John Bull Best Bitter Review

[eggman]

Brewed this short to 36 pints with 1kg BKE and 200 grams demerara sugar. O.g 1048 F.g 1014
Just had a quality control taster of this, only been in the keg 4 weeks but developing into a very drinkable pint
If i was to do it again i would probably add more malt and less sugar
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[beermeister]

I've just started one of these off yesterday, I had no brewing sugar, so I used normal granulated sugar, its keeping a steady 22 degrees in the garage with the help of a brew belt and a fleece. Seems to be ok in there, I had a look just now and it's all frothed up and smells as it should, I don't have a hydrometer so I'll leave it a good week before putting it in the keg.

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[beermeister]

I've just transferred it to the barrel after 10 days in the FV, now comes the hard bit...........................waiting. :pray:

 

[Fender Precision]

I brewed this a while back with a 1.5kg tin of coopers light malt extract and it was absolutely amazing. Ive never brewed a kit with such a luxurious creamy head. More recently I brewed it with 2 cans of kit and it wasnt quite as good, actually a little too bitter and the head wasnt anywhere as good as with the plain malt extract. Good stuff all the same :

 

[carl_saint]

I also brewed this with 1kg of BKE a while ago! It certainly gets better with age.

 

[Scott]

This is currently sat in the FV awaiting bottling. It's finished up at 3.6% which is weak for me, but I can live with it. Bottle conditioning should throw another 0.5% on there which will make it better.

Brewed with 500g of Medium Spray Malt and 500g dextrose.

The hydrometer sample tastes good, can't wait to try it in a few months times after bottle conditioning.

 

[Tean Buns]

Mine went into the barrel yesterday, review in a month's time. :whistle:

 

[ian808]

I have one of these in FV at the moment been 9 days was going to take reading this morning but didn't bother. I brew it with 500g brewing sugar and 700g brew enhancer and only took it to 18L. Had a SG of 1052 so hoping for a strong one

 

[Tean Buns]

The brew was done according to the instructions, just slightly short-brewed to 20 litres instead of 23.

Initial tasting was not too promising, very much like a pint of home-brew, slight fruity flavours coming through and an impression that the beer lacks a bit of balance. This however has improved with time and the beer has evolved to become quite palatable. It reminds me of standard keg bitters, does anybody remember Watney's Red Label ? I have read elsewhere that it is similar to John Smith' s keg. Something along those lines.

I did this one because I wanted to know what basic kits are like, I was looking for a blast from the past, to remind me what HB was like 20 years ago. Quite honestly, at £12 plus the price of a kilo of sugar, I can't fault it. It does not have the sophistication of the better kits but given time, it will make a perfectly decent session beer. Mine is in a pressure barrel, bottling it would probably give it more of a standard bottled bitter profile.

I doubt that I would do another one, I can get MUCH better beer for the same price doing all-grain. But, if you are a bit strapped for cash, or space, and need a session beer for a party or a barbecue, something like that, this could be the one for you. It's a fine pint.

 

[Paul Narramore]

I think you mean Watney's Red BARREL. Dreadful stuff.

 

[Tean Buns]

I think you mean Watney's Red BARREL. Dreadful stuff.

Yes, Red Barrel ... dreadful stuff maybe, I only remember it as being generic beer, stuff out of a keg ... and that's what the John Bull kit does for me, drinkable, but you are not going to rave about it.

 

[Tean Buns]

It's now the sixth of March ... I started the brew on the 30th of December and two months down the line, I am thinking that this is quite a decent pint. I am even thinking that I might just need to do another one to make sure. I finished off my Nelson's Revenge just yesterday and I am starting to wonder whether, given time, this John Bull could not be as good as a two can kit ... given two months in the pressure barrel. I am quite honestly thinking that I prefer the John Bull compared to the Nelson's Revenge. It looks like I am going to have to get myself another kit to find out. :hmm:

 

[LarryF]

Brewed this one today John Bull Best Bitter

23L 18/07/15 - 01/08/15 - No temp control summer temps
Re-pitched Mangrove Jacks Workhorse yeast + 1tsp yeast nutrient
1kg Youngs Beer Enhancer, 165g honey
40g Perle Hops, 20m boil - tea and bag added to FV
OG:1050

Nice taste from the sample tube, really notice the hop bitterness.

