Cascade Chocolate Mohogany Porter by FazerPete @ 29, Apr 2008
I can't believe these things cost more than Coopers. I gave it every opportunity to shine by adding all the good stuff: 1.5kg Dark Liq Malt, 50g black malt, 50g chocolate malt, 25g Newport @15min & 12g Nottingham yeast. These ingredients are wasted on this kit. The result is drinkable but I think that's down to using good ingredients. Definitely won't be buying any more Cascade kits.

Beermakers Old by FazerPete @ 11, Mar 2008
Made with 1.5kg liquid amber malt, 100g chocolate malt, 20g Newport hops @20mins and fermented at 19c for 9 days with 12g of S-04. This is the first Beermakers kit I've tried and I have to say I'm impressed. It's very dark and rich in colour and flavour and is my idea of what a good dark ale should be. I'd probably up the hops next time to give it a bit more bitterness but it's a good brew.

Muntons PGold Midas Touch by FazerPete @ 06, Mar 2008
Got this kit as a gift from the in-laws so I had to make it. Made it with 100g Crystal malt, 25g Smargd hops @15 min and fermented with 12g S-04 at 19C for 8 days. The beer has a very musty sort of taste that might come from the Smargd which I haven't used before but overall it's not bad. Quite bitter in taste and darker than golden in colour. It's not bad but not worth the money.

Muntons Midland Mild Ale by FazerPete @ 12, Feb 2008
Made with 1.5kg liquid amber malt, 100g chocolate malt, 20g northern brewer hops @ 5min, 12g S-04 yeast. Did standard steep & boil with the grain, malt & hops and fermented at 20c for 7 days before kegging. Brilliant beer with rich dark colour and a great creaminess. Tastes pretty authentic to me and I'd say it's one of the best I've made.

Coopers Real Ale by FazerPete @ 30, Oct 2007
Made with 700g LDME, 300g DDME, 250g dex, 50g Crystal malt, 100g Black malt, 15g Progress, 15g Perle in a 15 min boil. Used S-04 yeast and fermented for 9 days at 18c. Magnificent and very flavoursome ale with a nice toastiness coming from the black malt. Fantastic beer that's a lot cheaper than some I've made.

Coopers Sparkling Ale by FazerPete @ 14, Oct 2007
Made with 1kg LDME, 200g dex, 25g Tettenanger @15 min, 20g E.K. Goldings at flameout, US-05 yeast up to 21 ltrs. Fermented at 18c for 7 days, kegged and drinking a few days later. Fabulous beer with great body that isn't going to last long. Best of the Coopers range in my opinion.

Brewcraft Belgian Ale by FazerPete @ 11, Oct 2007
Made with 600g LDME, 400g DDME, 400g Dex, 50g Crystal, 50g Black malt, 30g Tettenanger up to 21 ltrs. Fermented for 10 days, kegged and tasted a week later. Has an unusual but not unpleasant flavour that I quite like. Holds a good head and the aroma is fantastic. The only problem is I've never had a Belgian ale before so I don't know if the taste is authentic but I reckon it's pretty good.

Muntons Gold 3kg Docklands Porter by FazerPete @ 01, Oct 2007
Made to instructions but added 400g LDME, 25g Goldings and used Nottingham yeast. Fermented at 19c for 10 days and has been in the keg for 3 weeks. This beer is definitely missing something and just doesn't seem to have any character. It looks great with a great head but there's just nothing there when you drink it. It's not bad, just boring and probably needs more hopping but as it's the most expensive kit I've bought, I don't think I'll bother experimenting.

Coopers Australian Pale Ale by FazerPete @ 03, Sep 2007
Used 900g LDME, 450g Dex, 25g Cluster and US-05 yeast. Mixed it all up in a hurry and left to ferment at 19c for 8 days while I was overseas. Came back, kegged it and it's pretty good straight after gassing. Nice colour, citrus overtones from the cluster and good head retention. This really is a never fail kit.

