What Brewers Best Extract Kits do you like?

[DannyboyUSMC]

I'm curious how you like the witbeer. I just made that kit and tried it 3 weeks after bottling and was a little bit underwhelmed. Now I'm trying to wait longer to allow the flavors to mesh a little more. Overall I thought it was good but not great. But I'm hoping the flavor will improve with a few more weeks in the bottle.

It's still in secondary so I have a while to go. I heard the extract gets better the longer its bottled also, so if that's the case and I decide to make it again ill make a note on how long to leave it conditioning.

 

[bradtate]

there russian imperial stout was good (cold steeped grains over night and 3o min at 155 degrees max) in 3 months was able to drink , there holiday christmas ale was great ( same cold steep grains over night 155 degrees for 30 minutes ) 3 weeks we were drinking

 

[01TRV]

I am a big fan of the oktoberfest. I just boiled a batch last night. I decided to use US-05 ale yeast instead of what came with the kit. I recently picked up a temp controller for my garage fridge so I can lager, but I need to wait for warmer weather so I don't have to worry about it going to cold on me. My next batch I will be able to lager properly :rockin:

 

[jcam91]

Mmm I wonder how the Oktoberfest would be with California common yeast...

 

[Cicada]

I've done the IPA, the Hop Nog and have a fermenter of the oatmeal stout ready for bottling. I was very impressed with both the IPA and Hop Nog, as were my friends and family. I'm skeptical of how the oatmeal stout will turn out. I couldn't keep temps during the steep to convert stage, and then realized I had my water measurements wrong during the boil, so I added a ton of water just prior to pitching. I did a Gravity reading at 3 weeks and it was at 1.030, with the target being 1.018. I'll let yall know how it turns out.

 

[kurzschluss1]

It's still in secondary so I have a while to go. I heard the extract gets better the longer its bottled also, so if that's the case and I decide to make it again ill make a note on how long to leave it conditioning.

I just tried it again today (now 4 wks after bottling) and it is significantly better ... Very good now. I can't wait to see how the flavor evolves.

 

[Bauer]

I cracked open my first BB IPA today and it is really good. The only thing I did outside the recipe was add 2oz of cascade to dry hop. This was my first time dry hopping and I'm very glad I did it. It smells amazing. I like smelling this beer almost as much as I like drinking it.

 

[drksky]

I did the BB Smoked Porter kit as one of my first brews and it's pretty darned tasty. Smoky and chocolately, but not overwhelmingly so. Going by the samples I was pulling while it was fermenting, I thought the smoke was going to be obnoxious, but it's definitely toned down since being bottled. I'm on the second case after being bottled for about two months and each bottle gets better.

 

[bimmerbill]

My BB Milk Stout came out great! It's almost gone now, but got better tasting as it aged.

 

[unionrdr]

Mmm I wonder how the Oktoberfest would be with California common yeast...

I was thinking along the same lines,using the WL029 German ale/kolsh yeast I'm washing. Got one batch of the yeast in the fridge already.

 

[jcam91]

I was thinking along the same lines,using the WL029 German ale/kolsh yeast I'm washing. Got one batch of the yeast in the fridge already.

Never used that yeast, or California common for that matter. I just can't lager either so I wonder if fermented with the common yeast. One could make an Oktoberfest that is pretty much to style.

 

[Bultaco]

Update on Brewers Best IPA. I just tried my first bottle (3 weeks bottle conditioned). I am very pleased with how this beer turned out. Great taste and feel. I'm letting the rest of the batch age an additional 2 weeks, but had to at least try one now.

Was surprised with the head after just 3 weeks.

Hi, Ken.

I, like you, have always believed that "bottle conditioning" is, if not a necessity, certainly a desirable component of home brewing.

You (and lots of others) might be surprised by the answer I received from Shawn Croasmun, brand manager at Brewer's Best, when I wrote to ask if "time in the bottle" would create better taste/flavor. Here's what HE said:

" Lastly, the only beers that really benefit from an aging time is darker beers like Porters and Stout, oaked beers and fruit beers. Lighter beers like IPA’s, Pale Ale’s, Wheat’s etc. are ready to drink as soon as they’re carbonated."

Go figure. I mean, Shawn's not god......but, you'd think he should be speaking the manufacturer's "gospel".

Anyone else have an opinion?

 

[unionrdr]

Never used that yeast, or California common for that matter. I just can't lager either so I wonder if fermented with the common yeast. One could make an Oktoberfest that is pretty much to style.

WL029 is a German kolsch yeast (read ale yeast) that ferments best in the 65-69F range. It gives lager-like balance & crispness on the back that's very much like lagers. After carbonating at room temp, I put'em in the fridge for 2 weeks to simulate lagering in the bottles. Works pretty good.

Hi, Ken.

I, like you, have always believed that "bottle conditioning" is, if not a necessity, certainly a desirable component of home brewing.

You (and lots of others) might be surprised by the answer I received from Shawn Croasmun, brand manager at Brewer's Best, when I wrote to ask if "time in the bottle" would create better taste/flavor. Here's what HE said:

" Lastly, the only beers that really benefit from an aging time is darker beers like Porters and Stout, oaked beers and fruit beers. Lighter beers like IPA’s, Pale Ale’s, Wheat’s etc. are ready to drink as soon as they’re carbonated."

Go figure. I mean, Shawn's not god......but, you'd think he should be speaking the manufacturer's "gospel".

Anyone else have an opinion?

What he says is basically true. But I've had some AP's & IPA's that were a bit better after 4 weeks, rather than the usual 3 at 70F or a bit more.