I've made this kit just the once but heres what I did and it worked out a treat after 4-5 weeks in the bottle.
Exactly as per instructions apart from re-hydrating the yeast before hand in 100ml of cool water stirred the yeast up so it was all infused with water and left for 10 mins. Left to ferment, added 7/8ths of the bag of hops - after 5 days? i think, i forget as my brew book is downstrairs
- left in the fermenter for 16 days, racked to 2nd FV for clearing, left on tiled floor under the stairs for a further 5 days to help everything drop out. So 3 weeks in total before bottling.
Dissolved priming sugar in boiled + cooled water (300ml approx) then mixed into 2nd FV and slowly stirred. Bottled into Coopers PET 500ml bottles, approx 38 made i think. Left upstairs out the way for 3 weeks, then moved to the shed outside. This was made in late sept to beginning October.
I kept quality testing as I just cant keep my hands of it once its bottled but i did manage to eek the bottles out to last weekend. 2 weeks ago the taste of the beer was supreme! Easily the best and clearest ive made so far, albeit only made 8 kits. The final 3 bottles were drank on sunday 23/11 and its changed again, I had a soft creamy tight-bubbled head with lacing allllllll the way down the glass, with a fantastic hop taste, slight bitter fore-cast to it, followed by a hit of magnificent hops and a well rounded malty and refreshing beer on the palate. I cannot rate this kit enough, the best kit I have made and once my AAA is out of the FV im making it again but with bottled water rather than tap water. Hopefully my info will help people to get a good finished product as good as the one i managed.
If i would recommend anything it would be to leave it for at least 3-4 weeks in the bottle and you will not be disappointed
:drunk: