Badger Poachers Choice clone

[Buster]

Cakes it is then - thanks very much!

LoL, looks like its 2 brews tomorrow then :-D one with cakes and one with 1/2 a stick...........busy day then...:wha:.

 

[Mish]

Good luck with the brew. Just thought I'd let you know I didn't boil the cakes, just added them with the chopped up damsuns (no stones) in the fv for the last 7 days, kind of like a dry hop!! Must admit did come out pretty close from memory but never did a side by side test. Was quite yummy though!

 

[Buster]

All done, 1/3 of a stick in the boil, having a cuppa while the brew is chilling, will take an SG at 20c and post back. I will be adding the 750ml of Damson juice just before the SG check. :thumb:

 

[ManseMasher]

Let me know how it goes! Just got my new gas burner, 8.8kw of sheer fury. Slightly bigger than I imagined, about the size of a squash racket!

 

[Buster]

Just done an SG at 20c and it came in at 1054 :thumb:, just pitched an So4 instead of the Wherry Yeast ..... now for the waiting game.

 

[ManseMasher]

Just done an SG at 20c and it came in at 1054 :thumb:, just pitched an So4 instead of the Wherry Yeast ..... now for the waiting game.

How's it looking?

 

[Buster]

How's it looking?

Currently chugging away like a goodun, quite vigirous but then it is S04. The smell is slightly different to the floral smell that Wherry usually has, its deffinately a very fruity smell on day 3. :thumb:

 

[Mish]

Sounds good. Got me thinking might have to do this for autumn again.

 

[Buster]

Just a quick update, vigorous fermenting has now ceased after 5 days, fair ammount of trub in the bottom, a small crouzon which has now dissipated. I shall leave for another 4 days then transfer to a secondary to clear. :grin:

 

[Buster]

Well........day 8 and I decided to keg it in a Cornie. Its very cloudy as you would expect but the FG was a mere 1020 which is around 4.5abv and I dont think it got stuck, probably down to the s04 so bit dissapointed with that. Taste from the trial jar was very watery and thin, slight taste of Liquorice no distinct smell and absolutely nothing like Wherry. I will let it stand for a few days with 10psi in the cool and report back :-(

 

[ManseMasher]

Fingers crossed mate. Rather than the juice I'm going to try plums......

 

[ManseMasher]

Well........day 8 and I decided to keg it in a Cornie. Its very cloudy as you would expect but the FG was a mere 1020 which is around 4.5abv and I dont think it got stuck, probably down to the s04 so bit dissapointed with that. Taste from the trial jar was very watery and thin, slight taste of Liquorice no distinct smell and absolutely nothing like Wherry. I will let it stand for a few days with 10psi in the cool and report back :-(

Any updates? How's it looking?

 

[Buster]

Well, its now been in the Cornie for 22 days with 10psi, I have just degassed the Cornie and loaded 2psi for dispensing and its come out still cloudy with a cracking head on it, smell is slightly Wherryish but a bit more Maltier, taste is very dry with a distinct liquorice taste and an extremely bitter finish which lasts for some time. Overall, I would not do this again the same way. I may test one more using Pontefract Cakes and real fruit later in the year but I fear it will not be anything like the original. I now believe that Badgers use a flavouring from Pimms which they also make so not Damsons but a Damson type flavouring.