Brewer's Best Red Ale

The Brewer's Best Red Ale kit was my first try at recipe brewing. Instead of boiling a pre-mixed can and tossing it into the fermenter, recipe brewing actually involves making your own wort. The directions were easy to follow and what resulted was fantastic. Well, it tasted good, unlike my previous attempts at brewing. The only negative from this batch was that half of the batch was drank prematurely by an eager house guest. But, I felt like I was on to something. For the first time, what was in my glass actually tasted like a beer I would go out and buy.

Here's the specifics on the red ale:

A medium-bodied brew with a nice red hue. This recipe is as smooth as it gets with nice balance of caramel crystal malts and a touch of dark grain.

Alcohol by Volume: 4.5%
Final Specific Gravity: 1.009
Frementation Temperature: 74°F
Primary Frementation Time: 7 days
Secondary Fermentation: None

3.3 lbs. Plain Light Malt Extract
2 lbs. Plain Light Dry Malt Extract
12 oz. Crushed Crystal Malt
2 oz. Willamette Hops (Half for bittering, half for finishing)
1 package of Nottingham Dry Brewing Yeast

Purchase Kit Here

The Canned Malt Kits

My first three attempts at brewing were done using canned malt kits. I understand many brewers start wth this method and never make it past this point. Personally, I don't blame them. I don't know if it was just the fact that I was a new brewer, but these kits were horrible. I made the Irish Stout, The Great Ale, then an IPA. All three were equally disgusting. I think I still have about 30 bottles of these sitting in a garage somewhere. They had no flavor, or at least no desirable flavor. They left me feeling like I was cheated out of $20 and the small amount of time it took to boil and throw into the fermentation bucket. Instead of going into more detail, I can summarize the canned malt kits with a single image.

My Equipment

This is my first set of brewing equipment. It was purchased at What Ale's Ya in Glendale, Az. An apartment warming gift from my dad.

The True Brew Complete Kit



1 - 6.5 Gallon Plastic Primary Fermenting Bucket with Lid and Drilled Stopper
1 - 6.5 Gallon Plastic Bottling Bucket with Plastic Spigot
1 - 3 Piece Airlock
1 - Springless Bottle Filler
1 - Hydrometer
1 - 3/8" Racking Cane
1 - 5' x 5/16" Siphon Hose
1 - Bottle Brush
1 - Double Lever Capper