Wishing to improve a Young's Definitive Bitter

[Cellar_Rat]

100% agree - not the jug and funnel. It's just gonna be a chore.

Rack and Bulk prime is probably a better idea, but I dismissed it because bottle conditioning leaves a sediment anyway, so good rack straight into the bottle is good enough.

Here's what I do.
I let it chill and settle for 1-2 weeks after ferment.
Use a dry funnel to accurately measure the priming sugar into each bottle.
Use racking cane (with a spring click to keep it in place) and then the party tap on the syphon.
After capping - shake - this mixes in sugar & makes sure the cap is secure.

This is about the easiest and best way I have found - but watch this space 'cos this time I am planning to use the enolmatic. BUT I REALLY REALLY think it wont be any better - probably worse and more to wash up!

[Tibley Bobley]

Thank you both for the solutions... and for the very kind offer! (Which I may take you up on if get stuck.) I'll pop over and see what I can find on Ebay - tap-wise - first. You'll have to excuse my ignorance. It's all quite new to me... even the language ("party taps", "cornys(ies?) etc). I think you mean me to connect the tube to a tap coming out the bottom of a mash or fermenting vessel - and I think I do have something like that (I store all the brewing stuff at my brother's place, so can't just nip into the garage or back room and check). I do have 2 syphons: a Young's Auto Syphon and a Woodshield with a little tap on (just found, still sealed in its bag). Your picture looks very different to the one I have with a tap. In any case, I have a much clearer idea of how I'm going to go about bottling now... doesn't seem nearly such a daunting prospect.

[Tibley Bobley]

The second big improvement is to replace the generic yeast. I'd use nottingham/gervin english ale, a good fermenter with a little english character and no strange flavours so long as temps don't get much over 21c. Rehydrate it in about 100ml water, water should be about 27c before adding yeast.

Bit of a hiccough on the yeast front. The online shop order arrived today and they'd run out of the Gervin English Ale yeast and so they've sent me Muntons Premium Gold Genuine Ale yeast. Is that good enough?

[Cellar_Rat]

A corny is a easy use (brilliant) keg.

complete-cornelius-keg-setup.jpg

The party tap is the tap in both pic's - originally designed to be used in the hand by vendors selling beer from back packs at festivals. Fits on the end of the hose.

[joelw94]

Bit of a hiccough on the yeast front. The online shop order arrived today and they'd run out of the Gervin English Ale yeast and so they've sent me Muntons Premium Gold Genuine Ale yeast. Is that good enough?

I've never used the Muntons Premium Gold yeast myself. Looked around the internet a bit and I reckon it will do an ok job. It doesn't seem to have any major fans but I didn't find anyone who said it made bad beer. My guess is it has a neutral flavour which is ok for most types of beers. It may not be the most characterful yeast but won't ruin your beer. My only slight worry is that this is only a 6g pack and with dry yeast 10-15g is better even for low to medium gravity beers to avoid stressing the yeast. Most brewers probably only use 1 pack though and most get ok results, so no panic.

[Delmonteman]

The muntons should be fine, just check the pack for instructions (i.e. rehydration etc.) and that it states it's enough for 23l batch...?