Muntons Flagship Beer Kit Instructions

What's Included

  • Two cans of Muntons premium malt extract (may differ slightly between the two, for flavour profile)
  • Hop pellets, in a straining bag
  • Fermentis yeast sachet

Equipment Needed (not included)

Total brewing and conditioning time: around 4 weeks. Read all instructions before you start.

Stage 1 — Brew Day (20–30 minutes)

  1. Sit the cans in a sink of hot water for 5 minutes to make the extract easier to pour.
  2. Sterilise your 23L fermenting bucket and lid, large spoon, measuring container and anything else you'll be using.
  3. Open the cans and pour the contents into the sterilised fermenter (use a tea towel or glove — the cans will be hot).
  4. Add 4 litres of boiled water to the fermenter and stir with a sterilised spoon until the extract is fully dissolved. Add a little boiled water to each can too, swirl and add that in as well.
  5. Top up the fermenter to 20 litres with cool tap water and stir well.
  6. Take a 100–150ml sample with a sterilised container and record your original gravity reading.
  7. Check the temperature is between 18–21°C (if it's too warm, leave the lid on until it cools). Then add the yeast, fit the lid, and leave to ferment. After 10 days, move on to Stage 2.

Stage 2 — Adding the Hops (2 minutes, after ~9–10 days)

Add the hop pellets to the straining bag provided, tie it off, and put it into the fermenter. Replace the lid and leave for a further 4 days — a full 2 weeks in the fermenter in total before bottling.

Fermentation is complete when the gravity is below 1.014 and stays stable for 48 hours. Depending on your wort's temperature this can take longer than 14 days — don't bottle until you've confirmed this with two consecutive readings.

Stage 3 — Bottling (30–40 minutes)

  1. Ensure all bottles and caps are sterilised before you start.
  2. Place the siphon tube in the fermenter.
  3. Carefully fill the bottles, leaving at least 2cm of airspace at the top.
  4. Add a carbonation drop (or half a teaspoon of priming sugar) to each bottle and cap.

Leave the bottles to condition at a low temperature (ideally below 15°C) for 2 weeks before drinking. Best served chilled.

Troubleshooting

  • Gravity still above 1.014 after 2 weeks: be patient — cooler ferments simply take longer. Wait and re-check rather than bottling early.
  • Beer too hazy for a non-hazy style: some haze is expected with these kits (especially Hazy IPA by design), but extra cold conditioning time helps it drop clear for other styles.
  • Over-carbonated bottles: stick to one carbonation drop or half a teaspoon of sugar per bottle — don't be tempted to add more for a bigger head.

For more information, see the homebrew section at muntons.com.