worry wort Posted June 29, 2019 Share Posted June 29, 2019 Has anyone tried using the supermarket brand kit as a base for something bigger and better? I never considered it, but was reading on a facebook page on home brewing and a few of the guys there use them. Just curious if its been tried by anyone 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaddyBrew2 Posted June 29, 2019 Share Posted June 29, 2019 You would have to wonder where woolies source the stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenyinthewestofsydney Posted June 29, 2019 Share Posted June 29, 2019 A few on here including me have tried to polish a turd. Didn't have much luck. I don't think they are full malt to start with. They make good cheap starters though. 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaddyBrew2 Posted June 29, 2019 Share Posted June 29, 2019 There’s a big thread on another aussie homebrew forum that talks about the best toucans. And supposedly the woolies used as one with coopers being the other is supposed to work a treat along with some grains and hops but yeah, you can trust a renowned brewer like Coopers and the quality of their extract. Could you trust Wesfarmers? 50% malt extract with the remainder of whatever’s left around the stock floor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worry wort Posted June 29, 2019 Author Share Posted June 29, 2019 yeah, pretty much as i expected, and paddy, you're right, you know exactly what you're getting with any of the know brewers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RepSpec Posted June 29, 2019 Share Posted June 29, 2019 Kr did a video of this using a real basic kit set up...mentioned it was fairly average Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted June 29, 2019 Share Posted June 29, 2019 3 hours ago, Greeny1525229549 said: A few on here including me have tried to polish a turd. Didn't have much luck. I don't think they are full malt to start with. They make good cheap starters though. I used a Homebrand Draught once. Worst kit beer I ever made 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerlust Posted June 29, 2019 Share Posted June 29, 2019 4 hours ago, worry wort said: Has anyone tried using the supermarket brand kit as a base for something bigger and better? It's cheaper to NOT buy the supermarket brand home brew tins & leave out the "bigger & better" ingredients, & just buy a Coopers kit that gives you the flavours & aromas you are wanting anyway. If money is tight, I'd rather go without for a week or so than use one of those tins. They're aimed at someone that just wants to get drunk as cheap as possible, not someone that wants to make anything resembling a reasonable flavoured beer. Just my 10,....err 20 cents? Lusty. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worry wort Posted June 29, 2019 Author Share Posted June 29, 2019 yep, i agree lusty, i have been making coopers since 1978, first in the 4ltr wort boxes, then in the early 80's when I found the cans. I have strayed a couple of times but never down, always at best sideways to try something different, but always come back to coopers. Using a 'black and gold' kit has never entered my head, and I was suprised to see people on a homebrew site talking about using them 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerlust Posted June 29, 2019 Share Posted June 29, 2019 2 minutes ago, worry wort said: yep, i agree lusty, i have been making coopers since 1978... Then respectfully, you should know better. 2 minutes ago, worry wort said: ...Using a 'black and gold' kit has never entered my head, and I was suprised to see people on a homebrew site talking about using them Obviously they are of a lower level of brewer than you are. Greeny made a good comment above that they probably make for a good, cheap starter & that's about the only way one would end up in my shopping trolley. Cheers, Lusty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worry wort Posted June 29, 2019 Author Share Posted June 29, 2019 12 minutes ago, Beerlust said: Then respectfully, you should know better. cheeky bugger.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Worthog Posted June 29, 2019 Share Posted June 29, 2019 12 hours ago, Beerlust said: ......Just my 10,....err 20 cents? Lusty. Why don't you just make it "2 bobs worth", like it always was pre decimal currency.. Just my 2 bobs worth... Cheers 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malter White Posted June 29, 2019 Share Posted June 29, 2019 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malter White Posted June 29, 2019 Share Posted June 29, 2019 Blind taste test of Woolies home brew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty_G Posted June 29, 2019 Share Posted June 29, 2019 I look at this quite rationally and 1st: ... A good commercial kit be it Coopers or any of the others is cheap enough ...can make a really acceptable beer for $26.00 for 23L as I am about to do one with the Real Ale for my 1st keg ... no matter what I make, no matter what I add, no matter what methods I use the Real Ale kit with 1kg LDM is always up there for my taste ... so why try to save a few more dollars with a cheap kit that you have no idea of the quality ... 2nd: Unless you have no other option why buy at either of the big two shopping centres ... I drive 20 minutes to my LHBS to keep the money local ... a good LHBS is a blessing and if you don't use it you lose it ... