tricky_dicky
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Brewed as per instructions, or any tweaks?
Brewmaker Best of British Yorkshire Bitter
- Thread starter tricky_dicky
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Just had my first sample - brew no.34 and by far the WORST beer I've made - it's 'orrible. Smells and tastes like bad homebrew, almost undrinkable, just managed half a pint. But doesn't taste "off", just 'orrible :shock:
OK, so I do mainly Extract brews now, but still do a few kits and they're fine e.g. Muntons Midas Touch and Wherry. And this kit is made by Muntons.
It wasn't exactly a smooth ferment, got stuck at 1020 and took a good stir and some more warmth to get it moving, and it still only finished at 1014. If I can think of anything positive to say about it, it's very clear and has generated a good head.
Gonna give this a few weeks then try it again, after that it's going down the sink. :evil:
OK, so I do mainly Extract brews now, but still do a few kits and they're fine e.g. Muntons Midas Touch and Wherry. And this kit is made by Muntons.
It wasn't exactly a smooth ferment, got stuck at 1020 and took a good stir and some more warmth to get it moving, and it still only finished at 1014. If I can think of anything positive to say about it, it's very clear and has generated a good head.
Gonna give this a few weeks then try it again, after that it's going down the sink. :evil:
Fireball13801
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Got given one of these as a gift, just started it going, but not hopeful given the above review! Seems to have started fermenting ok, so will leave for 2-3 weeks and report back.
It improved a little but didn't get that much better, I'm drinking it but only 'cos I hate chucking stuff away. A really bland pint, wouldn't be out of place in a 1970s social club :shock:
Definately my worst brew to date, gone back to the sanctuary of Extract brews now.
Definately my worst brew to date, gone back to the sanctuary of Extract brews now.
Wasabi said:
....you've got it, like John Smiths, Whitbread, Double Diamond :shock:
Anyone else done this one and had more success than me?
Fireball13801
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Mine fermented well, and has now been bottled. It's currently in the warm, but due to be moved to the garage this weekend. I'll give one a try (purely to make sure it's secondary fermentation was ok 
) and will report back.
) and will report back.
darrellm said:
Well, I caved in yesterday and threw it down the drain. There was definately something wrong.
I wonder if it had some sort of infection? It was still generating CO2 like crazy despite being brewed in April, so much that the cheapo Wilko barrel was pumped up like a balloon and the tap started leaking. When I drew some off there was a huge amount of pressure in there. The beer itself was crystal clear, just had a horrible chemical sort of taste.
Fireball13801
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Well I tried mine as promised, and was completely underwhelmed! Bland and no head retention. I'll give it the benefit of the doubt, and allow it a few more weeks to see if that improves the taste :pray:
Won't be rushing to repeat this though, back to Wilkes golden ale and Wherry I think
Won't be rushing to repeat this though, back to Wilkes golden ale and Wherry I think
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I did this beer with the Old English and the IPA. It actually isn't a bad pint, with mildly cheery undertones but isn't as malty as the IPA nor anywhere as rich tasting as the Old English but then again it is a different beer. I have another two to do so might try to enhance it a bit. I suspect by the sounds of it, the first reviewer had an infection in his.
Cheeseford
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Sorry to read these tales of woe. I've had good results with the Brewmaker BoB IPA kit, particularly when dry-hopped, and I've got one of these to start next. I think I'll brew it short, say to 20 litres, and keep an eye on it. I'll have a taste when checking the gravity, and if it's not up to scratch by the time it's nearly done, I'll throw in a few hop pellets to liven it up.
Cheeseford
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In the end, I did it to the full 5 gallons, and got a hydrometer reading of 1037 at 29.8C. Converting this down to 20C, I get 1040. I also added a little extra yeast just to see if that makes any difference. The sachets in these kits seem a little on the mean side.
Just looking at what's been said about this kit and thinking that maybe i have wasted £15.00 
I was in Wilco's and happened to wander into the brew aisle, as you do I was looking at their somewhat sparse offerings and wondering ( with little hope) if the Witch would go for a second Wherry out of the housekeeping. No, was the answer to that one, cannot blame her, the bug has bitten hard and i have spent what seems like a small fortune on brewing gear recently I was NOT going to buy a Coopers kit though, cost of kit £14.00 add Spraymalt, £4.40...just .60p short
of the cost of a Wherry. So, after seeing her foot tap and lips move in what was obviously the start of a spell, i picked up the Yorkshire bitter, it was that or the Brewmaker IPA, and i do not care for IPA at all.
