The Craft Range

Tefral · 03-07-2014 5:31pm #1

Anyone used "The Craft Range" yet?

Based in Galway, so far I have made the Cider and the Blonder larger kits. The Cider was perfect, the larger kit they gave me a stout yeast by accident, so i am waiting to brew the proper one. Even with the stout yeast it doesnt taste too bad! Some Head on it though. Wonder if its related.

Ronan|Raven · 03-07-2014 10:17pm

I made the IPA. Found it very enjoyable to sample after only a few weeks in the bottle. I am tempted to get the cider kit next.

Stereomaniac · 03-07-2014 10:18pm

Do you mean a lager set, as opposed to a larger kit, J? Sorry, I don't mean to be pedantic here.

ian_m · 04-07-2014 5:19pm

I am waiting to put on the wheat, interested to hear any views.

Elbow · 04-07-2014 6:17pm

Can't say how good the kit is on its own but I do have a pretty fantastic smelling hacked stout kit sitting in secondary at the moment :-)

Ronan|Raven · 04-07-2014 7:44pm

Elbow wrote: »

Can't say how good the kit is on its own but I do have a pretty fantastic smelling hacked stout kit sitting in secondary at the moment :-)

What did you hack it with?

Elbow · 04-07-2014 8:18pm

Held 250g of chocolate malt @ 70 degrees for 30 minutes in 1L of water, added that to the kit along with a tin of dark malt extract, then siphoned 2L of wort back into the saucepan and boiled for 30 minutes with 25g cluster hops added @ 30 minutes & 20g @ 10 minutes.

2 packets of s-04 yeast

OG - 1.064

Dry hopped with the tea bag that came with the kit after a week

Dry hopped with 25g cluster after 2 weeks

Its now sat in secondary with bourbon soaked oak chips, dried cranberries and jasmine flowers

My take (albeit slightly lower ABV) on brewdogs Tokyo

Ronan|Raven · 04-07-2014 8:24pm

Elbow wrote: »

Held 250g of chocolate malt @ 70 degrees for 30 minutes in 1L of water, added that to the kit along with a tin of dark malt extract, then siphoned 2L of wort back into the saucepan and boiled for 30 minutes with 25g cluster hops added @ 30 minutes & 20g @ 10 minutes.

2 packets of s-04 yeast

OG - 1.064

Dry hopped with the tea bag that came with the kit after a week

Dry hopped with 25g cluster after 2 weeks

Its now sat in secondary with bourbon soaked oak chips, dried cranberries and jasmine flowers

My take (albeit slightly lower ABV) on brewdogs Tokyo

Sounds delicious! let us know how it turns out. Currently sampling some the IPA. It is very nice I have to say even for a relatively unadulterated kit. I did however add extra hops along with the ones included.

lee_baby_simms · 16-07-2014 12:48pm

Elbow wrote: »

Held 250g of chocolate malt @ 70 degrees for 30 minutes in 1L of water, added that to the kit along with a tin of dark malt extract, then siphoned 2L of wort back into the saucepan and boiled for 30 minutes with 25g cluster hops added @ 30 minutes & 20g @ 10 minutes.

2 packets of s-04 yeast

OG - 1.064

Dry hopped with the tea bag that came with the kit after a week

Dry hopped with 25g cluster after 2 weeks

Its now sat in secondary with bourbon soaked oak chips, dried cranberries and jasmine flowers

My take (albeit slightly lower ABV) on brewdogs Tokyo

Bloody hell! That sounds amazing. Kudos.

poitinstill · 27-07-2014 9:40pm

i have the wheat on for 9 days... had a taste from fv yesterday. WOW.
ive made maybe 3 wheat beers before none have tasted like this one its actually like a flat warm bavarian commercial brew.
ive made ??? beers in total not sure any have been so promising from the fv.
hopes are high.

ian_m · 27-07-2014 10:13pm

poitinstill wrote: »

i have the wheat on for 9 days... had a taste from fv yesterday. WOW.
ive made maybe 3 wheat beers before none have tasted like this one its actually like a flat warm bavarian commercial brew.
ive made ??? beers in total not sure any have been so promising from the fv.
hopes are high.

I've had mine on the go for roughly the same time. Haven't really gone near it but its clearing quickly. Tempted to bottle now to keep it yeasty.

neoanto · 05-08-2014 2:09pm

I used the craft range of light malt extract to make a London Pride clone.
Its still in the fermenter (about a week now) but tastes lovely so far.
I think its really great stuff. Will definitely buy more of it thats for sure.

Loanshark Blues · 09-08-2014 11:34am

but the heater blanket I used usually keeps things at around 30oC?

Oh please dont, room temp in any modern house is plenty enough temperature

BeerNut · 09-08-2014 11:42am

Don't use the heater blanket.

Donadea Leo · 09-08-2014 11:46am

Loanshark Blues wrote: »

I just bought a Craft Stout kit, hoping to get started early next week. Just wondering if anyone has any tips for keeping it at the right temperature? It says it needs to be kept between 20 and 24oC, and above this the quality will be reduced, but the heater blanket I used usually keeps things at around 30oC?
Any suggestions?
Thanks

you don t need the heater blanket. If you have a coolish room in the house keep it there. Below 20 would be ideal for fermenting once you give it 2 to 3 weeks in fermenter. You could put it in bath and put some cold water in changing every night or so if your house is warm.

