# Mangrove Jacks Classic Gold Lager - Has Anyone Tried It?



## johnbogiatzis (13/10/10)

Hello friends,

Recently purchased a kit of Mangrove Jacks Golden Lager. I tried searching the internet for reviews but nothing. I couldn't even find the company website in google (it is very poorly search optimized). I ended up finding the correct website http://www.mangrovejacks.com only to discover that most of the product information is not available or returns error 404.

Has any brewed a successful beer from any of the Mangrove Jacks beer kits? If so what was your experience? How well known is Mangrove Jacks for quality / reliability?

Many thanks,

John.


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## Swordsman (13/10/10)

John_thebrewer said:


> Hello friends,
> 
> Recently purchased a kit of Mangrove Jacks Golden Lager. I tried searching the internet for reviews but nothing. I couldn't even find the company website in google (it is very poorly search optimized). I ended up finding the correct website http://www.mangrovejacks.com only to discover that most of the product information is not available or returns error 404.
> 
> ...



Dont want to hijack John's thread here but i recently purchases a mangrove jack's classic bitter can from my home brew store. Am putting together an english best bitter style (with EK goldings primarily) and using the can for the base. This is pretty standard for me i alternate between one of these styloes and a fresh wort etc.

Because its a 'cheap' beer i am doing i didn't feel like the need to buy an expensive munton's style can and apparently ths mangrove jacks is reasonable for its price. Problem is i use the extract beer designer excell spreadsheet and it doesn't have any listings for the specs on the mangrove jacks..... I've had alot of good success with this designer but am hesitant on its accuracy if i can't provide reliable bittering info in the first place. 

Any help much appreciated guys. 

EDIT: just found the listing on the website. It says for 'classic bitter' its 8-10EBC and 18-22IBU when up to 23L i assume...it says to make up to 23L on the can so....

For John's sake if he is having issues opening it up Mangove Jack's Classic Gold Lager (seems like the right one?) has listings of 8-10EBC 14-18IBU at 23L also i assume....

EDIT the EDIT: Seems a bit low that IBU for a bitter no? Most other brands have much higher IBU...hmm. I guess will need to add more bittering hop....


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## johnbogiatzis (13/10/10)

Let me know how you go with the classic bitter. Do you plan on using the yeast supplied in the can or will you be adding your own?

John


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## Swordsman (13/10/10)

John_thebrewer said:


> Let me know how you go with the classic bitter. Do you plan on using the yeast supplied in the can or will you be adding your own?
> 
> John




Will be using my own yeast i have here. it is just a safale dry ale yeast S04 i think it is....have used can yeasts in the past if it is a good yeast (wals lager last time was can yeast because i thought i had a lager yeast in the fridge but didnt' and it worked fine...) Will throw my recipe up here when i've worked on it some more....will be steeping grain etc. to go with it.


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## milob40 (14/10/10)

i have tried the mangrove jacks gold and the blonde and i reckon there one of the best kits i've tried (very drinkable)
good on a hot day, my local hbs can't keep up the supply at the moment as it's outselling all the other brands.
the yeast seams good quality and gets to work a lot quicker than the coopers yeast.
fg is achieved around the fifth day (ambient temp of around 26degrees)
the gold appears darker than normal for a lager but it's my pick for when the mates are over (those with home brew stigmatism can't believe how good it tastes)
the blonde has a slightly hoppier taste but very similar on the palate. best beers i have found for kegging so far and i have been told they handle the warmer temperatures better when fermenting, this is a plus for me in qld.
my hbs has sold out but hopefully he will have more this week.
i'd try it with just dextrose first then you can customise it. i brew with 700grms dextrose for a mid strength style and am ver pleased with the results.
cheers.


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## theredone (14/10/10)

milob40 said:


> i have tried the mangrove jacks gold and the blonde and i reckon there one of the best kits i've tried (very drinkable)
> good on a hot day, my local hbs can't keep up the supply at the moment as it's outselling all the other brands.
> the yeast seams good quality and gets to work a lot quicker than the coopers yeast.
> fg is achieved around the fifth day (ambient temp of around 26degrees)
> ...



