Cwrw666
Landlord.
This is a one can kit that my local homebrew shop sells for about £16, and makes up to 5 gallons with the addition of a 1kg bag of white sugar. I was told by them that it's just a relabelling of the kit that used to be called `Irish Velvet Stout', but I don't know, so far it seems to be much better than the `Velvet' used to be, though I found in the past that this, although usually pretty good, was a bit variable in quality and didn't have a good head either.
So the current brew is my third `Shamrock' and I've just poured it into my budget keg with 3oz white sugar to prime it. I'll update in a couple of weeks when it's had a time to mature a bit. The previous 2 kits, both made up the same way and kegged, produced a lovely pint, great colour and thick creamy head that settled down to about 1/2 inch then stayed to the bottom of the glass. Taste was somewhat like Murphy's but with more body. Not too bitter but not bland either.
Brewing details: I emptied the can into a big aluminium saucepan, added 1kg white sugar, rinsed the can out with a kettle of boiling water. Then brought it up to the boil before adding to the FV. FV had been previously sterilised by scalding, rinsing it out with a kettle of boiling water. FV then topped up to 5 gallons with boiling water. I have to do this as we're on spring water and it's full of colliform bacteria. The water is also very acid, which might well affect the taste of the brew. FV left to cool until warm to the finger - takes about 6 hours - then yeast pitched in and FV transferred to our airing cupboard. Top bulging after first day and froth right up to top. Left in airing cupboard for just over a week then left in the cool for another week before kegging.
So the current brew is my third `Shamrock' and I've just poured it into my budget keg with 3oz white sugar to prime it. I'll update in a couple of weeks when it's had a time to mature a bit. The previous 2 kits, both made up the same way and kegged, produced a lovely pint, great colour and thick creamy head that settled down to about 1/2 inch then stayed to the bottom of the glass. Taste was somewhat like Murphy's but with more body. Not too bitter but not bland either.
Brewing details: I emptied the can into a big aluminium saucepan, added 1kg white sugar, rinsed the can out with a kettle of boiling water. Then brought it up to the boil before adding to the FV. FV had been previously sterilised by scalding, rinsing it out with a kettle of boiling water. FV then topped up to 5 gallons with boiling water. I have to do this as we're on spring water and it's full of colliform bacteria. The water is also very acid, which might well affect the taste of the brew. FV left to cool until warm to the finger - takes about 6 hours - then yeast pitched in and FV transferred to our airing cupboard. Top bulging after first day and froth right up to top. Left in airing cupboard for just over a week then left in the cool for another week before kegging.