Let’s see who is really watching…
It’s apparently clear, with new peeps beginning to brew, the biggest problem I see is the instructions…
Now would be good time to reboot the instructions so these new peeps can have an enjoyable experience… Instructions tell the new peeps to begin fermenting in the 70’s?
Wouldn’t you want MORE peeps brewing and happy?
There are quite a few long time Brewers here, on the forum, that can offer ideas as you re-write instructions… We would like to see more new peeps brew and keep brewing… Making bad tasting brews… They will not.
Sneezles61
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I ferment in the 70s. What are you trying to say 
But I use yeast that performs well at the temperatures I use. You can make award winning ales in the 70s no big deal.
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Of course you can, but not with that yeast.
ie…they use US05 dry yeast as the default.
That is why the kits need an updating… Someone wants Kviek yeast… Send out sheet specific to THAT yeast…
And if the default yeast is 05… send out a sheet specific to THAT yeast…
It’s a simple, but effective up grade… It’s not that much effort to fix…
sneezles61
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I don’t know I fermented beer using us-05 at 70ish and it came out alright. It came out better at lower temperatures. If I were to change anything in the beginners recipe I wouldn’t have them secondary but then I’m not trying to sell them the deluxe starter kit. I would sell them a bucket and an air lock. I guess I wouldn’t make money.
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Boom.
That’s the point.
No the point is for the newbie to make descent beer the easiest possible way. It takes a long time to chill a beer below 70° using just an ice bath. Better to pitch the yeast and limit a chance for infection. And that is my point about eliminate the secondary recommendation to limit chance of oxidatioin.
I agree Brew Cat… But it wasn’t too far off after I got an immersion chiller…
Quite like most hobbies… Just hanging about hoping for the best? There comes a time… Well
Sneezles61
I started with Mr Beer kits and whatever yeast they provided. Most of those beers were good. I think giving the new brewer a yeast that will perform at average household temps should be the goal. There isn’t a household that averages mid 60s the bulk of the year.
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You have a valid point… crazy shit… Kviek CAN be dried too!
Snnezles61
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If I remember correctly Mr. Beer kits came with Cooper’s Ale Yeast. I could be wrong.
I guess as neutral a yeast is also important considering most consumers aren’t ready for a Saison or POF+ strain.
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The grainbill for a certain style won’t change a whole lot… Hop schedule… Well, I don’t believe a whole lot changes there either… But yeast… And fermentation details can make an OK kit turn out quite good…
Then there’s bottling/conditioning…
Sneezles61
Join the club. Got me started too. Wasn’t the greatest but it was cool to actually brew your own beer.
It would be nice if the kit instructions were updated to at least say colder is better. Or explain why Kviek yeast is offered as an alternative.
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Great ideas folks! Kviek strains (dry or liquid) should be recommended to novices, that is the “default” strain for most ale kits. The more traditional strains we’re all used to should be recommended for those with temperature control or as seasonally appropriate.
And just so we’re not up-selling temp control too hard, I would like to see kit’s descriptions acknowledge the fact that the quality of the beer comes from staying in the selected strain’s “recommended” range.* That is, US-05 at 65°F isn’t necessarily “better” than Hot Head at 80°F. That said, US-05 at 80°F is going to make a shit beer when you’re warm in July, while during winter, when your basement is 60°F US-05 is absolutely the better choice.
*and yes, I know some strains do really shine when pushed outside of their recommended zone, but first we learn the rules, then we learn that some rules can be broken, and then we learn to throw out the rules.
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Sounds like 2020…