+1
pretty good. only done the blonde but very nice with a bit of late amarillo i think from memory, ale yeast and be2. i think anyways, all i know was it was nice


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## Swordsman (14/10/10)

Ok guys here is my recipe for an ESB based off the mangrove jack's classic bitter. This is designed using the extract beer designer excell spreadsheet and using the listings on the mangrove jack's website RE IBU/EBC etc.

ESB Gold (predicted IBU 34 EBC 17.8)
Malt:
Mangrove Jack's Classic Bitter (1.7kg)
600grm LDME
400grm Dex
100grm maltodex
350gm crystal grain (steep)

Hop:
*Amarillo**5*g*45* Mins

*East Kent Golding**10*g*30* Mins

*East Kent Golding**15*g*15*Mins

*East Kent Golding**5*g*5*Mins

*East Kent Golding**5*g*0*Mins

*East Kent Golding**15*g*DRY HOPPED*Yeast: 
S04 english ale yeast 

21L volume, ferment at 22-23 deg temp in 25deg ambient temp. Dry hop for a week probably after primary. 

5L boil but may be a 7L depending on which pot i use. 

Yes the hop schedule is a bit wierd with the amarillo but its there as a bittering hop because i have some left over and its the highest alpha hop i have at the moment because i'm out of POR. if i get to the hbs before i put it down then will grab some POR probably. Any fruitiness from the amarillo won't go astray anyway i suppose though not sure how much flavour i will get in a 45min rapid simmer....

Any advice from extract brewer's on here would be much appreciated. Very happy with the extract dortmunder lager i put down (based off a wal's lager kit) so so far so good in the extract world for me....

PS. milob40/theredone thanks for the replys good to see this is an ok kit brand it seems. I've done plenty of kit and kilo work so am more interested in extract stuff but still good to see some people have had success with these kits...


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## Swordsman (18/10/10)

Quick Update: This beer is now fermenting with S04 at 22deg. Have given it a quick taste test and is coming along quite well....very happy with it good level of bitterness too (maybe a touch more than i expected but its early days) nice EKG flavour. The kit seems quite good based on what i've tasted so far....


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## johnbogiatzis (21/10/10)

Thanks for the feedback. Just had a open up a 6-day bottle of the classic gold lager. Boy was I surprised. For a 6-day old beer was very carbonated, good head retention and great taste. I agree better than the coopers kits.

I want to try the international series. Perhaps the Wheat Beer. 

John.



milob40 said:


> i have tried the mangrove jacks gold and the blonde and i reckon there one of the best kits i've tried (very drinkable)
> good on a hot day, my local hbs can't keep up the supply at the moment as it's outselling all the other brands.
> the yeast seams good quality and gets to work a lot quicker than the coopers yeast.
> fg is achieved around the fifth day (ambient temp of around 26degrees)
> ...


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## Thunderlips (22/10/10)

I'd be curious to know if the lager actually comes with a real lager yeast .

What temp do they recommend it be brewed at?


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## johnbogiatzis (22/10/10)

No I don't think it's a traditional lager yeast. Standard ale brewing tempretures apply 18 - 32 degrees, as the kit suggests.



Thunderlips said:


> I'd be curious to know if the lager actually comes with a real lager yeast .
> 
> What temp do they recommend it be brewed at?


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## mwd (22/10/10)

John_thebrewer said:


> No I don't think it's a traditional lager yeast. Standard ale brewing tempretures apply 18 - 32 degrees, as the kit suggests.



Hope you brewed at the bottom of that temperature range :icon_cheers: 
I guess you did if you have been reading on here for a while.


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## milob40 (22/10/10)

John_thebrewer said:


> Thanks for the feedback. Just had a open up a 6-day bottle of the classic gold lager. Boy was I surprised. For a 6-day old beer was very carbonated, good head retention and great taste. I agree better than the coopers kits.
> 
> I want to try the international series. Perhaps the Wheat Beer.
> 
> John.


give the mj blonde a go too, it's bloody tasty


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## Swordsman (4/11/10)

John_thebrewer said:


> Thanks for the feedback. Just had a open up a 6-day bottle of the classic gold lager. Boy was I surprised. For a 6-day old beer was very carbonated, good head retention and great taste. I agree better than the coopers kits.
> 
> I want to try the international series. Perhaps the Wheat Beer.
> 
> John.