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty_G Posted June 29, 2019 Share Posted June 29, 2019 That blind taste test clip was interesting and probably not in a good way for me... sort of reinforced to me the stereotype that many of the late 20s early 30s hipster beer set have actually no idea ... the older guy was pretty much on the money with every one of those beers and he nailed the cheap home brew as a good cider or a bad beer ... and the dude with the beard was totally off the mark even thinking one was a saison ... 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Captain!! Posted June 29, 2019 Share Posted June 29, 2019 I can’t get over how far off the bearded dude was ha ha ha 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malter White Posted June 29, 2019 Share Posted June 29, 2019 It would have been interesting to see how the Homebrand compared against other extract beers. Generally people on here suggest home brew is better than commercial beer, so it stands to reason the only home brew in the test came out on top but if it was a like for like test I wonder if the outcomes would be the same. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted June 30, 2019 Share Posted June 30, 2019 To be fair, a Saison isn’t a very distinctive beer And the bearded guy was cheating; he still had his glasses on. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MitchBastard Posted June 30, 2019 Share Posted June 30, 2019 God damn that bearded bloke was swinging for the fences every time he opened his mouth. Didn’t connect once. I don’t know what brews and bacon is and I’m not interested if he’s in charge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spudley Posted June 30, 2019 Share Posted June 30, 2019 Well that was worth a laugh 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worry wort Posted June 30, 2019 Author Share Posted June 30, 2019 4 hours ago, MartyG1525230263 said: the Real Ale kit with 1kg LDM is always up there for my taste ... When I first started on the cans in 84, all I could get was real ale, but it was as good a beer as you could get anywhere, and still one of my favourites. 4 hours ago, MartyG1525230263 said: a good LHBS is a blessing and if you don't use it you lose it ... and while the supermarkets will always be cheaper just on buying power, if the lhbs goes, where do you get your grains, hops and yeast from, I've never seen a supermarket with as big a range of brewing goodies as my lhbs, and my closest one is 55k away!. For a few extra bucks its worth it in the long run. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenyinthewestofsydney Posted June 30, 2019 Share Posted June 30, 2019 1 hour ago, worry wort said: and while the supermarkets will always be cheaper just on buying power, if the lhbs goes, where do you get your grains, hops and yeast from, I've never seen a supermarket with as big a range of brewing goodies as my lhbs, and my closest one is 55k away!. For a few extra bucks its worth it in the long run. I found Cooper's itself the cheapest for the kits. Every 2 months or so Cooper's give free shipping as well. Remember if you buy direct more money is going to Cooper's as well as you don't have Woolies or big W clipping the ticket on the way to you. And yeah. Support you local. I have 3 I frequent. Pat out at Penrith for my bulk grain and hops i dont buy off the net. The guys at country brewer prospect for yeast and emergency supplies and the hipsters at Marrickville who don't have a minimum weight grain bill so you can get a speciality grain only bill weighed and crushed for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Instigator Posted June 30, 2019 Share Posted June 30, 2019 On 6/29/2019 at 3:19 PM, worry wort said: Has anyone tried using the supermarket brand kit as a base for something bigger and better? I never considered it, but was reading on a facebook page on home brewing and a few of the guys there use them. Just curious if its been tried by anyone I wanted to know also, so I decided to try it for myself. Except, I'm making it as a "toucan" to hopefully boost the flavour. I didn't write it in that post, but I have a theory. What it comes down to is what is the source of the kit? The label on the Woolworth Lager kit says "Made in Australia from 99% Australian ingredients". Brigalow claim their stuff is also Made in Australia. So who makes and cans hopped malt extract in Australia? As far as I know, the only HME cans currently made in Australia are Coopers/Mr Beer, Brigalow, and Home Brand/Woolworths. Other than Mr Beer, the cans are all 1.7kg. This makes me think they probably (but might not) come off the same processing line. It's not unheard of for companies to contract another company to make products for them to their own specification. Where I'm going with this is, are we sure the Woollies kits aren't coming off a Coopers production line? Certainly, they are made to a price point, but does that mean the ingredients are crap? My gut feeling is it's probably just LME with a squirt of iso to keep the cost down. Lack of real bittering hops is probably the source of the poor flavour (and is why I've added some flavour hops). Anyway, as I said, I'm doing my own independent testing rather than turning my nose up or taking other people's word. To quote my own post above, for $15 of ingredients, all I have to lose is $15. I'm prepared to discover the naysayers are correct, but at least I'll know for myself. So far, the lack of bitterness in the lager can makes me think it could be useful for cheap LME. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaddyBrew2 Posted June 30, 2019 Share Posted June 30, 2019 You’d never tire of slapping the bearded dudes face 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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