Morgans Iron Bark Dark Ale by FazerPete @ 03, Sep 2007
Used 1.5kg DME, 15g Fuggles, 15g Progress and Nottingham yeast in 21 ltrs. Fermented at 19c for 8 days, kegged and gassed over 2 days. This isn't a bad beer and my mates quite like it but I think it's missing something. It tasted best when it was new and it's almost bland after a month in the keg. I think it needs a bit more hopping and maybe some grain in it. It's black as can be and looks great in the glass but I'm not sure it's as good as the other Morgans range.

Coopers Bitter by FazerPete @ 13, Aug 2007
Made with 700g LDME, 300g DDME, 200g Dex, 100g Crystal, 25g EK Goldings and 12g S-04 yeast. Steeped the grain for 30 mins, strained into pot, then boiled everything for 10 mins and topped up to 21 ltrs. Fermented at 19c for 7 days, kegged and gassed for 2 days. Brilliant English style bitter that is already clear with good head retention and plenty of flavour. Good value beer that I'll make again.

Farmland Draught by FazerPete @ 01, Aug 2007
Picked up 2 cans of this on special and set myself a challenge to make it drinkable. Simply chucked both cans in with 30g Cascade and 12g US-05 yeast to make a very cheap toucan. Fermented at 19c for 7 days, gassed it up in the keg and was drinking it 2 days later. Came out amazingly clear with a great head and is surprisingly drinkable. This is a great everyday brew for less than $20 all up.

Black Rock East India Pale Ale by FazerPete @ 01, Aug 2007
Made up to be an American IPA with 1.5kg LDME, 15g Cascade, 15g Perle and 12g US-05 yeast. Filled to 21 ltrs and fermented for 8 days at 19c then kegged and left for 1 week. It isn't really true to style but it's a very nice drop. Nice citrus overtones from the Cascade & Perle with a little bitterness in the back and has great head retention. Will make this again.

Mount Mellick Irish Cream Ale by FazerPete @ 08, Jul 2007
Made with 1.5kg liquid amber malt, 20g Progress hops and 12g Nottingham yeast. Fermented at 19c for 7 days and drinking nicely out of the keg straight after gassing. It's a very authentic brew with huge flavour and just enough bitterness from the progress. I was expecting a lot from the brew as this is my favourite style and it has delivered.

Morgans Canadian Blonde by FazerPete @ 08, Jul 2007
I wanted to make a lager style beer for a mate without the hassle of actually doing a lager so I gave this a go. Used 500g LDME, 250g dex, 250g maltodextrine, 25g Perle hops and S-04 yeast. Fermented at 19c for 7 days and left for 10 days in the keg. Has come out very flavoursome for a blonde with slight citrusy flavours from the perle. It's very refreshing and would be a great summer beer.

Malt Shovel Pale Ale by FazerPete @ 12, Jun 2007
I've read negative things about this brew but got offered 2 cans by the HB shop at a very low price so I thought I'd try it. Mixed up two cans with 20g cascade and S-04 yeast in 21 lt. Fermented at 19c for 7 days then kegged. I was expecting a pretty bland brew but it's nicely hoppy and could almost pass for an APA. It's way too dark for a pale ale but the head is good and it's got good reviews from the mates.

Brewcraft Newcastle Brown by FazerPete @ 03, Jun 2007
Made with 600g LMDE, 200g dex and 200g maltodextrine, 20g Fuggles steeped for 10 mins added to fermenter. Used an english Windsor ale yeast and fermented at 19c for 7 days. Kegged and drinking beutifully 4 days later. It's a little dark for a Newky but the taste is just about spot on. Has a nice creamy head and is going down far too easily. Highly recommended.

Tooheys Draught by FazerPete @ 20, May 2007
Found the kit on special for $8 so I thought why not. Made with 1kg BE2 and 200g yellowbox honey for some extra flavour. Used kit yeast and fermented for 7 days at 20c then kegged. This has come out as a surprisingly good beer. Nice creamy head and a hint of honey flavour that is getting stronger as it matures. Not the best I've had but certainly worth doing again for the money.