Kit was put on today, starting gravity at 26c came out at roughly 1042, so on target there. I had a taste, well..it was really nice...seemed well balanced, hops and malt in coordination. Obviously it is too early to tell, but providing the fermentation does not utterly ruin the wort, i have hopes :pray:
Unfortunately, even if it tastes like the cat has used it to bath in i will have to drink it, just got rid of the mother-in-law back to America and i am fairly sure my witch got her spell book updated along with a whole new repertoire of exasperated looks at my latest antics :lol: So i will have to drink this with every evidence of enjoyment, or put up with with general moaning and no doubt a spell to shrivel my man-bits or somesuch :lol:
I will keep this updated as things progress.
Mulled
I was in Wilco's and happened to wander into the brew aisle, as you do
I was looking at their somewhat sparse offerings and wondering ( with little hope) if the Witch would go for a second Wherry out of the housekeeping. No, was the answer to that one, cannot blame her, the bug has bitten hard and i have spent what seems like a small fortune on brewing gear recently I was NOT going to buy a Coopers kit though, cost of kit £14.00 add Spraymalt, £4.40...just .60p short of the cost of a Wherry. So, after seeing her foot tap and lips move in what was obviously the start of a spell, i picked up the Yorkshire bitter, it was that or the Brewmaker IPA, and i do not care for IPA at all.
Kit was put on today, starting gravity at 26c came out at roughly 1042, so on target there. I had a taste, well..it was really nice...seemed well balanced, hops and malt in coordination. Obviously it is too early to tell, but providing the fermentation does not utterly ruin the wort, i have hopes :pray:
Unfortunately, even if it tastes like the cat has used it to bath in i will have to drink it, just got rid of the mother-in-law back to America and i am fairly sure my witch got her spell book updated along with a whole new repertoire of exasperated looks at my latest antics :lol: So i will have to drink this with every evidence of enjoyment, or put up with with general moaning and no doubt a spell to shrivel my man-bits or somesuch :lol:
I will keep this updated as things progress.
Mulled
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So the opinion of my testers is that the BOB old English Ale and the IPA are both great tasting beers, in their own way, but this Yorkshire Nitter is pretty..meh...bland really. I have another kit as I bought a whole bunch when they were on special and think I will dry hop it to give it some interest. Not a bad beer, but so forgettable you would expect it to be in one of those pubs that doesn't really care about beer like those pretend Irish ones that come in chains.
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Ok..so can I eat my words? The brother in aw came round today and I did a long beer tasting session with him. Just to show him the difference between a decent tasting beer and a bland one I opened one of these that was five months old. What a lovely beer we both agreed, me with shock, and it was. Rich, warming and fruity.
So what have I learnt? Leave ths alone for five months and the rewards will be there..drink it too early and you might as well buy a can of John smiths...
So what have I learnt? Leave ths alone for five months and the rewards will be there..drink it too early and you might as well buy a can of John smiths...
So pleased to read your post Lesinge Mine is still in secondary fermenter under airlock, will bottle next weekend. Whether i can wait five months is another matter :nah: I was actually quite impressed with mine upon transfer to FV2. Nice yeast pancake left behind and a taste of the trial jar ( sg 1014 after a week in a bucket) showed a pleasing hop bitterness although not much else; still, what could i expect after just a week?
I must admit that nostalgia did play a part in my choosing this kit, i had fond memories of Websters Yorkshire Bitter in the 2 litre PET bottles you used to see beer in: drank those when i moved out of my parents house ( ok, i knew no better :lol: )
Will update as things progress
Regards
Mulled
Mine is still in secondary fermenter under airlock, will bottle next weekend. Whether i can wait five months is another matter :nah: I was actually quite impressed with mine upon transfer to FV2. Nice yeast pancake left behind and a taste of the trial jar ( sg 1014 after a week in a bucket) showed a pleasing hop bitterness although not much else; still, what could i expect after just a week?I must admit that nostalgia did play a part in my choosing this kit, i had fond memories of Websters Yorkshire Bitter in the 2 litre PET bottles you used to see beer in: drank those when i moved out of my parents house ( ok, i knew no better :lol: )
Will update as things progress
Regards
Mulled
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Hi Mulled - I used to like the Websters and Tetleys when I got to Yorkshire with my girlfriend who was from Halifax. Loved getting a pint after a long Friday night coach journey and just getting to the pub just in time to gulp down a couple before closing time. A totally different pint up there to down here. Mind you that was 30 years ago now...wow time flies.
