Beer no 1 has been sitting in the fermenting bucket for eight days now so I thought it time to try it. I've  bought a sample jar and possibly the world's largest wine thief from Balliihoo and decanted a sample. The hydrometer says it's not quite ready for bottling yet but it looks pretty good:

I couldn't let it go without a taste, and, believe it or not, it tastes pretty much like the beer I had in mind, a good level of bitterness and a hint of sweetness, something I could happily drink in a session. I'll give it a few more days before the next test and hopefully it should be ready to bottle next week.