Sharper Image 1gallon Pale Ale kit hops?

[HawleyFarms]

OK so usually when I relative buys me a cheapy AG kit, I usually find out what's in it and build on it to make a better brew. I can't find a damn bit of info on the yeast or hops.

Anyone have an idea? I assume a US-05 strain but can't put my finger on the hops. Looks like about 1/4oz or maybe more. They want half @60 and half @30.

Just leave their hop schedule alone not knowing what variety they are?

 

[bmacafee]

OK so usually when I relative buys me a cheapy AG kit, I usually find out what's in it and build on it to make a better brew. I can't find a damn bit of info on the yeast or hops.

Anyone have an idea? I assume a US-05 strain but can't put my finger on the hops. Looks like about 1/4oz or maybe more. They want half @60 and half @30.

Just leave their hop schedule alone not knowing what variety they are?

I'd love to know this as well. I picked this set up on clearance for the 1 gal Carboy but since the kit is all grain I'll go ahead and brew it (waste not want not).

The only info provided is "genuine American hops and yeast". There is no contact info to reach out to but let's face it, their answer would just be some "proprietary blend and strain" because they don't know. One can reasonably assume they are the cheapest hops and yeast available at the time they were purchased. Unlike say a Mr. Beer kit, these guys look at this as a one time purchase as they don't sell refill kits to gain repeat business.

My advice and my plan would be to just brew as is. And then use ingredients you know for your next batch. This kit is all grain so how bad can it be? My concern with tinkering with the ingredients is that 1.) you'll have no clue if any how much it improves your beer and 2.) a homebrew nightmare of brewing a wonderful beer and know that you can't make it again cause you don't know the ingredients. And 3.) wasting ingredients (my personal
peeve).

 

[HawleyFarms]

I ended up adding a bunch of leftovers to this one. Added honey malt and crystal rye and I think some more hops but I honestly don't remember without looking at my notes. The yeast that came with the kit was garbage and never started so I threw some other yeast at it after a couple days. It's sitting waiting to be bottled right now, just haven't had the time.

 

[IslandLizard]

Really? What do you guys expect, good beer? It's all about the Image, the Sharper one, that is.

 

[HawleyFarms]

Really? What do you guys expect, good beer? It's all about the Image, the Sharper one, that is.

Really what? I didn't expect good beer. Which is why I was trying to build on the recipe. Which turned out great after i added some leftovers by the way.

Every now and then I just get ahold of a cheapy kit and aim to improve. Hell, I even improve on Brewer's Best kits when I get them.