John Bull IPA Review

[sloth]

G'mornin guys and gals. Got one of these on at the mo and it seems, stuck........... Not had this happen since my first ever (wherry) brew a couple of years ago.
Made up to 20 litres, with 1kg brew enhancer and about 200g dextrose. OG 1048, by day 8 it was at 1018. Now at day 12 and it's still at 1018
This is only my second one can kit (the last was a coopers stout with additions), and so far I think I'll just pay the extra few quid for 'premium' kits! By the time you've got extra fermentables/hops they're about the same price anyway.

So, has anyone else had this happen? Any suggestions how to save my brew? I move house next week and really need this in a barrel before-hand, so time is of the essence..............

 

[terrym]

If it is stuck, and assuming the SG reading is correct, usual advice is to put it somewhere warmer say up to 22*C, and either rouse the yeast by gentle stirring without getting any air in, or swirl the FV contents.
If that doesn't work you could try more yeast but 1.018 is getting quite low so you could chuck in more fermentable to up the SG. If you do use more yeast, assuming its dry yeast, I would rehydrate it or get it going in a dilute wort before I pitched it.

 

[Javalian]

Hi, Just going to get one of these on with Coppers Brew enhancer, but which one No 1 or No 2 ?? Whats the difference please.
Also would you say the kit yeast is ok and should I add some plain brewing sugar?
Will be adding some centenial hops in a tea bag after a week or so as I have done this before in a Coopers IPA which turned out nice.
Thanks for any advice....

 

[terrym]

Hi, Just going to get one of these on with Coppers Brew enhancer, but which one No 1 or No 2 ?? Whats the difference please.
Also would you say the kit yeast is ok and should I add some plain brewing sugar?

Try this...
http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showpost.php?p=613327&postcount=6
Personally I would avoid putting in any more dextrose, it will thin it down too much.
If you want it stronger why not brew a bit short instead, say 20-21 litres.
My experience is that kit yeast is fine.

 

[Lesinge]

Doing this as I got it in the sale in Tescos. Firstly steeped 200g of Carapils and 300g of extra dark crystal malt for 30 minutes and then added 22g of Cascade and 15g of centennial to a ten minute boil. Added the resultant "wort" to 1kg of Youngs brew enhancer, added the can, added cold water until 23l and pitched the kit yeast. Was going to change the yeast but figured that this might be youngs rather than Muntons yeast so I will take the risk. If it stalls I will warm and stir and failing that add the Wilko gervin that I got as a substitute anyway. Taste at pitch creamy, bitter and a roasty from the dark crystal, not deep flavour like AG nor as bitter but quite a nice wort...I liked drinking it.

 

[Clint]

Mine was stuck at 1020 after two weeks which I put down to low temps. I put a heat tray under it controlled to 22°c ,roused the yeast up and added 200g of boiled dextrose. Within 24 hours it was bubbling again and still is 3 days later. I have the JB English ale to do but will sub the yeast out for either a Wilko, SO4 or CML ..and either use the heat tray or,if ready my brew fridge.

Cheers

Clint

 

[LarryF]

Doing this as I got it in the sale in Tescos. Firstly steeped 200g of Carapils and 300g of extra dark crystal malt for 30 minutes and then added 22g of Cascade and 15g of centennial to a ten minute boil. Added the resultant "wort" to 1kg of Youngs brew enhancer, added the can, added cold water until 23l and pitched the kit yeast. Was going to change the yeast but figured that this might be youngs rather than Muntons yeast so I will take the risk. If it stalls I will warm and stir and failing that add the Wilko gervin that I got as a substitute anyway. Taste at pitch creamy, bitter and a roasty from the dark crystal, not deep flavour like AG nor as bitter but quite a nice wort...I liked drinking it.

What was your OG.? The reason i ask is that I've done JBIPA with 1kg of BE and on one I used 454g of Golden Syrup and got an OG:1066 FG:1009(Coopers yeast) on another I added 66g of honey and got an OG:1062 FG:1008(Wilko Gervin). In trying to gauge what extra fermentables steeping the grain gives.

