What Kit To Use

[nursejohn]

I am still new to winemaking and want to try a beer making kit for the wife. Any suggestions on a kit that if fairly simple since I have no knowledge of beermaking?Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Dean]

Start with any of the no boil Brewhouse kits. These kits are concentrated wort that has been pre-boiled for you. Just add water and yeast. Choose a liquid yeast fo the style of beer you are going for instead of the packaged yeast in the box.

You might also want a separate primary for beer, as the smell can sometimes stay in plastic.

 

[smurfe]

Tell us what style of beer y'all like (please don't say Bud, Miller, or Coors Lite) and we'll give you tips on the style of kit and yeast to use.

 

[nursejohn]

She likes the Mexican beers such as Corona or Tecate. Also, why the liquid yeast instead of what comes in the kit? Thanks also for the suggestion about the primary bucket. I appreciate yall helping out a novice with this.

 

[smurfe]

With beer, the strain and style of yeast will greatly affect the flavor of a beer. Many beers it is indeed the yeast that makes that beer unique.Most kits come with a standard Ale Yeast. While this will ferment fine and make a decent beer, many buy these kits as they are trying to momic a particular beer. For example, if you by a Mexican Cerveza kit thinking you will have a Corona straight from the kit, you will be sadly disapointed. Corona is a lager and you need to use a lager yeast and ferment in the lager style to get a comperable beer.


Liquid yeast are specific strains of yeast. Most dry yeasts are a generic strain. Now some liquid yeasts are fairly standard on a lot of styles as recipes such as White Labs California Ale yeast. Fermentis Safale SA-05 is reported to be the same strain. I use it a lot. It is a much cleaner fermenting brand than many of the dry yeast brands with less foreign matter. My only real gripe with beer kits is that the manufacturer will throw the same yeast pack in every style kit they do instead of adding a yeast strain that is proper for the style.