This Yorkshire bitter is ok when young, a bit of a cherry taste but generally underwhelming until as I've said a good few months in the bottle. I am more of a highly hopped beer type of drinker, like for instance the Wilko Golden ale with its bitter fruitiness, but this Yorkshire bitter is defiantly a slow burner. I only wish I could keep my hands of my beers for an initial five month period and always have five month old beer ready...it is so much better given time ... except for the Wherry, which to me had a woody flavour after a long time in the bottle unlike when it is young and has a taste of sunshine in a bottle!
This Yorkshire bitter is ok when young, a bit of a cherry taste but generally underwhelming until as I've said a good few months in the bottle. I am more of a highly hopped beer type of drinker, like for instance the Wilko Golden ale with its bitter fruitiness, but this Yorkshire bitter is defiantly a slow burner. I only wish I could keep my hands of my beers for an initial five month period and always have five month old beer ready...it is so much better given time ... except for the Wherry, which to me had a woody flavour after a long time in the bottle unlike when it is young and has a taste of sunshine in a bottle!
Quick update on this beer. I bottled mine on Sunday after two weeks in secondary fermenter under airlock. The SG had remained at 1014 and the beer was just about bright in the trial glass. The bottles had a half teaspoon of ordinary granulated per pint. Warm and cold conditioning will be undertaken before i start on this brew of course.
Having just re-read this thread, i am wondering if i have made a different beer. The obligatory taste of the trial jar left me wanting more :party: In all honesty, i could almost have pored myself a pint there and then ( SWAMBO was helping so no way could i have got away with that :lol: ).
This may be heresy, but from memory it tasted better than my Wherry at the same stage. I am looking forward to having a taste or two in a few weeks; this is a light beer but seemed to have that "Yorkshire" taste i so fondly remember from my youth. I can only hope it carries on improving at the same rate, so far, i am impressed.
Would i buy this kit again? The answer to that question will have to wait till a few pints have been sunk, but it does taste very promising at the moment.
Happy Brewing :
Mulled
Having just re-read this thread, i am wondering if i have made a different beer. The obligatory taste of the trial jar left me wanting more :party: In all honesty, i could almost have pored myself a pint there and then ( SWAMBO was helping so no way could i have got away with that :lol: ).
This may be heresy, but from memory it tasted better than my Wherry at the same stage. I am looking forward to having a taste or two in a few weeks; this is a light beer but seemed to have that "Yorkshire" taste i so fondly remember from my youth. I can only hope it carries on improving at the same rate, so far, i am impressed.
Would i buy this kit again? The answer to that question will have to wait till a few pints have been sunk, but it does taste very promising at the moment.
Happy Brewing :
Mulled
At just over three weeks in the bottle, after two in secondary and one in primary, i decided to have a taste.
SWAMBO thought it was a little on the sweet side and for me personally, i thought it gave beige a bad name, unbelievably bland. Poor head retention, lack of hop characteristics and generally an insult to the Yorkshire style of bitter. I really do not have enough beer stored up to leave this for a lengthy period of time to improve, so will drink it until something else is ready. I really cannot recommend that anyone spend their hard earned on this kit :nono:
On the plus side, my Coopers Stout will be in bottle by the weekend and my Youngs Harvest Barley Wine should be drinkable by the end of the month :
I am really sorry to be so negative and a little surprised too, the beer showed promise early on.
Happy Brewing
SWAMBO thought it was a little on the sweet side and for me personally, i thought it gave beige a bad name, unbelievably bland. Poor head retention, lack of hop characteristics and generally an insult to the Yorkshire style of bitter. I really do not have enough beer stored up to leave this for a lengthy period of time to improve, so will drink it until something else is ready. I really cannot recommend that anyone spend their hard earned on this kit :nono:
On the plus side, my Coopers Stout will be in bottle by the weekend and my Youngs Harvest Barley Wine should be drinkable by the end of the month :
I am really sorry to be so negative and a little surprised too, the beer showed promise early on.
Happy Brewing
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Totally understand that Mulled...having had the same experience with mine. Except as I said earlier, leave it for five or more months and it is a decent pint...or at least one bottle (my last) was. Funny thing about this though, the other two BOB that I have tried, the IPA and the Old English are really decent pints from the off. Don't know where they went wrong with this one.
