Follow these step-by-step instructions to brew your John Bull beer kit from start to finish. Makes 40 pints (23 litres).
John Bull Beer Kits
These instructions apply to all John Bull beer kits, including:
- John Bull Best Bitter Beer Kit
- John Bull Pilsner Beer Kit
- John Bull Brown Ale Beer Kit
- John Bull London Porter Beer Kit
- John Bull Irish Stout Beer Kit
- John Bull Extra Strong Bitter Beer Kit
- John Bull India Pale Ale Beer Kit
- John Bull Traditional English Ale Beer Kit
Equipment Required
- A food-grade plastic or polythene container with a loose-fitting lid large enough to hold 40 pints (23 litres) — a 25 litre fermenting vessel is ideal. See our Young's 25L Plastic Brew Bucket & Tap.
- A length of plastic tubing to syphon the fermented beer into bottles or a barrel.
- A pressure barrel or bottles sufficient for 40 pints (23 litres). PET (plastic) fizzy drink bottles or brown beer bottles with crown caps are ideal. Do not use glass bottles with cracks or chips, or non-returnable glass bottles. See our 330ml Amber Glass Crown Cap Beer Bottles and Bottle Crown Caps (Pack of 100).
- 1kg Brewing Sugar (Dextrose/Glucose)
- A proprietary cleaning agent — we recommend VWP Cleaner Steriliser 400g or VWP Cleaner Steriliser 100g.
Optional Items
- A Hydrometer (Wine & Beer) and trial jar — useful to check fermentation progress and final gravity.
- A thermometer and heater tray or brew belt for optimum temperature control.
Cleanliness
All equipment, bottles etc. must be cleaned and sterilised. Rinse with clean cold water after sterilising. Do not use household detergents or cleaners. We recommend VWP Cleaner Steriliser — see packaging for full usage details.
Brewing
Step 1 — Add the Kit & Sugar
Empty the contents of the can into your sterilised container and add 1kg of Brewing Sugar. Boil 2.25 litres (4 pints) of water, use a little to rinse the can, allow to cool slightly, then stir into the mix until the sugar is dissolved.
Step 2 — Top Up with Cold Water
Add the balance of cold water to make up the total to 23 litres (40 pints), or for Stout 18 litres (32 pints). Stir thoroughly. The final temperature of the mixture should be 18–24°C.
Step 3 — Add the Yeast
Sprinkle the contents of the yeast sachet onto the brew, stir, and replace the lid. If making cider, sprinkle in the nutrient sachet too.
Step 4 — Ferment
Stand the container in a warm place at a temperature of 18–24°C. We recommend a heater tray or brew belt for optimum temperature control. Leave to ferment for between 4 to 8 days.
Step 5 — Check Fermentation is Complete
Check that fermentation has completely finished before proceeding. This can be confirmed when no bubbles are rising to the surface and the brew begins to clear. A hydrometer reading of below 1006 on two consecutive days will confirm fermentation is complete — for low carbohydrate beers, 996 to 998. It is important to make sure fermentation is complete before bottling, otherwise there is a danger of the bottles bursting.
Bottling the Beer
This "priming" process will carbonate your beer, adding life and sparkle.
Step 1 — Prime the Bottles
Put a maximum of 1 level teaspoon of sugar into each of your sterilised bottles. Do not exceed this amount or the beer will be too lively to serve. Syphon the beer from the container into the bottles, taking care not to disturb the sediment at the bottom, leaving a head space of 5cm (2 inches) between the top of the liquid and the bottle rim.
Step 2 — Secondary Fermentation
Seal or cap your bottles with crown caps and transfer to a warm place at room temperature (about 20°C). Leave for about 4 days to allow secondary fermentation to take place. Do not store in direct sunlight.
Step 3 — Clear & Condition
Move the bottles to a cool place to allow the beer to clear. Clearing will take about one week. Once the beer is perfectly clear it is ready to drink, but will improve if left to mature for at least a further two weeks.
Using a Pressure Barrel
Follow the brewing instructions above until fermentation is complete, then refer to the detailed instructions supplied with your barrel. As a guide:
- Syphon the beer from the container into your sterilised barrel, leaving the sediment behind.
- Dissolve 60g (1/4 cup) of "priming" sugar in a cupful of hot water, add this solution to the barrel and stir well.
- Cap the barrel tightly and move to a warm place (20°C) for 4 days, then leave to clear in a cool place. Beer takes longer to clear in a barrel than in bottles — allow 3 to 4 weeks to clarify and mature. Beer finings may be added to reduce clearing time.
- If the cap of your barrel is fitted with a CO2 valve, you can inject further gas when the natural CO2 produced has been used up.
See our 25L Pressure Barrel with Pin Cap and Homebrew Starter Kit with Pressure Barrel (40 Pints).
Hints & Tips
- Always sterilise all equipment before use — we recommend VWP Cleaner Steriliser.
- In winter, use a heater tray or brew belt to maintain an even fermentation temperature.
- Ensure fermentation has finished before bottling — a beer hydrometer is the most accurate guide.
- Only use pressure bottles, preferably beer bottles.
- When serving, be careful not to disturb the sediment at the bottom of the bottle. It may help to pour the beer into a jug before serving.
- Your beer will take longer to clear in a pressure barrel. To help clearing, add a sachet of Young's Beer Finings or Harris Beer Brite Finings.