First AG attempt.. need a good safe kit

[GreenDragon]

So St. Pat's day I'll be trying to do my first AG brew. I was thinking about the "Cream Ale All-Grain Kit" from Northern Brewer. It has good reviews on their site but I take reviews on a sellers own web site with a grain of salt. Has anyone tried it? Link to it HERE

Is there a better newby AG kit you could suggest? I want to make something neutral, maybe a good summer beer. I have enough stout and brown ale to hold me over to the next batch so I want this to be a beer everyone can enjoy.

Thanks as always for the input!

 

[Arneba28]

Yes I have brewed that kid. Its Ok. Not great but pretty mellow, subdued. Kinda like the beer is supposed to be. There traditional stout kit is pretty good as is there Irish red.

 

[Homercidal]

Honestly, almost all AG recipes are equally difficult to brew. I'd choose a beer style that you know you like and brew it. Pale Ale, Hefe, Stout. It's really just a difference on how much of the different grains you add to the mash. If you can measure grains, you can brew any of them equally.

 

[Homercidal]

Oh, and for your fist AG I recommend checking calibration on your thermometers and Hydrometers before you get started. They will be much more necessary now.

 

[GreenDragon]

I was looking for a kit that my non-hardcore beer drinking friends would like. A Rolling Rock clone would probably work, or a nice "smooth" beer with little aftertaste (which is why I was keen on the cram ale).

Like I said, I have enough "real" beer to tide me over while they drink this batch.

 

[Redwiggler]

Try a kolsch and let me know how it is. They are fairly cheap and from NB reviews sounds like a nice summer brew. I can't find any in the stores to try but I'm planning on brewing some for the wife. Make sure you get the Kolsch yeast or it will just be an ale (just from what I've read).

 

[Homercidal]

Kolsch, or Cream Ale, or Blonde, or (My favorite) Wit.

The secret to brewing these of course is fermentation temps, so keep them low. Otherwise they are a basic beer to brew.

If you have the capability, maybe use distilled water and add a bit of mineral to make sure you are using less alkaline water. That is another secret for lighter beers. But if you know your water is not real alkaline, you will probably be fine.

 

[ksbrain]

I would not recommend a wheat beer for your first, due to potential lautering problems with wheat. I never have a problem with it, but wheat has a reputation for making stuck sparges. Start with all barley.

Do not mess with your water unless you know what your starting point is and what you're trying to achieve.

 

[EdWort]

Give this one a try. It's my Haus Ale recipe which was designed to appeal to a broad base of beer drinkers. It's highly quaffable IMHO.

http://www.brewmasterswarehouse.com/recipe/8e365620/bee-cave-brewery-haus-pale-ale

It's easy, inexpensive, and tasty.

 

[Burgs]

I made that Cream Ale kit, extract version, a while back and it went over quite well with friends. EdWort's Haus pale looks good too!

 

[Homercidal]

Ed's gets lots of rave reviews, as does Biermuncher's Centennial blonde. I've made the Centennial blonde a few times and it's a very tasty ans refreshing beer. Never made Ed's, (sorry Ed!)

 

[flabyboy]

My first was the Patersbier AG kit, but if you want to please the masses, you may want to look at the Speckled Heifer Kit. Its NB clone of the spotted cow which is a unfiltered cream ale