Which one of these beers is the best?

[abefroman]

Which one of these beers is the best?

I like medium to dark beers, and am looking for something where the commercial bottles of that kind are typically more pricey, so that I can get good value from the kit as oppose to buying that type of beer at the liquor store.

http://www.chicagolandwinemakers.com/brewer.html

 

[SteveL]

I don't ever brew with saving money in mind. While it may be true that the price per bottle is less I will still need to brew for a few more years before I ever break even on the cost of all the equipmemt that I have purchased. This of course means that I have to stop buying equipment.

Ok now that I got that out of the way

I am guessing that you are looking for a more malt forward beer than a hop forward one?

 

[abefroman]

I don't ever brew with saving money in mind. While it may be true that the price per bottle is less I will still need to brew for a few more years before I ever break even on the cost of all the equipmemt that I have purchased. This of course means that I have to stop buying equipment.

Ok now that I got that out of the way

I am guessing that you are looking for a more malt forward beer than a hop forward one?

Hop forward

 

[SteveL]

I cant really speak for brerwers best kits as I have never made one. When I first started brewing I made one of these "boxed" kits and was not happy with the quality at all. Some of that was it was my first batch, but a big part of it had to do with the freshness of the ingredients. I don't really brew much from kits anymore as I make my own recipes, but when I do buy a kit I buy them from a retailer that I know turns over there stock fairly quickly. I have included a few links to the supplier that use most often. I have made all of these kits and I have always been happy with the beer that they produce. I hope they fall in line with what your tastes are.

Winter Warmer
Little Victor Pale Ale
American Amber
Four Hearted Imperial Ale

For these kits I would just stick with the extract version unless you are comfortable with doing partial mash beers. With partial mash you are replacing some of the extract with grain. This requires a little bit more knowledge as well as some extra equipment. With partial mash you also need to be able to keep the water and the grains at a steady set temperature for 45-60 minutes. Extract is the way to go if you have never brewed before and it still makes a very enjoyable beer.

If you have any other questions, please let me know.

 

[PPBart]

I...I have made all of these kits and I have always been happy with the beer that they produce. I hope they fall in line with what your tastes are.

Winter Warmer
Little Victor Pale Ale
American Amber
Four Hearted Imperial Ale

For these kits I would just stick with the extract version... Extract is the way to go if you have never brewed before and it still makes a very enjoyable beer.

Good info! I've been making wine for quite a few years, finally decided it's time to also try beer (I retired last spring, got more time for good stuff now).