Mangrove Jack's Craft Series Golden Lager · Beer Kit · 2.2 kg

Crisp, golden and gently malty, with hints of vanilla and red fruit and a clean, subtle bitterness to finish. Add a kilo of sugar and water to 23 litres — the yeast does the rest.

Makes 23 L · Approx. 4.4 % ABV · 18–24 IBU · Bitterness 2/5 · M54 Californian Lager yeast included · You add 1 kg dextrose or 1.2 kg liquid malt extract

What it does in your beer

Mangrove Jack's describes a well-bodied, crisp golden lager: light and malty, with hints of vanilla and red fruit and a cleansing, subtle bitterness. Liberty hops add a mild, slightly spicy and floral flavour.

The M54 Californian Lager yeast is a lager strain that ferments at ale temperatures without the off-flavours that usually brings, so the pouch instructions ferment it at 18–22 °C — no lagering fridge needed.

At a glance

What's in the pouch

• Wort concentrate (the liquid compartment)
• A sachet of M54 Californian Lager yeast
• Liberty hops for dry hopping — Mangrove Jack's sells this recipe as Golden Lager with Dry Hops
• Brewing instructions (in the dry compartment)

What else you need

• 1 kg dextrose (or brew enhancer) or 1.2 kg pure liquid malt extract — not included
• A fermenter with lid, airlock and grommet, plus a mixing paddle
• Cleaner and sanitiser
• A hydrometer
• Bottles (PET or glass flip-top) and a syphon or bottling wand
• Priming sugar or carbonation drops for bottling
• 3 L of boiling water, and cold water to top up to 23 L

How to use

• Clean and sanitise everything that will touch the beer.
• Pour the wort concentrate into the fermenter. Add 3 L of boiling water and your 1 kg dextrose or 1.2 kg liquid malt extract, and stir until dissolved.
• Top up with cold water to 23 L and check the wort is below 25 °C.
• Add the yeast and fit the airlock, filled with cooled boiled water or sanitiser solution.
• Ferment at 18–22 °C for 7 days, or until the airlock stops bubbling.
• Check the gravity. Once it's at or below 1.020 (dextrose) or 1.025 (malt extract), add the hop sachet — don't stir.
• Bottle only when the reading holds steady for 48 hours, within two points of about 1.007 (dextrose) or 1.014 (malt extract). A quiet airlock alone doesn't prove it's finished.
• Leave 5 cm of headspace, prime each bottle and cap. Keep them warm for at least 2 weeks, then somewhere cool and dark for another 7 days to clear.

Pairs well with

Kit day: our Dextrose (Brewing Sugar) 1 kg covers the fermentable sugar. Priming 23 L at the 3 g per 500 ml dose on its page takes roughly another 140 g.

Ready for all-grain next time? Czech Pilsner Malt and SafLager W34/70 make a classic pale lager.

Storage & shelf life

• The best-before date is printed on the pouch.
• Once bottled: serve chilled when clear. Mangrove Jack's says another 2 weeks cool and dark gives a smoother beer.

Food information

• Name: Beer kit — wort concentrate with brewing yeast and hops (Golden Lager)
• Ingredients: see the pouch label
• Allergens: made from malt — contains gluten
• Net quantity: 2.2 kg
• Brand: Mangrove Jack's

Good to know

• The fermentable sugar is not in the pouch: add 1 kg dextrose or 1.2 kg liquid malt extract.
• Fermented at 18–22 °C, so a spare room does the job a lager fridge normally would.
• Contains gluten (malt).
• The kit ships with our other brewing ingredients from a partner warehouse in the Czech Republic, separately from equipment orders.

FAQ

What's in the Golden Lager kit?
Wort concentrate, M54 Californian Lager yeast and Liberty hops for dry hopping. You add 1 kg dextrose or 1.2 kg liquid malt extract and water to 23 L.

Do I need a fridge to brew this lager?
No. M54 is a lager yeast that ferments at ale temperatures; the pouch instructions say 18–22 °C.

Dextrose or liquid malt extract?
Either. The target final gravity is about 1.007 with dextrose and about 1.014 with pure liquid malt extract.

How strong is it?
Approx. 4.4 % ABV, with 18–24 IBU.