Years back there was a kit one could buy. It was a burlap type sack with barley malt and some other dry grains sealed inside. On the top there was a valve and on the bottom was a tap. You would pour water into the valve hole and shake the bag. Then add a small container of yeast and later on a small container of hops. Over a few weeks this bag would swell up as the beer fermented and the valve would automatically release gases so the bag didn’t burst.
Everything was done in this bag, nothing external to deal with.
The resulting beer was mediocre, but this thing made a good cheap gift for a beer lover.
I’ve looked all over but cannot find one. Are they gone for good?
The American lager one I had been given turned out mediocre. My brothers was an English Ale version and it wasn’t bad. I think there are some user factors that dictate how they turn out.
No, it was an all in one thing. A burlap bag with grains already in it. It had an envelope on it with small plastic bags of hops and yeast that you poured into a small hole at certain intervals.
You’d pour boiling water into it, shake the grains inside to mix, and leave it in a cool dry place. From time to time you’d add the hops, yeast, etc… I want to say it made about 2 gallons or so of brew. If you didn’t do it right, like not use sterile water or not store the bag in the right temperature, the brew turned out kind of foul.
It was mostly a novelty gift and not something you’d use to make a large quantity of home brew.
I think there just wasn’t a market. People who want to drink run-of-the-mill beer don’t want to go to the trouble of making it. They just want to buy their beer and drink it.
The people who want to brew their own beer are going to want to have more control over the process and expect a higher quality product.
I know of beer kits that are based around re-usable components, like a bucket for the fermentation and not just a bag. These let you get started easily and then continue on with the hobby. My guess is that this isn’t all that much more expensive than the bag kits, but with lots of advantages for people who turn it into a serious hobby.