What is your favorite kit? (Extract or mini mash)

[Kaseyp]

So.... I have successfully brewed 5 batches of great beer! So far I have done extract and mini mash kits. I would really like to know what kits everyone else is into. What has been your favorite batch. Did you modify it or keep it stock?


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[RobInOre]

I brew only extracts with steeping grains. I only used a kit on my first batch. With knowledge picked on this site and a couple books, I felt confident enough to leave kits and just buy the ingredients. Similar to baking bread I suppose. We don't need a kit, just a recipe and a pantry.

 

[Kaseyp]

Great thanks. What are a few of your favorite recipes? I am a huge IPA And IIPA fan but want to expand and try some new things.
I just bought beersmith for converting recipes, I should be able to get away from the kits and start to buy in bulk. But as I look through the Recipes section I am overwhelmed by everything.


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[JoshWithrow]

The very first batch I ever brewed was from a Brewers Best American Amber Ale kit. I will brew it again, but haven't yet. It's a fantastic, malty beer with a very balanced hop.

The only reason I haven't brewed it again (been at this for 5 weeks) is because I found this place, and the recipe database, and went down that path with Partial Mash brews.

 

[Croyzen]

Check out the beersmith recipe cloud for ideas from within the beersmith app. I have made several recipes based on recipes posted there. If you check beersmithrecipes.com you can view them by highest rated and most commented as well as sort by type. It's easier to view them than in the beersmith program. There are also plenty of great recipes here in the recipe section of this forum. Look for extract recipes that have lots of comments/reviews and start there. Create an equipment profile in beersmith. Enter the recipe exactly how it's listed in the recipe section and verify the gravity, IBUs, batch size, are correct, then scale the recipe by selecting your equipment profile (even if the batch size is the same).

If you like kits check out Austin homebrew supply. They will put the ingredients together for you when you place your order. Top notch for kits. Tons to choose from. When you place your order they will get it ready rather than it sitting on the shelf collecting dust like a brewers best kit for example. If you have beersmith and a LHBS I would break free of kits, unless of course you don't want to!

 

[Brewmenn]

I've done 4 brews so far and I have gotten all my stuff from Adventures in homebrewing (http://www.homebrewing.org/Beer-Recipe-Kits_c_135.html) They'll also put together any recipe you want. All the flexibility you want with ingredients in the convince of a kit.

It helps that they are also my LHBS and are 4 miles from home and on the way home from work.

 

[Kaseyp]

Thanks for the response! I have only used Austin Homebrew supply in the past and I must say they are excellent! Just started using beer smith so I guess I need to really dive into that. I have set up a profile but not sure about some of the options. But that is for another day!


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[UWDawg13]

My first batch was from Midwest Brewing - Ferocious IPA. Will definitely be brewing this one again. Good hop aroma but I'm a west coast IPA hop head so would probably add a bit more hops to the recipe. Worth a try though!

 

[dadshomebrew]

Did you try the Kalamazoo IPA from AHS. I just racked it (Minimash) to the keg and good lord is it good. I savored an entire glass of uncarbonated centennial goodness. If you give it a try dont forget a few extra oz for dryhop.

 

[grizzly2378]

I've only done a handful of batches so far but the dry irish stout kit from Northern Brewer turned out really good. If you're into IPAs, try Dead Ringer from NB. I did the one gallon version to try it out and it was great. I've got a Pliny the Elder clone from More Beer in primary right now. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out.


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[Kaseyp]

Thanks for the replies! I also have a Pliny clone in the fermenter. 14oz of hops and a starting gravity of 1.084! Going to dry hop this weekend then bottle next week! I hope it turns out close to the real thing as it is hard to come by where I live.


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[grizzly2378]

Just took a gravity sample on my Pliny. Not totally sure what my OG was...I got around 1.084 too but wasn't sure how accurate that was because I ended up with a lot of hop trub in my sample. Today it was at 1.020 after almost 2 weeks in primary. Still really cloudy but it tasted awesome. I can't get Pliny at all, so I don't have anything to compare it to but maybe that's better...as far as I know, it's just as good as the real thing!


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