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Thanks Slid. Temperature has been around freezing for 5 days now so brewbelt is sitting as low as I can get it and the FV is in a box to keep draughts to a minimum. Garage is unheated otherwise but airlock activity never stopped so was unsure how the brew would react to that. Got a new...

Just discovered that the aquarium heater in the water bath that the FV was in has packed in some time in the last 3 or 4 days. Been pretty cold here with morning frosts. There was still airlock activity and I've now got a brewbelt around it - much more active now. What, if anything, might...

Of the five kits I've done, the one that gets top marks from everyone is the Evil Dog. Took a bit longer to mature and lose the 'raw alcohol' taste but since then it has been a winner. Will try a Razorback next due to the good reviews but it will have to be exceptional to top this.

Just checked my hop selection and it will be Kohatu and not Riwaka - but just a small quantity to balance the malts a little. Maybe I'm fondly remembering the Bank Top Mild as having a gentle hop taste on the finish but certainly the Craigmill Mild does and I like that one too. In the end...

I went full Coopers on this one - using BKE 2 and carbonation drops. Only addition was some late hopping with Citra. Two weeks in the warm and four weeks in the garage, this has turned out to be a lovely brew. Slightly maltier than I'd have liked but nice stuff. Anyone made this with BKE...

Put this one on at the weekend with 500g brown sugar and 500g brew kit enhancer. Intention is to late hop with Riwaka and to see of I can get close to Bank Top Mild. Any thoughts?

I'm in a dead-end village called Stonehouse - about 20 miles south of Glasgow. My wife bought me a starter kit for my birthday and I've done a few brews since - nothing too startling - but it keeps me away from my mother-in-law.

Good reviews for a one-can kit so fired one up at the weekend with some NZ hops and a brew enhancer 2 box. Glad I've used the tip from the forum about using a breather tube for the first few days as it's bubbling like a mad thing - would probably have overwhelmed the airlock. Plan on late...

Wilkinsons still do swing-top bottles at £8 for 6 (but currently on offer at £6) so don't bother with Tesco. My Evil Dog took about 7 weeks to finish believe it or not (was a bit chilly in the garage though) but starting to taste really good if a bit lacking in malt backbone.

Thanks guys. The hops are whole so will stick some of them in a muslin bag and boil them for the time suggested and late hop with the balance. As I've said, I like a hoppy beer. Hopefully the enhancer will improve the body and maybe the overall balance - I'd love it to come out like an...

Anyone offer some advice? Going to start a Coopers IPA with a BKE as recommended. Currently drinking an Evil Dog DIPA which isn't as hoppy as I'd like (but I've a pretty good idea why) but isn't well balanced - although a good pint. I'll late hop with some Citra to make sure I've got the...

Not as hoppy as hoped either but put that down to the fact that I'd broken my glass trial jar and used airlock activity to judge when to add the hop teabags. Started fermenting again so the hops were in there far longer than the 2-3 days the kit recommends. Not sure that maturation will help...

My brew genuinely took 7 weeks before there was no airlock activity. Racked and batch primed before bottling - one week in the warm and then out into the garage. Now 3 weeks later, it's clear as a bell and starting to lose some of the raw alcohol taste that it had. I've a funny feeling I'll...

Mine has been 3 weeks in the barrel (one in the warm and two in the garage) and still has the homebrew-ish taste that Lesinge reported he'd got after a couple of days. Has been pretty warm here though - could that be the issue? We don't normally do warm in Scotland. Drinking : Woodforde's...

Thanks guys. So far I've only brewed two-can kits but, going through the forums, most who brew one-can kits add a spraymalt or kit enhancer. Sounds like a Young's kit with the spraymalt and maybe a light dry-hopping might be in order. Tried a Leeds Brewery Midnight Bell yesterday and that has...

You don't get a lot of mild in Scotland - although Strathaven Ales does a really nice one - but after trying Bank Top Mild at a festival, I'd really like to make a batch. Trouble is, there's a lot of comments about a 'thin' taste to many kits and the Bank Top was far from 'thin'. What's the...

Well, looks like my haunted brew has finally given up the ghost (pun intended) with no airlock activity for 48 hours. I'll rack it off the trub, batch condition it then get it into bottles at long last. Hope nothing has gone seriously wrong after 8 weeks in the FV.

Still getting airlock activity after 34 days. Looked like it had stopped at 30 days so added the hop teabags and it came back to life Mine went off like a rocket at the start too - just kept changing the bubbler to clean up the gunged-up one - think the blow-off tube might be an idea for next...

I'm beginning to wonder what I'm brewing. Been in the FV for 28 days come tomorrow and there's still airlock activity every 50-55 seconds. Certainly seems Evil.

Sorry johnnyboy, you've totally lost me as a beginner. Surely I can't keg it at 1.020 - to my mind that's only half brewed so I need to get the yeast working again to get the SG closer to 1.000. Feel free to correct me.