Festival Beer Kits - New

Discuss making up beer kits - the simplest way to brew.
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WarrenMc86

Re: Festival Beer Kits - New

Post by WarrenMc86 » Sat Sep 08, 2012 9:12 am

LOVING all the posts about these new kits!! Noticed them on the Hop and Grape site and really keen to try them, got a Muntons Smuggler's to brew then I'll purchase one of these!!


Just a quick note on Ward's Best Bitter, after the Sheffield brewery closed Maxim of Sunderland (ex-Vaux) took over brewing it. My local used to get it in quite regularly until, as, unfortunately, many pubs are, ceased to trade. Was a lovely pint mind!


Cheers for all the info!!

nutmeg31415

Re: Festival Beer Kits - New

Post by nutmeg31415 » Tue Sep 11, 2012 8:26 am

Im planning on doing the London Porter, but rather than priming in a barrel or bottles, Im going to put it in a corney.
Do you think its worthwhile sticking the priming sugar all in the FV at the start? Seems a shame to waste it.

twentyfootwilf

Re: Festival Beer Kits - New

Post by twentyfootwilf » Tue Sep 11, 2012 9:14 am

I suppose the priming sugar was going to be fermented if you kegged or bottled so if your not planning on using it to prime then using it in the FV would probably produce a similar end result. Having said that when I kegged my Father Hooks Bitter I was supplied with 100g of priming sugar which I thought was plenty so I only used about 65g of it, but in the FV a few grams either way wont make any discernable difference so bung it in if you dont want to hang onto it for priming any other kit that doesn't come with priming sugar.

nutmeg31415

Re: Festival Beer Kits - New

Post by nutmeg31415 » Tue Sep 11, 2012 1:18 pm

Cheers, I'll sling it in at the beginning! Does anyone know how long the London Porter needs to mature? I was thinking on 3 - 4 weeks in the FV to let the yeast finish clearing up, and then a month in a corney, ready for 1st December! Does that seem about right?

twentyfootwilf

Re: Festival Beer Kits - New

Post by twentyfootwilf » Tue Sep 11, 2012 3:03 pm

It shouldn't need 3 to 4 weeks in the FV. 10 days to a fortnight will be enough. Then 3 to 4 weeks in the cornie or even more, but if your like most you'll give it a little try sooner than that :wink:

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lee1
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Re: Festival Beer Kits - New

Post by lee1 » Tue Sep 11, 2012 4:28 pm

yes wilf is right my old suffolk ale has been in cornie less than a week and i have had a qc test wow its strong :oops:
soon be dead thank beer for that no pain where im going :-)

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Monkeybrew
Telling everyone Your My Best Mate
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Location: Essex

Re: Festival Beer Kits - New

Post by Monkeybrew » Tue Sep 11, 2012 10:13 pm

I had a little taster of the Landlords Finest Bitter at my LHBS the other day, and it was young but quite nice.

I wouldn't class it as a bitter though, as it was quite pale and had a nice grapefruit citrus hop flavour to it.

It certainly looked and tasted promising in it's own right :)

I still won't allow myself to buy a kit from the Festival range until I've brewed the 2 kits that I've got in the cupboard :|
FV:


Conditioning:
AG#41 - Vienna Lager - 5.6%
AG#42 - Heritage Double Ale - 10.5%

On Tap:
AG#44 - Harvest ESB - 5.4%
AG#45 - Amarillo Gold APA - 5.2%

Stomach
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Re: Festival Beer Kits - New

Post by Stomach » Wed Sep 12, 2012 1:20 pm

Monkeybrew wrote:
I still won't allow myself to buy a kit from the Festival range until I've brewed the 2 kits that I've got in the cupboard :|
<whispers into Monkeybrews ears.....>

Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it!

