Basic method<\/b><\/p>\n
Most brewers start off with a kit brew. It\u2019s an easy way to make beer and learn some basics of brewing. Most kits contain 1.5\u00a0kg to 1.7\u00a0kg pre-hopped malt extract. Usually the instructions on the can go something like this:<\/p>\n
If done correctly, this will usually give a passable but thin bodied and bland beer. However, a Coopers kit from the supermarket will cost $14 to $17, plus a couple of dollars for the sugar, which works out at less than $1.15 a litre ($2.30 a six-pack) for something that\u2019s probably no worse than some of the cheapest mainstream commercial beers, and sometimes better.<\/p>\n
For a little more time and money, you can use kits to brew something a lot better that\u2019s still much cheaper than buying commercial beer.<\/p>\n
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Adding malt extract<\/b><\/p>\n
You can improve the body of a kit beer by replacing the sugar with a 1.5 kg can of liquid malt extract (or 1.2kg of dried malt extract). This will yield roughly the same alcohol content as adding a kilo of sugar, because \u00a0sugar is fully fermentable but malt extract is not fully fermentable. The non-fermentable part gives the beer flavour and body.<\/p>\n
The process is:<\/p>\n
One of the best readily available kits is Coopers Original Series Stout. This kit can give you a respectable stout with just a can of extract added instead of sugar. Try pale malt extract to start with. Amber extract would also work fine. For a really inky black as midnight stout, some people add dark malt extract.<\/p>\n
For lighter kits like a pale ale, I would stick to pale malt extract. A fairly bitter kit like Coopers Real Ale can handle a full can of added malt extract, but for a lightly hopped kit like the Australian Pale Ale or Lager a whole can of extract might throw the malt off balance with the hops and make the beer too sweet. In that case try half a can (or 500g dried extract) and 300-500g sugar. (Use dextrose rather than table sugar if possible.) Even better, use a full can and add more hops.<\/p>\n
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Adding hops<\/b><\/p>\n
For hop flavour and aroma (but not much extra bitterness), add 20g or more of hops to liquid in which you dissolve the kit. Boil for 15 mins with the malt extract for a decent whack of flavour, or add at the end of the boil for flavour and aroma. (See the Toucan Pale Ale recipe below.)<\/p>\n
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Better yeast<\/b><\/p>\n
The yeast supplied with Coopers kits is not<\/b> the same yeast that\u2019s used in the Coopers ales you buy at the bottle shop. It is chosen because it will work at a much higher temperature than most ale yeasts and therefore it is less likely to fail in hot Australian conditions when brewing without temperature control. It works, it ferments quickly, but it seems to leave a funky taste in the brew. For a few extra dollars there are better alternatives that result in a cleaner tasting beer.<\/p>\n
Here are some good quality dried ale yeasts that I\u2019ve tried:<\/p>\n
Danstar Nottingham<\/b>: excellent all round yeast, neutral flavour, ferments quite dry, settles well. Available online from http:\/\/www.brewshop.co.nz\/<\/a><\/p>\n Danstar Windsor<\/b>: not as dry as Nottingham, so results in a maltier, fuller bodied beer. Settles very well. Excellent for stouts and English bitters. Available online from http:\/\/www.brewshop.co.nz\/<\/a><\/p>\n Fermentis US-05<\/b>: excellent all round yeast, neutral flavour, ferments very dry. Can be a bit slow to settle. Good for hoppy pale ales and US styles. Available from most home brewing shops and online sellers (including Brewers World in Kapiti Lights)<\/p>\n Fermentis SO4<\/b>: not quite as dry as US05. Settles well. Use for English styles. Available from most home brewing shops and online sellers (including Brewers World in Kapiti Lights)<\/p>\n