 

[Godsdog]

just kegged one of these £6.25 Tesco sale and left it a long time in the fv and couldn't get it down any lower than 1016 from the 0G of 1054,so yesterday thought sod it its going in the cornie never packaged a brew that high an FG before.... used with 1kg of youngs beer enhancer

 

[Lesinge]

What was your OG.? The reason i ask is that I've done JBIPA with 1kg of BE and on one I used 454g of Golden Syrup and got an OG:1066 FG:1009(Coopers yeast) on another I added 66g of honey and got an OG:1062 FG:1008(Wilko Gervin). In trying to gauge what extra fermentables steeping the grain gives.

Sorry I messed it up. I took a sample, then pitched only to see that I had pitched at 20L so filled up to 23L thus making my measure obselete. I don't worry too much on gravity on kits reckoning that they will produce beer in the 4.5% region anyway. As I mainly do AG nowadays I care more about my efficiency in that area so am more meticulous for those beers.

 

[APINTA]

A couple of weeks ago I finished fermenting a John Bull IPA sell by date 2002 I thought I give it a try well it seemed to have turned out OK with a nice taste and a good Head my main concern is that the beer is a little Dark I thought IPA are a bit lighter than this it because the Malt is a bit old See pictures I have a old Can of Boots Stout Going to give that a go sell by date April 1995 22years old:mrgreen::nono::nono: will let you know how i get on.What do others think?

 

[LarryF]

This is my next brew, as soon as my back sorts itself out and I can lift the FV. I'm thinking of a hop tea and dry hopping with a different hop but I'll have a rummage around the freezer and box to see what I'll use. I'll chuck in 50g of honey as well as the 1kg of BE just to bump up the ABV. These JB IPA kits have always come good, apart from when I had a brainwave and added treacle, it was foul, so much for the dark IPA. Took a lot of lemonade tops and last beer of the night to shift them but at 7% they certainly worked.

 

[Clint]

...I feel for your back........

 

[Lesinge]

A couple of weeks ago I finished fermenting a John Bull IPA sell by date 2002 I thought I give it a try well it seemed to have turned out OK with a nice taste and a good Head my main concern is that the beer is a little Dark I thought IPA are a bit lighter than this it because the Malt is a bit old See pictures I have a old Can of Boots Stout Going to give that a go sell by date April 1995 22years old:mrgreen::nono::nono: will let you know how i get on.What do others think?

I did a couple of very out of date kits and they were foul, so I personnally wouldn't expect much from them 20 year old one!

 

[Clint]

Bin em for Christ's sake!

 

[APINTA]

I have put in new yeast in t the IPA tastes OK looks ok as seen in the photos but not to sure about the stout it has not cost me nothing but tiny bit of time it is just a experiment any way OG on the stout is 1040

 

[RichieBeer]

Just put a JB IPA on. I used up some odd bits I had in my Brew box so it ended up being 380g light spray malt, 500g of demarera sugar and 120g regular table sugar so we'll see how it goes. 22 litres and it came in at 1.053 which was higher than I expected but maybe I wasn't as exact with the sugar as I might have been. So it may end up just over 5%. I also dropped in half a sachet of hop powder left over from my last brew - Tom Caxton Best Bitter. It would have only gone in the bin other wise.

I plan to put this in a pressure barrel that I recently acquired 2nd hand - all of my previous brews have been bottled.

 

[LarryF]

Just put a JB IPA on. I used up some odd bits I had in my Brew box so it ended up being 380g light spray malt, 500g of demarera sugar and 120g regular table sugar so we'll see how it goes. 22 litres and it came in at 1.053 which was higher than I expected but maybe I wasn't as exact with the sugar as I might have been. So it may end up just over 5%. I also dropped in half a sachet of hop powder left over from my last brew - Tom Caxton Best Bitter. It would have only gone in the bin other wise.

I plan to put this in a pressure barrel that I recently acquired 2nd hand - all of my previous brews have been bottled.

I've done a few JB IPA's (back when I was a Tesco Raider). Looking at what you've done with this I'm thinking that this will be a very drinkable beer. If I remember correctly they can be very good very early but of course get a lot better over time. Here's what I have did with one of these a couple of years ago :

JB IPA today:
23L - 11/10/15 - 31/10/15
Re-pitched Gervin Yeast (Wilko) + 1tsp Yeast Nutrient
1kg Youngs Brew Enhancer + 120g honey
25g Perle Hops + 5g Aurora - 20m boil, tea and bag added to FV
OG:1061 - FG:1009 - 7%

Very nice tasting in the trial jar, I've really enjoyed everything I've done with the Perle Hops.