I made this kit beer up a couple of months ago and it is the best kit I have ever made.
I got the recipe out of Beer and Brewer magazine, and if I need a quick beer brewing fix and swing towards a kit agian it will definetely be making this one.
Ingredients:
1 tin of coopers Australian pale ale
1 tin of coopers Real Ale
1kg Dextrose
30g Nelson Sauvin pellets (dry hopped)
Method:
Making sure everything has been thoroughly sterilised before I start, I mix the dextrose and a few liters of water straight out of the tank in a 5L plastic bucket and stir until all disolved. Pour into fermenter.
Then I empty the 1st tin into the bucket and pour two tins worth of cold water straight out of the tank into the bucket as well, then I half fill the tin with boiling water to melt the last of the goo in the tin. then I mix it thoroughly so it is entirely mixed in. (This method aviods too much sediment in your bottles at the end IMHO). Pour into fermenter.
Repeat process with second tin. and once in the ferment give it a thorough stir.
Top fermenter up with cold tank water to the 21L mark and throw bag of hops in and pitch both yeast sachets on top of the wort. I didnt worry about rehydrating the yeast in this brew because I was under the impression that the beer wouldn't be that good (boy was I wrong).
I fermented this out at 20deg in a temp controlled fridge for approx two weeks (until FG stablised) then dropped the temp to 10deg for a week to settle the sediments.
Bottled as normal and left it 20deg for secondary fermentation and ageing for five weeks until tonight :D
The final alcohol is 7.5%ABV.
NB the reason I use tank water is our town water is straight out of the river and I'm worried about infections. And I only use a minimum of hot water so the temp doesn't start out too warm for fermentation. I also think a small amount of malt extract (200g) would build the body and maybe (100g) of wheat malt would be better for head retention. Also would love to try with an ale yeast.