Make my kit better!

[michaelzero]

Hey there. I've just returned to brewing after a 3 year break (went overseas for a bit - to the UK, I'm going to really miss the beer).

Before I left I had got to the point of doing a partial mash brew with hop pallets - got some good results.

Anyway, my girlfriend bought me a kit with the following.

- Brewcraft "Munich Lager" (malt extract in a can)
- Brewcraft "German Lager No. 60" enhancer (dry mix of malt extract, dextrose, hops)

I don't have the setup to do a lager - so my question is - can I split this kit into two brews and add in something else to get closer to a Pale Ale?

I'm a cheapskate when I start a project!

So - Munich Lager + ?
- German Lager No. 60 + ?

I'm thinking hop pallets, Pale Ale yeast and Pale Ale malt extract.

Temperatures are averaging 20C (65F) here in New Zealand at the moment.

 

[unionrdr]

You could use German hops to be authentic. Maybe a 3lb bag of plain light DME as well. Ale yeast would give good flavors at the lower end of the yeasts' temp range. Just not quite like a lager.

 

[AMonkey]

If I am remembering correctly, you could brew the lager kits as is but just switch the yeast to an ale yeast. If you use an ale yeast the kits can stay the same but you can ferment at ale temps. Should still be good beer.

 

[unionrdr]

Yeah it would. Maybe use an ale yeast that accents the hop flavors to get closer to what a lager yeast would taste like? Just a thought...

 

[Homercidal]

Your options are practically endless. You could add some DME to either of these other ingredients and use whatever hops you like. Traditional English hops like fuggles or EKG would be fitting, but those German Noble hops are always tasty too.

What I recommend is to give Beersmith a try and see what you get when you plug in some more extract. Load up a Pale Ale template and adjust the ingredients to suit that style. A bit of Crystal and some nice hops would make a great Pale Ale. Or you can add more stuff if you like.

 

[michaelzero]

Great, thanks for the advice guys! I think I'm going to add Black Rock Light Malt Extract to both parts of the kit, as well as Cascade Hops for 15mins and 0 mins + Safale US-05 (as that's whats available to me).

It'll be a bit of a gamble as I don't know what's really in the tin or "enhancer" but could be good!

It's also great to see brewing software released for Mac!

 

[michaelzero]

I thought I'd update this thread for anyone looking in the future with a similar question.

Here is the recipe - sorry if it's not the right format!

BREWDATE: 10 October 2012

1 Can Brewcraft Munich Lager 1.7kg (3.75lb)
1 Can Blackrock Amber Malt 1.5kg (3.3lb)

Add to pot (approx 1 gal) of warm water and heat, stirring until all malt extract is dissolved.

15g (0.5oz) of Cascade hops into a small jug of boiling water - taken off the boil straight away and added to fermenter when cooled.

Safale US-05 yeast - made into a slurry with boiled, cooled water.

Made to 21L (5.55 gal)

OG 1.042
READING 02 NOVEMBER 1.0115
READING 04 NOVEMBER 1.0115
BOTTLED 04 NOVEMBER - 2 brewcraft drops per 750ml

NOTES
Bubbles showed 18 hours after yeast pitch.

Tasted on 10th November (impatient). Overly malty, slightly fruity, but clean finish. The cascade hops are nice on the nose. I think the Safale has done a good job of brewing clean, but I should have treated the Brewcraft Munich Lager can as a can of unhopped malt extract and added hops accordingly, perhaps going a little bit easy on the bittering hops. I'm going to leave it another 2 weeks and if it hasn't improved I'll throw it away.


I'm pretty disappointed as it's my first brew in three years. On the plus side I have the ingredients for a IPA arriving soon. Pearle and NZ Cascade hops with light malt extract and some crushed crystal for steeping.

 

[michaelzero]

Actually I just read this

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/ne...virtue-time-heals-all-things-even-beer-73254/

So I'll sit on it for a while longer than 2 weeks! Hopefully I'll remember to report back, perhaps in the New Year.