Instructions for Hambleton Bard Beer kits. The same instructions apply to all the dried malt kits
1. Sterilise all equipment before using it! Sterilise a six gallon plastic bucket or food grade container.
Mark off the 5 gallon mark with a pen or a bit of tape.
Tip the brown/powder in the bag into the bucket
Add the contents of the hop sachet
2. Add the required amount of sugar and 6 pints of boiling water(two kettles full is about right)
Bards Bitter 1kg White sugar
Lager Supreme 1.2 kg white sugar
Old English 1kg of white sugar + 500g soft brown sugar
Strong Bitter and Amber Export 1.5 Kg White sugar
3. Add cold water to make the total liquid up to 5 gallons and stir well.
Check the temperature is not above 24 degrees centigrade
– too hot or too cold will not allow the yeast to start.
4. Half fill a sterilised glass with the beer liquid and add the contents of the white sachet (yeast).
Stir to a nice creamy consistency and add to rest of beer in bucket.
Cover the liquid with a loose fitting lid. If fermentation does not start in 12 hours add more yeast.
5. By the second day the beer should be fermenting away merrily.
It is advisable, although not necessary to siphon the liquid into a second container on the seventh day.
Total time for fermenting is usually 8 to 10 days. You beer is now ready for bottling or barrelling.
6. Syphon your beer into sterilised bottles or a pressurised container.
Plastic bottles that held fizzy drinks are ideal.
Add the priming sugar. This is a small ½ teaspoon per pint of beer added to the pressure container.
7. Place the bottles or barrel into a warm place for a week and then into a cool place to mature.
Its best left for two to three weeks but will keep a lot longer.
Priming syrup- Some people prefer to use a priming syrup.
Make this by dissolving 5 ounces of sugar in half a pint of hot water. For a pressure barrel use the whole amount.
Lager supreme, Best and Strong Bitter = 3 teaspoons of priming syrup
Old English and Amber Expo t = 1 teaspoon of priming syrup
Notes
A hydrometer is useful in determining the final bottling point.
For these beers the final gravity should be below 1.006
If when you open your bottled beer it’s too frothy- let the pressure off by opening the tops and tighten down again.
You may have to repeat this operation.
It’s usually as a result of too much priming sugar or bottling too soon.
You can avoid this by use of the hydrometer.
Flat beer is usually because the bottles were stored in too cold a place.
Leave them in a warm place for a few days and they should get the fizz.