reviewing something you haven’t even brewed yet let alone tasted is pointless and a waste of everyone’s time. “ooo I just got this kit! cant wait to make it and share with all my friends!!! FIVE STARS!” is not a product review. how about:
the kit was well crafted, easy to make and came out great. the taste was a nice mix of roasty malts with a slight hint of crystal sweetness… and went really well with the hops the kit came with. the only thing I would try differently next time would be… etc.
another tip… ok so you weren’t happy with the results or the customer service or the way it was packed. is it really necessary to rate a kit poorly because you cant follow instructions or didn’t like that it took time to get to you… or that you had to pay shipping or…? don’t bother reviewing unless you a) follow directions and b) actually sampled the final product.
thanks.
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I agree. I see one star reviews on Amazon about products that were broken in transit. Well that could be due to poor packaging or carelessness of the carrier. Nothing to do with the product.
Same with reviews of recipes be it beer or food that the recipe wasn’t followed. People change what the ingredients are or the process then complain they didn’t like it.
I have always said that if you are making a kit beer, follow the instructions to the letter the first time out. Change it after you know how you like it to your own taste. It might be perfect as is.
I don’t think I’ve ever reviewed a beer kit here… I’d feel kind of torn on how to review it, anyway. The result is really dependent both on the kit and the person making it, so how can you objectively review it? On Amazon, I only read 2-4 star reviews, because most 1 and 5 star reviews are ridiculous.
Totally agree with following directions if you are a noob. How many times have we seen posts from people with zero to a few brewdays who want to “FRUIT” the kit…or up the alcohol. It’s your kit, free country, blah, blah, I get it, but work on your brewing chops first.
This is why I often avoid many sites in general, let alone the beer review sites. Love it when a beer gets low reviews from someone who doesn’t like the style. Of course you’ll score that DIPA low if you hate hops…
hah… I was once accused of being “too generous” with my ratings on Untappd. I guess I should buy beer styles I don’t like so I can rate them badly, to get my beer snob reputation up to snuff.
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@uberculture, you’re just like me… A drunk who likes it all! 
I always find it mildly comical when I get the email from NB asking me to review a beer kit I just bought, even though I haven’t had the chance to brew it yet. 
I do try to go back and post reviews after I’ve sampled them. Untappd is the reason I now enjoy so many different styles of beer, just gotta chase those uniques! 
Rad
re not modifying a recipe til you’ve tried it as is… I agree 100%. I made a 90 shilling ale and love it. next time I played with it. I did a pseudo decoction with some extra dme, played with fermentation temps… etc… had it come out like garbage it would not be the kit’s fault but mine. as it turned out, the mods came out super awesome and I hope to recreate it again one day. noobs are too eager to get all mad scientist without building up practical knowledge. that’s why so many quit so quickly.
OMG! I ADDED FIVE POUNDS OF APRICOTS AND GRAPE JELLY, CHOCOLATE SAUCE AND SIRACHA TO MY IRISH RED ALE AND IT TASTED LIKE CRAP!!! YOU SUCK (insert beer kit company name here)!!! I’LL NEVER BREW EVER AGAIN! NEGATIVE 12 STARS!!!
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