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Picked up a Malt Shovel Pale Ale kit at Big W the other day for about 14 bucks. They also sell starter kits that come with their half size fermenter. The idea is that you only need add water but only make half the normal batch. Thought I'd add a tin of malt extract and make a full batch. Anybody tried this?

The only maly shovel kits that i've tried were 2 x nut Brown Ale and it was absolute crap. my brew buddy and i liked it that much we ended throing out the entire batch.

earle, I wouldn't recommend adding malt and upping the volume without adding more hops. The MS kits are bittered for 11.5L so if you increase the volume, you will decrease the bitterness making a sweet and very bland beer - believe me, I stuffed up my first extract/partial recipe and ended up with a very very bland beer with very little bitterness. Definitely not recommended.

Cheers
BK

Thanks for the tips. Is it OK to make an 11L batch in a 23L fermenter?

I have got a malt shovel indian pale ale in the fermenter. The interesting thing is its far from pale. Don't know about the 11 litre in the 23 litre fermenter. I got 2 tins and some hops for chrissy and have decided its finally cool enough to put them on now.

India pale Ale is anything BUT PALE.

India pale Ale 2was originally brewed with a high alcohola content and a high hopping of usually Fuggles hops so that it would last the journey from England to India by sea. the temperatures in india were unsuitable for brewing 9hogh temps) and in the old days the only way around it was to produce a high alcohol beer with lots of hops (which were and still are a preservative) to make the beer last and to give the rank and file soldiers their drink of preference....an ale. (after all the gentlemen officers drank gin and tonic, not ale like the commoners).

Hope this helps clarify.

I've done the two can Pale ale, the colour was quite dark compared to other pale ales I've made before. Beer tastes ok but it's more like an English type ale. The cans were well within their shelf life, so I'm guessing that they were supposed to be this colour.

They are simple, mix with water brews, taste ok but probably wouldn't make again.
AC

Earle,

Making 11 in a 23 fermenter is fine, but why not use two malt shovel kits and make 22?

A bit pricey though, from memory aren't they about $15 a pop for 11 litres?