Follow these instructions carefully to get the best from your Festival Premium Ale kit. Read through fully before you begin.

Festival Premium Ale Kits

Equipment Required

Optional Additional Equipment

Getting Started

  1. Read the instructions thoroughly before starting your Festival Premium Ale kit.
  2. Clean and sterilise your fermenter, lid, airlock, and mixing paddle with Handcraft Supplies Cleaner & Steriliser or other suitable product, following the instructions on the packaging.
  3. Stand the Liquid Malt Extract pouch in hot water for 15 minutes to soften the extract.
  4. Open the Liquid Malt Extract pouch and pour the contents into your fermenter. Rinse out any remains using warm water and pour into the fermenter. For Bonfire Toffee Stout, add the oak chips now.
  5. Add the contents of the Dextrose Brewing Sugar pack (if included) and 3L of boiling water to your fermenter and stir thoroughly to dissolve.
  6. Top up to the “Makes approx.” volume indicated on the front of the kit with cold water and stir well. Use a hydrometer to record the Starting Gravity. Check the liquid temperature is below 25°C, then sprinkle the contents of the Beer Yeast sachet across the top of the liquid. For Summer Glory, also add the contents of the elderflower sachet.
  7. Fit an airlock to the fermenter lid and secure the lid, making sure the seal is air-tight. Half-fill the airlock with boiled and cooled water to protect the brew during fermentation.

Fermentation

  1. Place your fermenter on a washable surface — it is normal for some foaming to occur during the first two days. Keep your fermenter at a constant temperature between 20–25°C throughout fermentation.

Good temperature control is important for beer quality and a timely fermentation. Beer quality will be reduced if the fermentation temperature is above 25°C. Fermentation will take longer below 20°C and will stop altogether below 15°C. A heat pad or brew belt may be useful in keeping the beer at an appropriate temperature, particularly during the cooler months.

  1. After five days, add the contents of the Hop Pellet sachet but DO NOT STIR (the hops will break up and disperse naturally). Leave the beer to ferment with the hops for a further five days. For Bonfire Toffee Stout, skip this step as this kit does not include hop pellets.
  2. Allow at least ten days in total for fermentation to complete (longer if the fermentation temperature is below 20°C). Do not barrel or bottle your beer until the airlock has stopped bubbling and the Specific Gravity (S.G.) is stable for 48 hours at approximately the following readings:
Beer Style S.G. Beer Style S.G.
Landlord's Finest 1.009 Summer Glory 1.009
Father Hooks 1.009 Spiced Winter Ale 1.016
Pilgrim's Hope 1.011 Bonfire Toffee Stout 1.012
Golden Stag 1.009 Wright's Golden Ale 1.008
Suffolk Old Ale 1.014 Britfire Best Bitter 1.008
POL Porter 1.009 Brigadier Amber Ale 1.010
Razorback IPA 1.005 Friar's Ale Strong Bitter 1.010

IMPORTANT WARNING: The Specific Gravity must be stable for 48 hours before barrelling/bottling. Never barrel/bottle until fermentation is complete as this may cause beer to be over-carbonated, which causes gushing beer, or in worse cases, exploding bottles.

Barrelling Your Beer

  1. Clean and sterilise your syphon and barrel.
  2. If using a syphon filter or muslin bag, clean and sterilise it, then secure it over the syphon inlet and sediment trap on your syphon.
  3. Proceed to syphon your beer directly into your barrel and add the contents of the Priming Sugar sachet (this contains the perfect amount of dextrose sugar for your selected beer style). Stir to dissolve.
  4. When the priming sugar is completely dissolved, seal the barrel and move it to a warm place (20–25°C) for 14 days for secondary fermentation. Avoid temperatures above 25°C as this can have a significant impact on the final beer quality. After 14 days, transfer the barrel to a cool, dark place to clear. See Serving & Storage below.

See our 25L Pressure Barrel with Pin Cap.

Bottling Your Beer

Use only reusable glass swing top or crown cap beer bottles. Reject any glass bottles which have the slightest chips, cracks, or imperfections. PET beer bottles can also be used.

  1. Clean and sterilise your syphon, bottles, and bottling bucket (a second fermenter, minimum 25L). See our 500ml Amber Glass Beer Bottles (20 Pack) and Bottle Crown Caps (Pack of 100).
  2. If using a syphon filter or muslin bag, clean and sterilise it, then secure it over the syphon inlet and sediment trap on your syphon.
  3. Syphon your beer into the bottling bucket and add the contents of the Priming Sugar sachet (this contains the perfect amount of dextrose sugar for your selected beer style). Stir to dissolve.
  4. When the priming sugar is completely dissolved, proceed to syphon your beer from the bottling bucket into your bottles. Leave 5cm (2 inches) headspace in the bottle. Seal bottles and leave them in a warm place (20–25°C) for 14 days for secondary fermentation. Avoid temperatures above 25°C as this can have a significant impact on the final beer quality. After 14 days, transfer the bottles to a cool, dark place to clear.

Serving & Storage

Your beer is ready to drink as soon as it's clear but will continue to improve for several weeks if left somewhere cool and dark. Serve chilled (12°C is ideal). For bottled beers, pour slowly and carefully to avoid sediment transferring into your glass. Enjoy!

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