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Fermenting:-
FV 1 - Festival Spiced Winter Ale
FV 2 - Empty
FV 3 - Empty
FV 4 - Ditches Stout

Drinking:-
Keg 1 - Nothing

Conditioning:-

Bottles - Brewferm Winter Ale
Bottles - Brewferm Triple

Next
Work in progress
Old Tin of Coopers Cerveza
Couple of old tins of stuff to experiment with!

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Monkeybrew
Telling everyone Your My Best Mate
Posts: 4104
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Location: Essex

Re: Festival Beer Kits - New

Post by Monkeybrew » Wed Sep 12, 2012 8:50 pm

Stomach wrote:
Monkeybrew wrote:
I still won't allow myself to buy a kit from the Festival range until I've brewed the 2 kits that I've got in the cupboard :|
<whispers into Monkeybrews ears.....>

Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Buy one.. Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it!

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Haha, do I sense some kind of hidden message in this post?

Depending on how my current 19L extract brew turns out, I may not be buying many or any kits in the near future :shock:

Never say never though :wink:
FV:


Conditioning:
AG#41 - Vienna Lager - 5.6%
AG#42 - Heritage Double Ale - 10.5%

On Tap:
AG#44 - Harvest ESB - 5.4%
AG#45 - Amarillo Gold APA - 5.2%

hopeful_homebrewer

Re: Festival Beer Kits - New

Post by hopeful_homebrewer » Thu Oct 04, 2012 9:21 pm

I started a Festival Father Hook kit last Saturday. The O.G. Was 1039 (at 27c) after mixing with a plasterers stirrer attached to a power drill. I waited untill it was down to 22c, chucked in the yeast.....5 days later when adding the hops I took another reading and it's down to 1014 already. I remember the last Muntons Premium IPA kit I did never got below this after two and a half weeks! I'm impressed already, it smells lovely and has a great colour. I can't wait to taste it. The only thing that worries me is that in my haste to get the kit going I used untreated tap water....I'll keep my fingers crossed!

Anyone tasted a Father Hook yet?

Chardf

Re: Festival Beer Kits - New

Post by Chardf » Tue Oct 09, 2012 9:37 am

Hi I've just started fermenting a kit of Pilgrims Hope

I waited 6-7 hrs for the temp to come down to below 25 c before adding the yeast. Now 14hrs later and the the ferment does not appear to have started (steady 20 c)

I'm used to woodefords kits which are all frothy and bubbly within a few hours. Should I worry?

Mr Fuggles

Re: Festival Beer Kits - New

Post by Mr Fuggles » Tue Oct 09, 2012 10:22 am

ello Chardf.

I have made 4 of the kits now from Festival and I love them, I have had no problems with the fermentation either. All i can suggest is take a hydrometer reading when you next get chance, leave it under a sealed lid and airlock and check 24hrs later, one thing I have found with the festival kits is that they ferment very quickly so you should notice a change with the hydrometer scale fairly quickly. Out of interest what was temp 6-7hrs before it dropped below 25c?

Chardf

Re: Festival Beer Kits - New

Post by Chardf » Tue Oct 09, 2012 5:08 pm

I put in 5l of water just off boiling point and topped up with cold. Finished temp was 35c took 6 hrs to drop to 25c with the lid off.

24hrs in and It now looks and foamy :D Gravity han't changed 1040. The water in the airlock has stayed level so no pressure that I.m used to with Woodfordes kits :?:

Spooneys regular

Re: Festival Beer Kits - New

Post by Spooneys regular » Tue Oct 09, 2012 5:45 pm

24hrs in and It now looks and foamy :D Gravity han't changed 1040. The water in the airlock has stayed level so no pressure that I.m used to with Woodfordes kits :?:[/quote]



Thought the same with the pilgrims hope I'm doing, so took some water out the air lock and its been bubbling away happily for over a week :roll:

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lee1
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Posts: 531
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Location: leeds

Re: Festival Beer Kits - New

Post by lee1 » Tue Oct 09, 2012 6:17 pm

have had the same none aggresive fermentation with all three festival kits :?
soon be dead thank beer for that no pain where im going :-)

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