 

[Smileyr8]

I currently have one of these on. I pitched the yeast at 26 degrees c, fermentation was well under way by the time I checked the following morning, it sat at 19 degrees c until Friday where the hydrometer reading was 1020-1018. Worried that this had stuck/stalled I added my aquarium heater and raised the temp to 22 degrees c, this looks to have kicked off the fermentation again as this is now sat at 1014-1016, will fine this with gelatine and keg next weekend most probably.

John Bull Best Bitter 1.8kg
500gr Pale Dried Malt
Youngs Beer Enhancer 0.463kg
Kit Yeast
10g Cascade Hop Pellet 7.8% aa boiled with Dried Malt & Enhancer for 20 mins
10g First Gold Hop Pellet 7.1% aa boiled with Dried Malt & Enhancer for 20 mins
10g Cascade Hop Pellet 7.8%aa boiled with Dried Malt & Enhancer for 9 mins
10g First Gold Hop Pellet 7.1% aa boiled with Dried Malt & Enhancer for 9 mins
Orig Grav = 1049
Final Grav = 101
ABV 4.?%
Brewed 12/07/2015
Kegged ?/07/2015
20 Litres / 35 Pints
£0.49 Pint

 

[clibit]

Two really nice hops there. :thumb:

Just wondering about bitterness, the 20 minute hops will increase it a fair bit.

 

[Smileyr8]

Two really nice hops there. :thumb:

Just wondering about bitterness, the 20 minute hops will increase it a fair bit.

46 additional IBU's from the additions if my calculations are correct (might not be as it seems a little tricky to figure out) I never worry about does it fit this style or that style, I try to brew things for my taste.

Have only once made something too hoppy, a stout and although it was still drinkable I would not go down that same route again.

I suppose keeping good notes is the key to a lot of this.

 

[LarryF]

Brewed 23L 18/07/15 - 08/08/15 - Summer temps no temp control
Re-pitched Mangrove Jacks Workhorse yeast from last brew + 1tsp Yeast Nutrient.
1Kg Youngs Beer Enhancer + 165g of honey
40g of Perle Hops, 20min boil and tea and bag added to the FV
OG:1050 - FG1008 - 5.8%
500ml bottle primed with 1/2 tsp heaped.

The re-pitched MGJ WH went of like a rocket within 12 hours, probably the time of year, so I fitted a blow off tube for the first three days. I gave it 3 weeks in the FV and I'm now leaning more towards three weeks rather than two but I'll see how the beer is. I'll be trying my first bottle in two weeks and I'll update at that point. What I tasted today in the sample tube was very nice. If it's anything like their IPA, I can't wait.

 

[Smileyr8]

The gelatine has failed to clear this beer, its been sat in the corny since 26/07/2015, the beer its self tastes nice enough. Maybe a few more weeks may help.

 

[Slid]

The gelatine has failed to clear this beer, its been sat in the corny since 26/07/2015, the beer its self tastes nice enough. Maybe a few more weeks may help.

Hi Smiley

I have got used to using US Safale 05 of late. Doing the Mother brew with the 11g sachet can get you enough yeast for around 10 Daughter brews in 250 ml bottles that once held lemonade. Green beer is better than water for storing the starter bottles in the fridge.

US 05 takes 3 weeks minimum to be ready to bottle, and really needs a racking after 2 weeks. But it gives very clear and clean tasting beer. And it does cope well with temps in the 20-23 sort of range that you get in UK houses at this time of year.

How was the Big Stout? Cerebrus, if I recall the graphic.

My "immense" Saison is not to be taken lightly. Bottled for 9 months now and still only just over half way through drinking it. Would not do one that ABV again. Loopy Juice.

 

[Smileyr8]

How was the Big Stout? Cerebrus, if I recall the graphic.

The Cerberus and her big sister the Golden Imperial are both very nice brews, but like you say loopy juice so need to be treated with care.

I have not made any big beers for a while as everything is going into cornies now, am wanting to make the step to all grain but Tesco keep putting offers on.

I am sure once I have made the change to all grain I might make a few big ABV brews for bottling, I have a yearning to make a double figure ABV not sure exactly what though maybe a Barley Wine or DIPA.