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"roryaherne":37oq3c8t wrote: To be fair beernut, your skill levels and knowledge are far above the type of customer these would be aimed at I'd imagine[/quote:37oq3c8t]I think it's a question of approach rather than skills or knowledge. I'm not an all-grain brewer. I don't own a mash-tun. I know nothing about water chemistry or what the significance of pH is. But my aim is as much to enjoy creating something as it is to have a tasty beer at the end.

Maybe it is just because of the brewing career path I took, but I reckon that if one has decided to go beyond diluting and fermenting a can of pre-hopped LME the next step is more likely to be putting one's own recipes together from extract and hops. Though I'm aware SOS_OPA is living proof that this is far from the case with everyone.

The homebrewcompany does those bundles, I've actually posted the links to the extract kits thread, they have both extract and all-grain kits.

I think they are a very good idea for people starting out in the hobby. It lets you make a better beer with little more effort than a basic kit.

I also think it is likely to give the more reluctant experimenter a gentle push in the direction of designing their own recipes.

In my own brewing, I tend to buy ingredients with a beer in mind, but I always design my own recipes, as that is part of the fun.

This approach results in leftovers, which results in Ready, Steady, Brew! beers based on whatever I have left over. Some of my favourite beers have been made this way.

"SOS_OPA":192toscp wrote: It's funny, I just posted in the Extract Brewing section about something similar -

I like the look of the Northern Brewer extract 'kits' (bundles really) - all of the steeping grains and hops are measured out for the particular recipe, and the recipe / instruction sheets that come with them are really comprehensive.

I have had a look at assembling the ingredients for one of their recipes but by the time you buy 500g of 3 different steeping grains and 100g of 4 different hops (when you're only going to use a fraction of them) it ends up bloody expensive. So if some supplier was willing to hold my hand and do some of the work for me, that's a bundle I'd be happy to pay for![/quote:192toscp]

Talk about perfect timing! We are getting these next week:
[October 26, 2011] Better Brew new finishing hops have arrived! See <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="www.hambletonbard.com/">www.hambletonbard.com/ home page for a pic.

Teabag types are:
fuggles
goldings
east kent goldings
halletau
progress
saaz
target
williamette
chalenger

We will have all except williamette which is due in a couple of weeks.

We might let customers pick one as part of an extra bundle option, for about a Euro 1.25 extra?

OOps I just noticed who started this thread, apologies Brian.

If your meeting muntons people. any chance of telling them to spend 10c extra on a yeast that does not stick at 1.020. It has put me right off the muntons kits as for the price you epect the kit yeast to be usable. If other cheaper kits can do it why not muntons?

Like the bundle kits as its just easier to get it in one and not forget something.

Some prebundled complete recipes would be definitly something I would try as a way of moving upwards from the can kits.