# Question about which beer kit to choose?



## scubaman2151 (Dec 1, 2008)

Well I decided to try a beer kit. I dont really know that much about beer or what kit to choose but is there a kit that george sells that would be comparable to a Bud Light?


Scuba


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## Wade E (Dec 1, 2008)

If you are looking for a no boil kit this is probably the closest youll find. If your looking to start boiling then you better have a good size pot to do the boil in and some cooler temps to lager in and i dont think George sells any partial mash lager kits.
*Edited by: wade *


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## JWMINNESOTA (Dec 1, 2008)

The Brewers Best kits are a good place for first timers, would recommend getting on an active Brew forum and gleaning information before starting. The process is fairly simple and straight forward, and most of the equipment you should have, except a good stainless brew pot perhaps, and a method to cool the wort. After that , the possibilities are pretty much endless, same as wine.


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## scubaman2151 (Dec 1, 2008)

Im not looking to boil anything yet if that helps to narrow down the kit possibilites.


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## masta (Dec 2, 2008)

The only kit that would be close is theRJS Brew House "American Premium Lager".


http://www.finevinewines.com/ProdDetA.asp?PartNumber=2400


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## scubaman2151 (Dec 2, 2008)

Im assuming I have all the equipment nessecary to make the beer kit from my wine making stuff. Except for the bottle capper. I have also hear that I should use a seperate primary from the winemaking one. How much beer does that kit make? How many bottles is that? Can I use any beer bottles to bottle it in?


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## Travisty (Dec 2, 2008)

The brewhouse kits make 6 gallons which will be about 60 bottles I believe. If I were you I would be sure to use a 7.9 gallon primary too. As far as bottles go, don't use twist-off bottles. They won't seal reliably.


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## Wade E (Dec 2, 2008)

Be careful and be ready to make a blow-off tube as even the 7.9 gallon bucket is cutting it very close, trust me. I had just a little come up my airlock a few times and I had my airlock pulled way up there.


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## Jeff H (Dec 2, 2008)

You might want to check out this post I made:


http://www.finevinewines.com//Wiz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5927


Jeff


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## dfwwino (Dec 3, 2008)

I doubt that any beer kit will make a Bud light. George has a couple of "light lagers" in his beer kit lines. While I have not tried those kits, I doubt they will resemble a Bud light. A lot of beer novices enjoy a wheat beer and it is easy to make a decent wheat beer. I think that a lager would be a more difficult beer to make as your first batch. Extract tends to be too dark/carmelized to produce a true light lager, although a no boil would tend to reduce this problem. Moreover,lager yeasts should properly be secondarily fermented/lageredat 35-40 degrees F, which requires afreezer or refrigerator, to have a smooth taste like a commercial lager. In German, a wheat beer is called Weizenbier. George sells a kit of this beer: 


http://www.finevinewines.com/ProdDetBB.asp?PartNumber=11030

*Edited by: dfwwino *


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## dfwwino (Dec 3, 2008)

Another benefit of a wheat beer is that many women who do not like the hoppy/bitter taste of lagers enjoy a wheat beer. Wheat beers have mild hopping and if a true wheat beer yeast is used, the yeast produces esters with clove and banana flavors. Many persons will add a twist of lemon to their wheat beers and traditional German wheat beers are bottled with dead yeast at the bottom of the bottle, which is swirled back into the beer before pouring, producing a cloudy appearance. When I first began brewing beer in 1994, I made five gallons of wheat beer that my German next door neighbor and his German colleagues consumed in two hours. Needless to say, I was proud the beer passed muster with the Germans.


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## scubaman2151 (Dec 3, 2008)

Thanks for the information, it certinally helps.


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## fratermus (Dec 6, 2008)

Scubaman2151 said:


> Well I decided to try a beer kit. I dont really know that much about beer or what kit to choose but is there a kit that george sells that would be comparable to a Bud Light?



An American-style light lager is a difficult style to make correctly; it is definitely not one I would recommend for a beginner. The big red flag is that "lager" means "to store a long time at low temperature". 

The light flavor shows every little flaw and it will require you to have temperature control for steady lagering temps (traditionally a spare refrigerator or chest freezer with an external temp control wired in). You would probably also have to build up a liquid yeast culture and into a large yeast starter in order to handle fermentation at lagering temps.

Seriously, something you can do at room temp and is more flavor-forgiving like a California Common Ale or an English Brown would be much, much easier and more fun. 

IMHO, of course.


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## fratermus (Dec 6, 2008)

+1 on the wheat beers.

They are able to be consumed relatively young (after a couple of weeks in the primary and a couple of weeks in the bottle), are minimally hopped, and are forgiving. They will require blowoff, as has already been stated.

I find the 3068 yeast does a fantastic job bring the esters to the table. 60F=clove, 70F=banana bomb. I have the 351 cultured but haven't used it yet. 

I started homebrewing in the 80s in (the Former) W. Germany so I could have a supply of wheats when I got back to the US. Of course, now you can buy wheat beers at most grocery stores...


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## Pablo (Dec 8, 2008)

+1 on the wheat beers. I love a good hefeweizen. "hay-fuh-veyt-sssenn"








If you are trying to make Bud Light or any BMC beer, please save yourself the hassle and frustration and buy it in the store. Home brewing is not a cheaper way to make beer. It's about making your beer your own way. I'm not trying to be a jerk about it. Read all the major forums and you will see this is true. I'm just repeating what has been said.


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## smurfe (Dec 8, 2008)

As said, you will not be able to "copy" a Bud Light ( and I don't know why you would want to)with most any extract kit. Of the listed No Boil kits I would try the Cerveza but change the yeast to an American Ale yeastsuch as aWhite Labs WLP001 orfor a dry yeast tryFermentis Safale US-05 which is the same strain. This yeast will ferment dryer and crisper to a closer taste you are seeking. It won't be the same but from the choices it would be the closest. The American Premium Lager or Cream Ale wouldn't be bad as well. You will have to be able to lager to get even closer. If you can keep your fermentation under 65F you could use WLP810 San Francisco Lager Yeast which is a lager yeast that has a higher temperature tolerance.


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## uavwmn (Dec 9, 2008)

Scuba, I would recommend the "no boil" kit. Very easy instructions, all the guess work is eliminated and the beer is very good!







I would however get a liquid yeast as opposed to the Cooper yeast they provide in the kit. 


I am making the "Winterfest" beer now. (Bottling tonight), the Stout is excellent and I have tried the Mexican cerveza, which I wasn't that crazy about, but still good to drink.


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## Ieatrice4dinner (Dec 14, 2008)

bud light, miller light


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