Hard Cider Kit

I purchased this kit because I just started getting into the whole homebrew area. I wanted something that included everything you would need, was easy to follow and fun. So this includes everything you need with the exception of the bottles and caps. If you decide to purchase a kit like this just make sure to add those on. You won't need them for at least 30 days but its nice to have everything on hand. With that said let me get into the kit and recipe. I received this kit and sadly the Glass Carboy was cracked. It wasn't a huge crack and while I might have been able to use it I decide to not and request a replacement. With the glass eventually under some pressure there was a chance it could break further completely ruining my first beer brew and I didn't want that. Thankfully customer service was quick to respond and they sent off a replacement carboy. Being in Alaska I would imagine is a pain for many of these companies but we have postal service, fedex and ups just like everywhere else. In any case I received the replacement carboy and started on my homebrew adventure. The directions are very easy to follow and include a bit about the process from a 1000ft over-view. Keep it simple, nice. The process is pretty easy to follow and I was able to get through with no issues and put my batch in the carboy. The hardest part is now, the wait. So they recommend waiting 2 weeks before moving on to the next stage which is bottling. And then another 2 weeks then before you drink it. So 30 days before you can taste your beer. Okay I was a little impatient and had a bottle before 2 weeks. It wasn't as carbonated as store bought beers which I actually kind of like. I think we over carbonate our beers and they are all like dang champagne but that's just me. So my first beer was okay. I went with the honey ale and it only had the very slightest of honey taste to it. All told I was able to get 11 bottles (12oz) out of a gallon. I'm down to my last 4 bottles and they have a bit more carbonation but not to much. I am able to get a slight head on the beer when pouring which goes away fairly quick. Still it tastes pretty good. I ordered other recipes and can't wait to try those.!! Some recommendations to the CraftABrew folks going forward with these kits. Package the Glass Carboys in some more protection. I have seen previous folks state they also had received the carboy cracked or broken. I think packing in some better protection would help prevent this. The instruction booklet only comes with the kit. This should be stated somewhere or perhaps ask the customer if they need one. It would be nice if the book was a bit more sturdy. I'll be putting mine in some protection as i referred back to it each time i made one of the other recipes. Overall though this is a good kit and really is easy to follow. I would definitely recommend it for first time folks or maybe even old timers. Lastly, Make SURE YOU USE A BLOWOFF ASSEMBLY during the first 24-72 hours. There will be LOTS of foam and activity and you'll need it otherwise you will end up with a mess.

The 1 gallon starter kit is a great way to be introduced into home brewing. I was very into it 20 years ago and made quite a few batches of beer. I even got into full grain towards the end. I really enjoyed brewing but as always life got in the way and haven’t thought about brewing beer in over 15 yrs. Ive since gotten rid of all of my equipment. I have been looking for a new hobby and always thought about brewing again. I just didn’t know where to start. I ended getting the American Pale Ale starter kit and I was blown away how simple they have made it. Everything you need is there to make a gallon of beer. When I was brewing years ago, I did 5 gallon batches. This one gallon kit is absolutely perfect to learn the craft of brewing beer. 1 gallon is perfect because it very easy to handle and if it did not turn out how you wanted or it got ruined somehow tossing 1 gallon is not nearly as heart wrenching as tossing 5 gallons. Also, you can try all 1 gallon mixes and after you find one you like you can switch to 5 gallons. They have so many options and add-ons that you can make it as easy or complicated as you wish. I just bottled this batch and already bought my second batch. I forgot how addicting brewing is. Will definitely recommend to anyone who wants to learn or get back into the extremely fun and rewarding hobby brewing. I will review again after i have drink one.

Phenomenal product!!! Was easy to follow step by step instructions!!! Lived in Germany for 4 years...can't wait to taste our creation!!! Wonderful activity my wife and I are really enjoying!!! Thank you so much!!!

I purchased this Craft A Brew hefeweizen kit for myself to get started in home brewing. I am essentially a novice when it comes to homebrew, but I have done an all grain batch with my dad. First off, the equipment in this kit appears to be the same set of items that you get in other similar priced kits from other companies. The difference between the similar beer kit companies with this type of kit seems to be in the included recipe ingredients, and then branding & packaging. I picked this particular kit from Craft A Brew because they were one of the only ones I found that offered a hefeweizen mix. This kit gives you most of what you need, but it does leave some gaps. What you get: -1 Gallon carboy - Racking cane (not auto-siphon) - Air lock & stopper - Thermometer - Tubing - Tube clamp - Funnel - Recipe kit with sanitizer packet What you still need: - large pot (recommend 6 quarts or more) - bottles (can save up used glass bottles - pry off only) - Bottle caps - Bottle capper - Bottle filler (not required, but is much easier) - Hydrometer & test tube (Optional, but needed if you want to check your specific gravity and alcohol content) The Brewing Experience: I followed the directions for the kit, and made it threw the brewing process without issue. This is an extract kit, so the process isn't as long or involved as all grain brewing. The only issue I ran into was I only ended up with about 1/2 to 2/3 of a gallon when I saw done boiling. The instructions said to top off the carboy to the 1 gallon level of you are short, so that is what I did. However, I am removing one star because of it. I'm assuming they have you start out with 1 gallon of water assuming most people might not have a big enough pot to boil larger quantities, but with the importance of sanitation when brewing, I don't like the idea of having to top off the level before fermenting. Final thoughts: Overall, I like this kit. The packaging is good, the instructions are good. You have pretty much everything you need to create the brew and start fermentation. I knew the gaps going in, and ordered the additional items at the time of ordering my kit. If you like extract brewing, then this kit works well enough. Pros: - Gets you the essentials to get started - Recipe mix included - Good instructions that are easy to follow Cons: - Doesn't get you everything you need (bottling equipment being most critical) - Following instructions led to a batch significantly less than 1 gallon (forced to top off in carboy)

Spend hours following the instructions to brew beer but when the fermentation process start the glass bottle popped unfortunately. I wasn’t in the mood to start over again so I threw out everything. Glad it happened on day 1 and didn’t spend weeks to try out the product only to get disappointed after weeks of work.

cool brewing set for my boyfriend he is delighted, too bad that there is no additional set without brewing devices

It is okay, but have to do a lot of research if you don’t have fresh apple juice on demand. Had to use supermarket apple juice which created a drama to find with no additives. Very dry and sour juice.

Kit arrived over a week ahead of the estimated shipping delivery date and was so easy to use. Cannot wait to get another brew going while my current batch bottle conditions.

Il fait etre patient et bien respecter les consignes. Je n’ai pas reussi a faire un bon siphon alors j’ai du verser a l’air mais fort heureusement rien n’a eté contaminé. Apres 3 semaines j’ai donc embouteillé en ajoutant le sucre et encore attendu 2 a 3 semaines pour la refermentation en bouteilles et enfin la degustation. Le résultat est excellent. Attention passez votre chemin si vous ne parlez/lisez pas l’anglais couramment ! C’est une belle initiation qui fait comprendre les mecanismes / grandes etapes de la fabrication de la biere. J’ai fait cet exercice avec mon fils de 19 ans et il a adoré.