AndrewDK Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Hi all, Scored a beginners home brew kit for Xmas, very excited as this is a hobby I have been interested in but never tried. Anyway while I plan on starting small by just making the can kits as is, or following the recipes on the coopers website (all of which sound very good). Sooner or later I would like to start personalising or experimenting to create my own recipes. So if any experienced brewers could pitch out some ideas and techniques about how to start personalising and experiemtnign with the process I would greatly appreciate it. Not just looking for recipes but more the techniques and the do's and do not's as such. Cheers all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 hey mate the section on this coopers site have both brewing facs does and donts as well as a recepie page. As well as that if you click on the recepie resources part of this talk brewing site you can see posts other people have done with there ideas they have or will try. good to see more people coming on here im a newb to forum myself hope we get more members coopers is the go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
***** Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Hey Andrew Good onya and welcome to the forum, I've had my kit since October and have brewed 10 batches so far. My first advice would be, if you haven't already started, don't use the Be1 with the Lager Kit save it for another kit. If you can get some Light Dry Malt (1kg) or some Light Malt Extract (1.5kg). I used Be1 with the Lager, Pale and Blonde Kits. For me the Lager was unremarkable, the Pale Ale and Blonde were a big improvement. I made the Lager kit again using LME, DME, some crystal and some hops and it is like 1000% better. If you have already put down the brew no worries, my son and my daughter's partner both thought it was good (mind you for them it was free) and I have polished of the rest. Where you head depends on your own tastes, do you like complex flavours and beers like Fat Yak, LCPA or JSGA. If you do like these craft beers don't waste time get some hops in your brew ASAP. The reason I say this is that I laid down four brews without hops, and have about 45 litres of these brews left, followed by two brews with hops and four brews with hops and grains. Having tasted the hopped brews (from 1 month bottled) I find them much more interesting and therefore I've got 45 litres of beer that I need to drink real fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 Hi Andrew and welcome to the forum. A homebrew kit will be the best xmas present you ever received. My advice is to read up on techniques and ingredients. Get yourself a copy of "How to Brew" by John Palmer and read it whilst you brew your standard kit recipes. You can read an older version online (link below) but you can't beat a hard copy. How to Brew Good luck with your new hobby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewDK Posted December 29, 2011 Author Share Posted December 29, 2011 Thanks for the link Hairy, will have a read. I've just made the lager kit as is, if I screw it up I've lost nothing. Planning on making a cider (with cinnamon sticks and vanilla pods steeped and strained) and a stout with hops and grains. Probably after that try a pilsner, thinking of a saaz and Nelson Sauvin hops combo. IMHO I have a fairly good palette for beer flavours so wanting to learn what all the hops and grains give flavour wise and then put it all together. Thanks for the welcome all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyG4 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 i'd love to hear how that cider goes. as a fellow noob, i reckon this could be one of the more interesting uses of my brew kit - but there's about 5 beers i want to try before i get to it :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeCoq/Rooster Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 G'day AndrewDK. Fellow noob. Lager kit a present for xmas, but she bought me a can of Aus Pale Ale also. I've been researching to see if there is a beer that blends both. But reckon I'll be making the Lawnmower Lager first, then a pale ale so i can stop buying cases. I'm also working on a dark brew for winter i've called 23 Spice. Let me know how you go. I'll be interested in the cider as my wife drinks it and i'd love to be able to brew for her also. dink dink Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Welcome guys. There are better beers than the kit Lager imo. Nevertheless, it is drinkable. The Pale was a bonus, I like the Pale Ale. Such a good drop to use as a base. I am sure you guys will pick it up pretty easy and no doubt you'll even be introducing some specialty grains and hops to better it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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