Recommendation on ale Kit

calnand

Hi I'm thinking of starting another kit brew soon, I previously did the coppers cerveza and found it fairly easy and tasty. And now I'm thinking of trying out another one, but I'm thinking an ale this time. After spending a summer where ale is aplenty I've developed quite a liking to it my favourites over there were mainly the Goose Island 312 urban wheat ale and green line as i was in Chicago. And my favourite back home is 8 degrees howling gale ale. So I was wondering what the closest Kit would be to them.
thanks

BeerNut

The ale kits tend to be a bit darker than the like of Howling Gale. I've really liked the Coopers Brewmaster IPA, though it's not much like the beers you mentioned.

If the lager kit worked out well for you you could try doing it again and dry hopping it: add 20 or 30g of something like Citra or Centennial a week before bottling. It is really a blonde ale rather than a true lager.

joctcl

Coopers blonde ale is a good base, 8 Degrees uses"American Chinook, Amarillo and Centennial" in Howling Gale.
The first one would be great for an aggressive, in your face flavour but is used more for bittering, small doses of the latter two in dry hopping for aroma should get you close.
They are classed as bring flowery, spicy and citrus-like from Centenial and Amarillo.
Amarillo also bringing a distinct orange bouquet, I don't like it personally as it turns my beer into a cocktail! each to their own

calnand

Is it hard to add hops to a kit brew, I've never tried it, but it is something I want to get into. Do . Basically just chuck them into the wort as it's fermenting and then filter the beer before bottling?

Sky King

I had great results with the Cooper's English Bitter.

BeerNut

calnand wrote: »

Is it hard to add hops to a kit brew, I've never tried it, but it is something I want to get into. Do . Basically just chuck them into the wort as it's fermenting and then filter the beer before bottling?

You want the first big rush of fermentation to have finished, so I find the second week of a two-week fermentation works well. They'll mostly float near the surface so there's no real need to try and filter or remove them at bottling time.

joctcl

Beernuts right let all your primary finish otherwise all your aroma goes up the chimney, then its whatever you want leafwise into a sanitised muslin bag or SS tea ball, weighted with a sanitised marble, or just chuck your pellets straight in but will need to filter after 7-14 days. I use her tights, sanitised!, wrapped over the siphon with an elastic band, you guessed it also sanitised!
If you beer tastes grassy, you have left them in too long and you will have to let your brew sit 2-3 months to lose that flavour.