Simply Instructions
GETTING STARTED
- Clean and sterilise your fermentation bin, lid and mixing paddle with a proprietary brand of cleaner steriliser ensuring you rinse thoroughly with clean water.
- Remove the beer yeast sachet from the bottom of the pouch and set it aside for now.
- Stand the pouch in hot water for 15 minutes to soften the extract.
- Tear open the pouch and pour the malt extract into your sterilised fermentation bin, rinse out any remains using warm water and add to the fermentation bin.
- Boil 3ltr of water, and add to the fermenter.
- Add 1kg of dextrose brewing sugar or for improved results and 1kg of beer enhancer and stir until dissolved. (Do not use beer enhancer if making gluten-free beer).
- Top up to 23ltr with cold tap water and stir well. Check the liquid temperature is below 25C then add the contents of the beer yeast sachet and stir gently.
- Fit and airlock to the lid of the fermentation bin then secure the lid to the bin, making sure the seal is air-tight. Half fill the airlock with water to protect the brew during fermentation.
FERMENTATION
- Place the fermentation bin on a washable surface, is it quite normal for some foaming during the first 2 days of fermentation.
- Ensure it is kept at a constant warm temperature between 20-25C for at least 8 days (see below for when to keg or bottle your beer).
- Good temperature control is important for beer quality and timely fermentation.
- Below 20C, fermentation time will be much longer than 8 days, below 15C, fermentation will stop altogether.
- Use a heating pad if below 20C. Above 25C beer, quality will be reduced (especially for lagers).
KEGGING/BARRELLING YOUR BEER
- After 8 days, siphon the beer off the sediment into a sterilised keg/barrel.
- Add 160g of sugar for lagers and 100g for ales and bitters then leave in a warm place for secondary fermentation for 5 days.
- Then transfer to a cool place for 7 days to clear. See serving and storage below.
BOTTLING YOUR BEER
- These kits use a complex malt extract that can take longer to ferment out.
- Leave at least 8 days to ferment or longer if below 20C.
- Ensure the airlock is not bubbling and that the S.G reading is stable for 48 hours.
- After 8 days carefully check the S.G using a hydrometer, and record the reading.
- Re-check the S.G on day 10, if the same reading (or higher) then proceed to bottle.
- But if the reading is lower then leave it to ferment for longer and re-check the S.G every 2 days until you get the same reading.
- The S.G must be stable before bottling.
IMPORTANT WARNING
The S.G must be stable for 48 hours before bottling. Never bottle until fermentation is complete.
- Use only proper glass flip tops or crown cap beer bottles.
- Reject any glass bottles that have the slightest chips, cracks or imperfections.
- PET beer bottles can also be used.
- Clean and sterilise your bottles and siphon tube.
- Siphon your beer into bottles leaving 5cm (2 inches) head space.
- Before sealing the bottles add one heaped teaspoon of sugar per 500ml bottle for lagers or a level teaspoon per 500ml bottle for all other types.
- Seal bottles then store in a warm place for 5 days then move to a cool dark place and leave until clear.
SERVING & STORAGE
- Your beer is ready to drink as soon as it's clear, but for a smoother beer leave somewhere cool and dark for an extra 2 weeks.
- Serve chilled.
- For bottled beers pour very slowly and carefully to avoid bottle sediment being transferred into your glass.