I brew my own beer sporadically and a few weeks ago decided to brew some ready for xmas.

I'm using an all malt kit from Muntons called Smugglers Special Premium Ale. It's a nice refreshing beer and clocks in at around 5%ABV after 4-6 weeks.

I'm no expert at this game and a lot of people would argue that using a malt kit is cheating. Personally, I haven't got the time for buying grain and hops and all the pollava that goes with that level of beer making.

In terms of sharing tips/techniques (and I'm not an expert BTW), this is what I did on my last batch:
a) Hydrate the yeast in lukewarm boiled water (using a sterilised cup of course) before introducing it to the wort.
b) Ferment in a semi-closed fermenter bin for 3-4 days.
c) Transfer the wort to a secondary closed fermenter for another 3-4 days - this has 2 benefits; 1. A closed fermenter prevents airborne bacteria from entering the wort. 2. The dead yeast cells from the initial vigorous fermentation are left behind reducing the tendancy for yeast bite.
d) Transfer to brown bottles (any other colour and the light will ruin the flavour) primed with 1/2TSP of light spraymalt although I've read you can use sugar at a pinch.
e) Store the bottles somewhere warm for a few days to re-start the fermentation and then transfer to somewhere cooler.

This evening I got a 2nd batch into the fermenter. I will not bottle this one because I don't have enough bottles so instead I will transfer it into an airtight pressure barrel and pour from there into the glass.

I've had a few bacterial infections in the past and they are a real pisser, the wort goes very gassy and smells bad and all you can do is throw it away and start again. It's because of this that I get it out of the fermenter bin as soon as I can, while it's in there I don't stir it and try not to open the lid to have a peek!