Muntons, Smugglers Special Premium Ale Review

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This was my first Muntons kit, it was a bit more expensive that the usuals (£26.65 vs £23 for Brupaks and Woodfordes) but I'd heard good things so thought I'd give it a go.

Brewed it slightly short (22L) and OG came out at 1.046, maybe higher (hard to read on my hydrometer) - certainly the highest OG of any kit I've had so far. Bubbled away furiously for a week, then dropped off - I put the hydrometer in after 10 days and got 1.012, which is pretty good for a kit, and one of the lowest FG's I've had. So everything spot on :thumb: ... unlike some other kit's I've had, which have stuck around 1.020 or not fermented right out

Kegged it last Sunday: about 2/3 in the keg and 1/3 bottles, and been kept in a room around 21C since. Had a cheekly sample last night and there is plenty of gas already, still cloudy as you'd expect but already tasting very nice: not a lot of bitterness, quite sweet, a darkish nutty brown ale.

Given how well it's gassing up, I'll probably move it into the cool tonight (normally leave them at least a week) then have another taste in a few days. Got a feeling that I won't have the patience to leave it to properly mature and it one won't last long. Will report back when it's settled more and can give it a more objective tasting.
 
had one of these in the keg for 2 weeks now, still cloudy but a good taste. put out in the shed today for a week or 2 and then hope to get stuck into it :D
 
This beer is already a hit - it's been in a cooler place for 5 days and has already cleared, amazing. And what a taste - strongish (5%), sweet ale, reminds me of something but I can't quite place it (Ringwood Old Thumper maybe?). Wife reckons it's the best kit I've brewed, and I've done a few.

I've got a golden hoppy summery ale in the other keg, which I tend to prefer, and they are chalk and cheese, but the Smugglers really is an excellent ale even though it's still very young. Will see how it goes as the weeks progress, although I can't imagine it getting much better than it already is. Not exactly to my personal taste, but I think 10/10 in terms of kit quality, equal with one of my other favourite kits :cheers:
 
Finally managed to pour a decent-ish pint, there is so much gas in the keg.

This was kegged 2 weeks ago, left 1 week in the warm then into a cooler room. I know I should wait a bit, but being on Easter Hols has made it too tempting so I've had a few pints. I'm sure it'll get better with time but it is really is good already, and clear.

Definately one to do again, maybe more of a winter beer due to its strength and sweetness?

Smugglers.jpg
 
jobby said:
had one of these in the keg for 2 weeks now, still cloudy but a good taste. put out in the shed today for a week or 2 and then hope to get stuck into it :D

still cloudy after 5 weeks :( :( but me colne valley better is crystal clear and kegged that at the same time :cheers:
 
Tried this kit as really liked the sound of it . Brewed it as per instructions but slightly short to 21 litres. Unfortunately like a lot of others I found after 10 days this kit had stuck at 1020. I gave it a gentle stir and added a tsp of yeast nutrient and after 3 weeks in the fv I managed to get it down to 1018 but another week and it hasn't moved so reluctantly had to put itin the corni.

I have emailed muntons about this kit as it seems a lot of other people find this kit sticks at 1020 but awaiting a reply
 
When I posted the original review over a year ago, I had no problems with this kit fermenting. However, since then, I have had problems woth Muntons kits sticking around 1020, and my conclusion is that they don't use a very good yeast. When re-hydrated, it looks weak and milky compared to other yeasts I've used, which form a decent cake within 30mins of applying water.

If I do another Muntons kit again, I'm going to use a separate yeast rather than theirs, something like Safale S-04 which always seems to go off like a rocket.
 
darrellm said:
When I posted the original review over a year ago, I had no problems with this kit fermenting. However, since then, I have had problems woth Muntons kits sticking around 1020, and my conclusion is that they don't use a very good yeast. When re-hydrated, it looks weak and milky compared to other yeasts I've used, which form a decent cake within 30mins of applying water.

If I do another Muntons kit again, I'm going to use a separate yeast rather than theirs, something like Safale S-04 which always seems to go off like a rocket.

I've used two highly regarded Brewferm kit yeasts so far and they don't do anything visually when you rehydrate them (which I do, spot on the instructions). If you pitch a separate sachet, you're likely to be using 11 to 12g (11.5 for us-04) yeast, rather than perhaps as little as 6g in a kit sachet. Then there's the viability of the yeast: have you checked the date on the kits/yeasts you've been using? As I've reiterated on other threads, Danstar's instructions for their Nottingham strain tell us that it loses viability at up to 50% per year stored at 22C, down to 25% per year at 8C. I've seen it mentioned that Muntons kit yeasts may well often be Nottingham strain, though I have no way to verify that.

So it may be that the kit yeast was fine, though storage, age, and the sheer quantity of it may be factors. Rehydrating temperature is also very important, I've read, and specific to the strain.

By the way, when I've sprinkled without stirring, to rehydrate, only then stirring 15 mins later - as per those instructions, then there has been a froth and the yeast 'looks' lively (reacting with the air??). With the Brewferm yeasts, it just instructs us to mix straight in, and I've 'seen' no activity, until pitched, at which point the fermentations have gone well.

Whatever I've used, I have whisked the wort vigorously for at least a full 5 mins (and that can hurt!) to aerate, and temperature control has been pretty spot on. No sticky brews yet, fingers crossed...
 
Finally had a reply from muntons agknowledging that people experience problems with this kit sticking at 1020. I explained that it was brewed as instructed and after several weeks it was still stuck despite my efforts to get it going again.

