On Mon, 2 May 2005 19:41:37 +1200, "Hataitai"
<lyallbay@paradise.net.nz> said in alt.beer.home-brewing:
[color=blue]
>I think the problem with adding maltose up the alcholol level that is alters
>the malt - hops balance?[/color]

No. If you have a wort that's short on malt, adding malt will bring
it up to where it should be. One would assume that you have the
correct amount of hops added at each stage.
[color=blue]
>That is with just pure maltose you a re altering
>the taste.[/color]

Yes, you are. Water needs to have its taste altered if you want to
turn it into beer. Otherwise you could just make Budweiser (by adding
a few drops of yellow food coloring to water).
[color=blue]
>To me rather than add some of the more expensive spray malts with hops, I
>have been buying two cheap kits in tins (like coopers) and combining them
>into one brew.
>I have found it to be very effective especially for stouts and draughts.[/color]
[color=blue]
>Try adding mash grains to a kit too. I found that to be a easy way to
>fortify the guts into it.[/color]

Or just start with malt and hops. There's no need to spend the extra
money on a kit, when all that's in a kit is malt and hops. And, by
using your own malt and hops, you know what you're getting.
[color=blue]
>Try adding mash grains to a kit too. I found that to be a easy way to
>fortify the guts into it.[/color]

People add sugar (of one sort or another) to increase the alcohol
content. Mashing specialty grains doesn't do that, it just adds
flavor and/or color.