kit and kilo" type beers. When I look for coopers or muntons I search "hopped malt extract". It's been a while, but I think Williams and AIH both had them.