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I made loads of **** ups back when I was AG brewing, but the one that sticks in my mind was from when I was brewing a simple beer kit a year or so ago. I was rinsing residual malt extract from the can with boiling water and spilt it on my hand. I was using some kind of dish cloth, but clearly...

I made this kit a while back and I'm afraid I was not a fan. I attributed this to what I thought was probably a harsh pronounced hop flavour. I think I probably drank it all though! Hope it works out for you.

My experience of bottling in glass bottles is fairly limited (I use the plastic coopers bottles), but if the glass is not that thick it might not be wise to use them to bottle condition in them.

Are you dissolving DME in water and THEN adding it to the bottle, or adding it dry? Sugar dissolves and ferments easily in beer at fermentation temp; not sure about DME - never used it to prime. Given the amount used it does not seem worth using DME to prime.

Fermentation ambient temp of 22/23 c seems a bit on the high side, especially considering temp of beer will rise above this. FG of 1.006 also seems a bit low, which might make it taste a bit thin and therefore accentuate the bitterness? I've not made these kits before so can't comment what they...

Priming sugar easily dissolves and ferments easily without the need for inverting the bottle.

Be a bit careful when transferring the beer to the bottles (or keg) to avoid oxidation. Likewise, do not shake bottles to mix priming sugar! A fermenter with a tap and a bottling stick will make life easier if you don't have one already.

This is broadly what I do and seems to be be the norm. I Tape the probe to the side of the fermenter. Cover with a load of kitchen towel in the hope that it more accurately measures the temp of the beer. Set the thermostat at the bottom end of recommended range to allow for the fact that the...

Adding 500g lactose to a one can kit is an option as it will add body but not additional fermentables. Milk stout is made with lactose but you could add it to any any beer kit. But if course is is still alcoholic at the end of the day, even if it is lower.

The Woodfordes kits give you two packets of yeast which makes it easy to do it in two halves. If it's one of the kits with hop pellets simply use half, seal the pack and put the rest in the freezer till next time.

I can tell it's my role in this forum to defend beers that everyone else hates :). I quite like Ruddles County. To me, it is a low ABV beer (3.4%) that has a nice yeasty thing going on. That said, I don't know what it was like in the old days pre green king, so I might feel differently if I knew...

I can understand why breweries are less likely to use the name bitter. It only really made sense when they were selling milds as an alternative to it. As agentgonzo says, a lot of them are not actually that bitter but it puts people off. I find it sad that mild is not more common, but that's a...

I was in Manchester a few weeks ago and it was nice to see bitter alive and well there. I liked Holt's Bitter.

Thanks for the tip. Not sure beer warming up to 25 c is a problem where I live though! :-)

Yes, well that is Quite ****, I'll give you that! Never been served a pint like that tho

Theakston's Best Bitter on cask is decent, in my opinion. Not sure if that counts as a small brewer.

I find it harder to find a pint of bitter these days, let alone a spectacular one. But that might just be related to where I live now. But the quality of bitter in different pubs was always variable, as your story shows. I was in Brighton recently, where I used to live, and the pints of Harvey's...

I know the discussion has moved on, but I broadly agree with this. I used king kegs for years, and found them to be great if you get through the beer fairly quickly. But if you drink beers over a number of months, as I do, they seem to keep better if bottled (at least that is my experience). So...

I know that we are all supposed to look down on pub Guinness, but I quite like it. And if it didn't exist what would I drink when you are stuck in a pub with no decent ales? This whole thing about good and bad Guinness also seems odd, because it seems a remarkably consistent product to me...

Really was not impressed with Festival Hooks Best Bitter. Sounded lovely: "Boasting a complex aroma profile of slight fruit, vanilla and malty goodness. Big and malty body on the palate, with wonderful orange marmalade character. The malts are perfectly balanced with hop bitterness." The malt...