Good to see your lager has gone well John. I put my ESB in for a bit of dry hopping secondary (EKG only 15g i had left he he) for 5 days. I then bottle two of them quickly to get an idea of how it was going (desperate for the bitter...) and left it two more days because i was busy before bulk priming the rest. I put the two tallies over the hot water system and both carbed up in 3 days....which was great. I tell ya it could do with more time in teh bottle because its not lacking in hop aroma at all! Very nice beer though, my best extract beer so far i reckon. Nice bitter finish but not astringent in anyway, bit of grapefruit coming through (maybe amarillo i added early on) but lots of EKG flavour/aroma too. Very happy with it and the cans seem to be good quality. No kit twang that i can pick up on. 

Hmm...can't wait for the main batch to condition up....looking forward to ESB time!


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## Bribie G (5/11/10)

I noticed them at the LHBS the other day and the owner said they are going well and are made in NZ (like Black rock). One interesting fact about NZ according to what I've read while searching on hop sites over there is that the industry is too small to make hop extract production viable. So maybe NZ kits are made with steeped / boiled hops in their formulation and not just a squirt of isohop like a lot of Australian kits.


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## gothebroncos (8/12/10)

I have been brewing Mangrove Jacks Gold, Classic and Blonde for a while (since it was introduced). I generally like the taste of a QLD'er bitter or XXXX bitter. The mangrove is really nice and now buy this consistently. As we speak I am having a taste of the Blonde for the first time and I must say that it is very nice and hoppy.

I would rate them in the following order:

1. Gold
2. Blonde (very close 2nd)
3. Classic


I am lead to believe that it is a NZ company behind it, but tastes very QLD.

Get on it and have a crack


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## higgsydad (24/3/11)

Have just opened a Mangrove Jacks Munich Lager (in keg , first brew) . . . . . tastes fine, pours fine, but cloudy . . . any clues???


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## milob40 (25/3/11)

greg higgs said:


> Have just opened a Mangrove Jacks Munich Lager (in keg , first brew) . . . . . tastes fine, pours fine, but cloudy . . . any clues???


chill for 2 or 3 days before kegging as this will drop out a lot of the finer particles, also discard the first few hundred ml from the fermenter (a lot of yeast sediment will sit in and around the tap).
or filter through 1 mic absolute filter, :icon_cheers:


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## dreads_2006 (26/3/11)

John_thebrewer said:


> Hello friends,
> 
> Recently purchased a kit of Mangrove Jacks Golden Lager. I tried searching the internet for reviews but nothing. I couldn't even find the company website in google (it is very poorly search optimized). I ended up finding the correct website http://www.mangrovejacks.com only to discover that most of the product information is not available or returns error 404.
> 
> ...


Hi John, I haves brewed the Mangrove Jack Classic Gold Lager and I must say it is definately one of the best brews I have done. It has a clean smooth crisp flavour, and lovely golden colour. I will definately be trying
more of there products


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## Croc_TFNQ (10/5/15)

Cool you guys have just answered all my questions I got mine with the kit was tossing up to brew it or not as I like GB just bought the kit done 2 GB brews. Will now do the Mangrove Blonde Lager :beer:


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## Corey.97 (10/12/17)

I dont know if you blokes are still commenting on this post but I ended up buying the mangroves jack brewing kit and it came with the ingredients for the gold lager. I dont know if I messed it up but it turned out extremely bitter, I'm still gonna drink it all (waste not want not) but is there any advice to stop, or at least limit, this from happening? I followed the instructions on the back of the soft pouch to a T, as it was my first brew


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## Grott (10/12/17)

A couple of questions. Have you bottled or kegged? How long since fermentation completed? What temperature did you ferment at?

Ps Welcome to the forum


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