Loanshark Blues · 11-08-2014 10:28am

BeerNut wrote: »

Don't use the heater blanket.

Donadea Leo wrote: »

you don t need the heater blanket. If you have a coolish room in the house keep it there. Below 20 would be ideal for fermenting once you give it 2 to 3 weeks in fermenter. You could put it in bath and put some cold water in changing every night or so if your house is warm.

I was thinking this yeah, but it says below 20 will take much longer, and it will stop if it drops below 15..

BeerNut · 11-08-2014 10:29am

Loanshark Blues wrote: »

but it says below 20 will take much longer, and it will stop if it drops below 15..

It's wrong. Never read kit instructions.

blueshed · 11-08-2014 9:21pm

BeerNut wrote: »

It's wrong. Never read kit instructions.

First rule of kit instructions, never read kit instructions.

poitinstill · 11-08-2014 11:27pm

they should cut the crap and say give it 20 days . its cutting huge corners saying ...this will be ready to bottle in 10 days drink after another 10. I got a scottish heavy muntons old 3kg kit. and to be fair it says... the usual ferment for 10-14 days / bottle or keg. drink after 14 more days BUT hold for 6 months to see how much it gets better. i bottled it last friday and wont taste till santa is on the radar.

lee_baby_simms · 12-08-2014 10:56am

I just bottled the craft wheat beer. The FG was 1.016 which seems way too high but it had been fermenting for almost a month. I very gently stirred it with a sanitised paddle a week ago in an attempt to get yeast going again but it didn't budge from 1.016.

It tastes ok - we'll see how it turns out.

Donadea Leo · 12-08-2014 11:36am

lee_baby_simms wrote: »

I just bottled the craft wheat beer. The FG was 1.016 which seems way too high but it had been fermenting for almost a month. I very gently stirred it with a sanitised paddle a week ago in an attempt to get yeast going again but it didn't budge from 1.016.

It tastes ok - we'll see how it turns out.

you might well be grand with that, don t know much about wheat beer or what fermentables you used. If you want to be cautious, you could put the bottles in a box in case of bottle bombs if you re worried it should have gone down further. Those with more knowledge might advise a bit better.

lee_baby_simms · 12-08-2014 12:49pm

Donadea Leo wrote: »

If you want to be cautious, you could put the bottles in a box in case of bottle bombs

heh, that's exactly what I did.

I just followed the kit instructions - you get one pouch of malt extract, another ingredients pouch and sachet of yeast. I batch primed with 220g of sugar too!

The pitch temp was a little high - 23c which rose to 25c when fermentation kicked off then settled at 22c after a few days.

Tigger · 12-08-2014 3:44pm

lee_baby_simms wrote: »

heh, that's exactly what I did.

I just followed the kit instructions - you get one pouch of malt extract, another ingredients pouch and sachet of yeast. I batch primed with 220g of sugar too!

The pitch temp was a little high - 23c which rose to 25c when fermentation kicked off then settled at 22c after a few days.

220g of table sugar? its gonna give about 3.5 volumes of co2
if it had fermented out it'll be quite fizzy

adamski8 · 12-08-2014 6:34pm

We dont know his final volume though do we. 220 does sound like bittle bomb territory though

Tigger · 12-08-2014 7:06pm

adamski8 wrote: »

We dont know his final volume though do we. 220 does sound like bittle bomb territory though

final vol on the craft range would be no more than 22L

adamski8 · 12-08-2014 7:07pm

Tigger wrote: »

final vol on the craft range would be no more than 22L

Not necessarily i made mine to 26L ;p

Ive made kits and know others that make say 17-19L for stronger beers too and they have turned out ok

Tigger · 12-08-2014 7:30pm

adamski8 wrote: »

Not necessarily i made mine to 26L ;p

Ive made kits and know others that make say 17-19L for stronger beers too and they have turned out ok

he said he followed the instructions

and yeah if you were making a kit from the kit and without subbing in lme then their nicer at 17l then 23l but its still less than 22l

the bottles will be fizzy

lee_baby_simms · 12-08-2014 8:52pm

Tigger wrote: »

220g of table sugar? its gonna give about 3.5 volumes of co2
if it had fermented out it'll be quite fizzy

22L with 220g of dextrose. I want it to be fizzy - i'd usually use around half that for an ale.

I've kept them well covered just in case...

Tube · 13-08-2014 7:34pm

lee_baby_simms wrote: »

22L with 220g of dextrose. I want it to be fizzy - i'd usually use around half that for an ale.

I've kept them well covered just in case...

I'd be surprised if you don't have gushers if not bombs at that level.

adamski8 · 13-08-2014 8:11pm

Id seriously consider opening and rebottling depending on how long they have been in bottle. Broken bottles arent fun.

lee_baby_simms · 13-08-2014 8:40pm

adamski8 wrote: »

Id seriously consider opening and rebottling depending on how long they have been in bottle. Broken bottles arent fun.

I'm aiming for around 3.3 vol of co2. We'll see how it pans out. I'll post an update of my success/disaster.

I think I used this as a guide.

The Craft Range

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