This was two weeks ago and I've received no further correspondents so it looks like even though they accept that there is a problem they aren't going to do anything about it and my wife is £25 out of pocket as it was bought as a gift for me.

The beer is still at 1020 and failing to clear. It also tastes very sweet no doubt due to the stuck fermentation.

There is clearly an issue with their kits and yeast as according to this forum there are several other members who have had similar problems which has put me off buying another muntons kit in the future and ill be going els ware next time :?
 
Kept a very close eye on this. After 5 days it started to slow, and by 6 was almost still. Hydrometer reading showed 1.020; what a surprise. So I added some yeast nutrient, gave it a little stir, and added a brew belt. It had dropped to 18 degrees, the brew belt has brought it to 24. The next morning and it's bubbling nicely again. Looks like it'll need at least 2 weeks in the primary fermenter then.

I didn't rehydrate the sachet but I did pitch at 21 degrees. Hadn't stirred for too long because I actually poured the water from a second fermenter. Next time I'll stir longer, but if it's so easy to salvage, no harm done anyway. You need to be ready and waiting though.

Update1: Now 3 days on and it's down to 1.012; that make it almost exactly 5%. Now ready to rack to a secondary fermenter for a week or 2.
 
Update 2 :)

Came out at 5.1% (target 5%). This is taking some time to clear; 4 weeks and the bottles are still coudy. Still, I know the flavour profile and while OK, it's not one of my preferred (personal preference). This won't be making it's way to my shortlist. If I had to say what it is most like from the limited range of commercial beers I'm familiar with, I'd say it's close to a hoppy weak Leffe Brune.

A Brewfirm Diabolo, accidentally brewed long, is already clearer and an easy preference over this after only 2 DAYS in the keg! Friends have the same opinion.

EDIT: Update 3
Now over 8 weeks and still not clear. I'm now thinking it must be chill hase (not sure how to tell). Flavour has mellowed but won't be going for this one again.
 
brewed this way back in october as a stock pile item ready for christmas,looking back at my notes it also stoped fermenting on day 7,so i repitched with a wilco yeast,i had brewed this in my heated fv at the correct temprature,i had trouble getting it to clear so added finings after 2 weeks in the fv,i left it for a couple of days before barrelling but it still was not clear ,looked more like gravy!.anyway i tried a sample after 3 weeks in the barrel and it was still cloudy but tasted just ok nothing special,at christmas the family came and we started on this beer,(as well as some others that i have been stockpiling) still, it was just ok! but now the beer is lovely and clear
forgot i barrelled this with 60grm sugar and it came out at 5.3%
be prepared to waite for this beer.i tried one last night and it was better than most beer ive had from my local.
thats 10 weeks before this beer has imho matured ready for drinking.
yes, i will do this again but probably ditch the supplied yeast..
 
Ä°ts really nice kit. Also dry hoping really suits it. But yeast may be changed by proper one. it fermented around 21 C and i always felt yeast taste and taste like very S-33 yeast.
 
I just brewed this kit this morning. OG came out surprisingly high at 1.056 at 25C, pitched yeast when it cooled a little. Looking forward to this one, lovely colour, smell and taste even now.
 
Hi guys
i have started to brew the muntons smugglers special ale, it has been on for about 4-5 days now bubbling away, but when i started to put it into the bucket the instructions said " add 3.5 litres of boiling water then add 16.5 litres of cold to make up to 23 litres??? now i thought this was a printing mistake because 3.5 and 16.5 do not make 23? so i just filled it to the 20 litre mark, have i gone wrong somewhere? should i add some more water? and it also says on instructions add light spraymalt, but when you read what it is used for it says light beers and lagers? i am totally confused lol any help would be appreciated thanks
 
Hi guys
i have started to brew the muntons smugglers special ale, it has been on for about 4-5 days now bubbling away, but when i started to put it into the bucket the instructions said " add 3.5 litres of boiling water then add 16.5 litres of cold to make up to 23 litres??? now i thought this was a printing mistake because 3.5 and 16.5 do not make 23? so i just filled it to the 20 litre mark, have i gone wrong somewhere? should i add some more water? and it also says on instructions add light spraymalt, but when you read what it is used for it says light beers and lagers? i am totally confused lol any help would be appreciated thanks

It isn't just the volume of the 20L of water though, as there is the volume of the liquid malt extract that comes with the kit. No worries though, you will just end up with a bit less of a bit stronger brew. Light spraymalt can be used in any kind of beer.

EDIT: you can always dilute up to 23L now if you like.
 
@marbro
If you have brewed to 20 litres (including the kit malt volume) and not 23 litres you will simply make a stronger beer, assuming the (Muntons) yeast is up to it . So expect a beer of about 5.75% ABV not 5%ABV. Therefore the choice is yours, dilute as IainM suggests or leave it as it is, or part dilute. Also I am surprised that Muntons suggest adding spray malt to the brew, unless its an alternative to table sugar for priming. Its a premium kit and everything should be in the box. Personally I would use table sugar for priming much easier to handle and cheaper too.
 
hi IainM
i think i will dilute it because i wanted a beer that was a bit less stronger than my last one of 6.5 %abv,
and thanks terrym if i use sugar instead of the spraymalt, do i put it in the same quantities as the instructions for the spraymalt? which was 85 grams per 5 uk gallon pressure barrel?
 
85g spray malt is equivalent to about 58g table sugar according to the calculator. If you put that into a standard PB you will have a lowish carbed beer, which will quickly lose its puff. I usually use 95g table sugar in my PBs to initially prime and that works fine, and within the limits of the PB, and I suggest you do the same.
More on priming rates here
https://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/
 
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