Brewferm, Abdij review

[rats_eyes]

I tried mine at 3 months old. I can tell that the flavours are there, but it NEEDS more time. I wasted that bottle by opening it so early!

 

[proost]

What temps. are all you master brewers fermenting at?

 

[serum]

I've got this kit kicking around and have made a load of yeast starters from bottle dregs so I'm considering throwing one into this to improve it.

I've got a La Chouffe strain ready to pitch but I'm also growing some Westmalle yeast but it isn't quite up to size.

From what I've tried of the Brewferm kits the yeast seems to let them down a bit as it's not very spicy tasting. I'm tempted to throw the Chouffe yeast in to see if it comes out anything like McChouffe. I might then use the Brewferm yeast to bottle condition.

Anyone tried this?

 

[serum]

I went with the Westmalle yeast in the end and finally got it going last night. I pitched the yeast at about 10.30pm and went in to look at it this morning.

I made it in a slightly smaller FV that I only ever really use as a secondary for small kits and noticed the airlock wasn't doing anything. However, when I lifted the lid I was pleased to see this:

 

[serum]

And this morning it started exploding out the airlock:

 

[serum]

Checked gravity today and it's down to 1010. I'll wait a bit longer to see if this yeast will go down lower but the sample definitely tasted different to the usual Brewferm taste so I think this was worth trying.

 

[azza]

I'm not sure if anyone has came across this in a much larger size before? As the abbey is one of my favorite kits i thought my Christmas had came early when i found this...

http://www.the-home-brew-shop.co.uk...-Abbey-25kg-Beer-Extract.html#a808381#a808381

 

[stevej]

Put this on today brewed as instructions hope it turns out as good as the xmas did, The wife said how many of then bucket things do you have to have going at any time i said a couple well its 5 now lol, lets wait and see if she notices when she gets home from work

 

[stevej]

Well turns out she didnt notice anymore fvs lol took a hydrometer reading today its 1015 a little to go yet could not resist drinking the sample out of the trial jar omg so impressed and it has not even finished yet very clear, Nice mouth feel still a bit sweet cant wait for another 6 or 7 weeks after bottling.

 

[Grandmaster]

I've stumbled upon Brewferm by accident (my local shop offered it to me for £6 because the can had been bashed). Only when I started opening the tin I noticed it was for 9litres - triple by the way. Intrigued now I had to read the instructions and it dawned on me it was recommending the same amount of sugar as I would use for 22litres.
Anyway it's now sticking on about 1.020 so I moved it to the bathroom where it's a bit warmer and give it a stir.
Any tips from this forum - reading the other comments I could I suppose bottle up now - also is it really necessary to leave for over a year to mature?

 

[louis macneice]

I've stumbled upon Brewferm by accident (my local shop offered it to me for £6 because the can had been bashed). Only when I started opening the tin I noticed it was for 9litres - triple by the way. Intrigued now I had to read the instructions and it dawned on me it was recommending the same amount of sugar as I would use for 22litres.
Anyway it's now sticking on about 1.020 so I moved it to the bathroom where it's a bit warmer and give it a stir.
Any tips from this forum - reading the other comments I could I suppose bottle up now - also is it really necessary to leave for over a year to mature?

I reckon about three months minimum, but the longer the better. Just put some of it in a place you're going to forget about, and then when you do stumble across it many months from now you'll be in for a real treat.

Cheers - Louis Macneice

 

[Grandmaster]

Cheers, I decided to transfer into another barrel for a second ferment like the instructions said and put it under the stairs where the boiler is, it got down to 1.010 from 1.080 so I reckon about 9.7%. Bottled up now with some more sugar to bottle condition. Back under the stairs for a fortnight then it'll go in the garage and see how long I can resist :)

 

[mickthetrick]

1010 ? you have done very very well to get that down to that reading.
enjoy its a wonderful kit

 

[Toonahfish]

Just checked on my Abdij after exactly 1 week in the FV. It had an OG of 1068 (I think I added a bit to much water, maybe about 10 litres instead of 9, but I added a bit more sugar than Brewferm specified to get it as close to the 1.070 target OG), and it's now down to about 1.012, having been at a near-constant 20 degrees C. In the trial jar it looks a little fizzy, so I'm porbably going to leave it at least one more week at 20 degrees, maybe two, to make sure it's finished. Had a cheeky little taste from the trial jar and...wow! I'd drink it all right now! How I'm going to last 6 months of conditioning is beyond me. A real test of patience and self-discipline!

In the meantime, I'm anxious to get my next brew going, so here is my question. I have two demijohns sitting doing nothing, so can I transfer the Abdij into them, with airlocks to finish the fermentation, and get my next brew going in my main FV? If so, should I transfer a little of the trub from the FV into the demijohns, or should I avoid that at all costs? Or could I leave the trub in the FV and start my next brew on top of it?

 

[Grandmaster]

Cheers, it looked really clear too. I noted on instructions (I never normally bother reading them) says it has a longer shelf like because of the higher alcohol level, never realised that before but I guess it makes sense

 

[dad_of_jon]

Well I imagine a full boil sterilises the whole wort for a start, as long as you then cool it fairly quickly. That's why I ask.

I was wondering more whether there would be any downsides: maybe loss of hop aroma, for example...

But I'm in no rush to make it more complicated than it is! These kits must surely have some quality limitations compared to un-hopped extract brewing(?)

I'm struggling to find it


I did a double kit to get 18L - brewed on 21/12/2014 - bottled on 11/01/2015

7.35% abv - used dark candi sugar.

opened one to try as a treat for finishing my muntons oak aged ale bottling. The abdij already is a match for leffe brune. It's delicious not the best abbey i've ever had, and I have had a lot on my travels but it's one of the better ones i've had. Will leave the rest till nov/dec.

 

[Toonahfish]

Currently got my Abdij in my two demijohns, by way of a secondary FV. Virtually no activity in the airlock. I'll bottle it next weekend. Will there be enough yeast floating about in the beer as it is to carbonate it, or will I need to add a tiny amount to each bottle, along with the priming sugar?

 

[louis macneice]

Currently got my Abdij in my two demijohns, by way of a secondary FV. Virtually no activity in the airlock. I'll bottle it next weekend. Will there be enough yeast floating about in the beer as it is to carbonate it, or will I need to add a tiny amount to each bottle, along with the priming sugar?

No need to add extra yeast there will be plenty. What you will need is some patience as this takes a good long time to get to its best; I've brewed it three times and it really is worth the wait.

Cheers - Louis MacNeice

 

[rodabod]

Does anyone here know if this stuff can come anywhere close to Rochefort 10?

 

[RobShamrock]

was hoping to do this as my next brew and store till this coming xmas, would I be good to put into 750ml swing tops and should it be coming into good shape if I brew this month into early april and keep till then ??