Tooheys Real Ale by FazerPete @ 10, Apr 2007
Saw this on special for $8.50 at the supermarket so I thought I'd give it a go. Made to instructions with 1kg Coopers BE2 and 500g LDME and kit yeast (now 7g). Fermented at 20c for 6 days, kegged and left for 1 week. Surprisingly it's quite drinkable but it's not going to win any awards. Not a huge amount of flavour but the head retention is good so perhaps a good one to give to the beer swilling mates instead of the good stuff. Worth doing for the price but I'd probably use all malt for the next one.

Morgans Royal Oak Amber Ale by FazerPete @ 04, Apr 2007
Made with standard method with 1 kg Malt Plus mix (I think it's 600g LDME, 200g Dex, 200g Maltodextrin) and kit yeast in 22lt. Fermented for 8 days at 21c and then kegged and left for 1 week. Excellent example of an English style ale with a nice creamy head. Has similarities to Kilkenny but more malty which is what I like. Great beer with winter coming on but I don't think it will last that long.

Morgans Australian Draught by FazerPete @ 25, Mar 2007
Made to instructions with kit yeast and Brewcraft Aust Bitter conversion kit. Fermented at 21c for 7 days and then kegged. I wanted to compare this and Morgans Stockmans Draught so I used exactly the same ingredients and method. The Stockmans has more body and is probably worth the extra $2 but this isn't bad and I'll be trying the other brews in the Aussie range.

Black Rock Nut Brown Ale by FazerPete @ 19, Mar 2007
Made by standard method with Brewcraft dark lager conversion kit. Fermented at 21c for 7 days (it did rise to 24 for a couple of days in the middle due to heat wave) and then kegged. After 4 weeks in the keg it has a strange apple like aftertaste that has mellowed over time but is still there. I think the issue is due to the kit yeast and could be improved with a better one but I doubt I'd be bothered to try it again. I was really looking forward to this as I like nut brown ales but this doesn't have any of those characteristics.

Coopers Australian Pale Ale by FazerPete @ 15, Mar 2007
Made with 1kg BE2 and 500g LDME using the kit yeast. Fermented for 7 days at 21c then kegged and left for a week. It has cleared nicely now and has disappeared very quickly. Nice refreshing beer that goes down easily.

Muntons Scottish Style Heavy Ale by FazerPete @ 28, Jan 2007
Made to instructions with Brewcraft stout booster pack which only makes 17l of beer. Very disappointed I couldn't get a full keg out of it. Fermented at 20 deg for 6 days but it fired off within a couple of hours and had finished fermenting after 3 days. Has turned out to be one of the best I've made with a nice dark colour and strong malty taste. The only downside is that there isn't enough of it.

Morgans Stockman’s Draught by FazerPete @ 28, Jan 2007
Made to instructions with Brewcraft Bitter conversion kit with 7 days in primary at 20 deg. Has turned out to be nice quaffing beer with good head retention and a nice golden colour but it did take much longer than usual to clear in the keg. A good beer that I enjoy drinking but I can't really say that it's worth the extra $ over some of the cheaper draught brands.

TCB Wetpak - Classic Oak Ale by FazerPete @ 18, Jan 2007
Made exactly to the directions (about 1.5 hours effort) and kegged after 10 days in the primary. Very strong oak flavour in the first mouthful but mellows as you go on. Beautiful flavoursome beer with excellent head retention that has made all my mates go "Wow". Probably not a session beer but definitely worth the extra effort for something a bit special.

Rapid Creek Pale Ale 1.7kg by FazerPete @ 21, Dec 2006
Brewed this up as a standard K&K with a BE2 and the kit yeast. 7 days at 20deg then in the keg for a week. I was expecting to get a hot weather slammer, instead it came out quite dark for a pale ale and had overtones of honey. Very nice and not bad for the $12.95. One to do again but I'd probably just use dex to get my hot weather beer.