Caxton's real ale kit started

Pretty straightforward stuff: heat the kit, pour into FV, add 3.5L of boiling water, stir, add sugar (used 1kg of Geordie spray malt), top up to 23L with cold water, pitch yeast at 23 degrees. The optional bit with this kit is a "hop enhancer" - a poor substitute for not using fresh hops at all, but definitely a good idea. Added half of this with the sugar to produce a slightly bittered beer.

The change - pretty much the only one from the stock recipe - was to use Gervin English ale yeast, woken up in wheat malt extract and lukewarm water for a couple of hours before pitching, instead of the kit yeast.

OG: a rather light 1026.

Still, with any luck, this ale should be straightforward and by all accounts delicious when finished - and no messing around this time, just the stock recipe. It should be ready in 4-6 days, or when the hydrometer reading doesn't move for 3 days; can be bottled after that, with half a teaspoon of sugar per pint for priming, kept warm for 2 days so bubbles develop, and left to clear for 14 days. Simple!