question about mixing up an extract kit

[LemonJelly]

I received a Midwest Irish Red Ale kit as gift for x-mas and I've already made an amber kit, so I was wondering if it would be possible to make a red IPA out of it instead? First off, it was stored in a dark closet at room temp. Are the ingredients still usable? I plan on buying new fresh yeast, most likely US-05. Would I be able to add hops to the boil and dry hop to make an IPA out of this? What would be some good hops to add to this? The ingredients it came with are:
6 lb. Gold liquid malt extract
12 oz. Caramel 40L
2 oz. Special B
2 oz. Roasted Barley specialty grains
1 oz. Cascade
1 oz. Fuggle pellet hops

Thank you for any tips and help, much appreciated.

 

[DubBrew]

Put the hops in the freezer asap.

Besides adding more of those hops you could also look at Centennial and East Kent Goldings. Centennial is similar to Cascade and EKG is similar to Fuggles. Willamette is also a good option in the ball park of Fuggles.

But you don't really need to go crazy. If you want a hoppier beer I would just increase the same hops to recipe calls for.

 

[LemonJelly]

Besides adding more of those hops you could also look at Centennial and East Kent Goldings. Centennial is similar to Cascade and EKG is similar to Fuggles. Willamette is also a good option in the ball park of Fuggles.
But you don't really need to go crazy. If you want a hoppier beer I would just increase the same hops to recipe calls for.

What if I put aside the hops that came with it and did all centennial or centennial and then citra for dry hopping? or maybe all Citra for the boil and dry hopping? Is it ill-advised to just mix hops at random? Do certain hops work better than others with certain grains? I just want to make something different and something that will have more exciting flavor and aroma then just a plan ol' amber beer. Also thank you again for the advice.

 

[Cyclman]

Hops are like ice cream flavors, tons of flavors, unlimited ways to mix them. I did an ABA with six hops (whatever I had left over) and it turned out fantastic. Didn't make notes of what I tossed in, so I guess it can't be replicated. Just play with them, I'd toss them all in.

 

[tonyp063]

Also consider this.
That kit makes a really good brew, right out of the box, as it is.

I'd *strongly* suggest that you make it as is & don't muck with it.
And let about 1/2 the bottles sit for 2-3 months before tasting.
It's actually one of the best kits out there, as is.

Once you make it as the designers intended, then feel free to modify to your heart's content..

 

[chickypad]

What if I put aside the hops that came with it and did all centennial or centennial and then citra for dry hopping? or maybe all Citra for the boil and dry hopping? Is it ill-advised to just mix hops at random? Do certain hops work better than others with certain grains? I just want to make something different and something that will have more exciting flavor and aroma then just a plan ol' amber beer. Also thank you again for the advice.

I don't think it would be too hard to turn this kit into an red IPA-ish beer if you don't want something too close to what you just made. If you've got the centennial and citra they would go well with cascade. You could use the US-05 and do something like:
- add 2-3 lbs more of golden or light extract
- do a bittering addition at 60 min to get, say, 40 IBU
- do an ounce total of any or combo of the 3 hops at 20, 10, 5 min, and flameout
- dry hop with a couple ounces

In general I agree with not messing too much with kits but I can understand you wanting to do something with it especially if you didn't pick the kit.

 

[RM-MN]

You said you got this kit for Christmas. Of what year? If it came with dry yeast you are likely good to go. I've read the fact sheet put out by one of the manufacturers and they claimed nearly 100% viability for 2 years from packaging if the package hadn't been punctured or opened.

 

[RM-MN]

I'd suggest you brew that kit as is as it makes one tasty beer. If you really want a red IPA you could double the Cascade for the bitterness and dry hop with more Cascade for the aroma. I'd suggest dry hopping one to two ounces of Cascade.

 

[unionrdr]

Imo,even East Kent Golding (the English one) would play well with cascade. The original EKG has an herby,lemongrass kind of flavor to me. Centennial is good too. If you got the kit this past Christmas,it should still be good. But for future reference,put the hops in the freezer,the yeast & LME in the fridge.
They'll store better that way. I put all yeasts in the lil butter cubby on the fridge door. They don't get kicked around that way & stay sealed.
I even put my grains in there sealed bags inside zip lock freezer bags in the fridge. They seem to store quite well this way.

 

[LemonJelly]

Awesome, thank you guys. I think I have general idea of what I want to do now.