Description

A Tribute to Holdens Black Country Special | Part Grain Beer Kit

Dark Rock Tribute to Holdens Black Country Special, an amber beer, presents robust malty overtones and a bitter sweet full-bodied taste. Brewed using the Finest English Malt and Fuggles hops this big, beautiful malty monster is an industrial strength beer at it’s best. Dark Rock Tribute to Holdens Black Country Special makes 40 pints of 4.7% ABV Black Country style Ale.

THE COMMERCIAL BREWERY:

The Holden family are proud to have been brewing traditional Black Country real ales at the Hopden Brewery site for the last 106 years, producing some of, what some would say, are the finest ales that the area has seen. Holdens have maintained their brewing process over the years, using their unique strain of yeast. This yeast, cared for and protected, forms the unique blueprint for their award-winning ales.

Holdens still use the finest Maris Otter Malts along with both Fuggles and Goldings Hops for their core cask beers and a myriad of new and daring hops in the Monthly Seasonal Beers and of course not forgetting the biggest ingredient of all, our purest Black Country water. Traditional is the word for Holdens Brewery, with a Gravity Mill, open fermentation vessels and a Copper Copper. Holden’s Brewery brews 10,368 pints each time in its original 36-barrel copper capacity.

TRIBUTE SERIES

The Dark Rock Tribute range allows you to produce beers which mirror the classic commercial favourites. We carefully selected and matched quality hops, malts, and yeast to provide you with the closest possible result. Each brewery will have unique factors such as water source and yeast type; therefore, Tribute beers are not intended to be clones. We recommend you have fun by comparing the commercial beer against your own to see how close you can get.

Commercial brewers with extensive knowledge and a passion for craft beers and real ales carefully research and develop each Dark Rock kit. Dark Rock Kits enable you to produce commercial quality beers, all within the comfort of your own home. We add malts and hops at controlled stages of the brewing process to create rich aromas and depths of flavour that are not only stunning but also simply unparalleled.

Why Choose Dark Rock Part Grain Beer Kits?

Dark Rock Part Grain Beer Kits strike the perfect balance between ease and authenticity, making them the ideal choice for anyone who wants to brew exceptional beer at home without jumping straight into All Grain Brewing. Whether you’re just starting out or already an experienced brewer, these kits help you produce commercial-quality, flavour-packed beer with confidence.

Unlike basic extract kits, these take your brewing to the next level by combining traditional extract methods with a simple steeping and boiling process. Using carefully selected malt grains and hops, you’ll unlock richer, more complex flavours and aromas—giving you far greater creative control over your brew. All you need is standard home brewing equipment, plus a 12-litre pan and a thermometer (see full equipment list below), making it an easy upgrade from standard extract kits.

Each kit comes with 3kg of premium malt extract, a freshly packed blend of grains, and top-quality hops sourced from the best producers worldwide. We weigh and pack every ingredient fresh to order, while hops are vacuum sealed in nitrogen-flushed bags to lock in their full character and freshness.

To make your brewing journey even smoother, we provide expert guidance and a wide variety of beer styles to explore—from hazy pale ales and rich stouts to crisp pilsners. With Dark Rock Part Grain Kits, you get everything you need to create truly exceptional beer at home.

Brew with confidence. Brew with Dark Rock.

Kit content 

• 3kg Brewery Quality Liquid Malt Extract
• Premium Brewing Yeast
• Malt Grains
• Hop Pellets
• Pure Brew (water treatment and nutrient)
• Brite Wort clarifier
• Muslin straining bag
• Hop T-Bags
• Starbrite Beer Finings (Vegan-Friendly)
• Fermenter / Keg ID sticker
• Full instructions

Allergy Advice: May include barley and other Cereals, containing gluten

Equipment Needed

• 25 Litre Fermenter
• Airlock
• Syphon Kit
• Hydrometer
• Thermometer
• Sanitiser
• Mixing Paddle
• Bottles or Keg
• Boiling Pan (at least 12 litre capacity)

SPECIFICATIONS

• Makes: 40 pints / 5 gallons
• ABV Approx: 4.7%
• Target Finishing Gravity: 1.011 (approx)
• Fermentation time: 7-14 days approx
• Conditioning time: 2 weeks minimum (it will mature further if left longer)

Brewers Tips

This kit includes Pure Brew, a professional enhancer that boosts fermentation and treats brewing water. It feeds yeast with vital nutrients, while removing Chlorine and Chloramine, which can cause off-flavours. Since water quality is key to great beer, we strongly recommend using Pure Brew in every brew for consistently better results.

You’ll also get Harris Starbrite finings, a vegan-friendly clarifier that helps your beer clear quickly and encourages sediment to settle. This is especially useful if you’re kegging, as it reduces the risk of haze and sediment transfer.

To make brewing even easier, we’ve included a muslin grain bag and hop t-bag. For a more advanced setup, consider adding a metal hop spider. It offers better hop circulation during the boil, is easy to clean, and can be reused again and again.