Cwtch by Tiny Rebel Brewery

[Elliott 22]

I have it in bottles. It’s soooo hoppy almost perfumed. Nice colour holds a head and after a few months it’s cleared.

Thanks bez

 

[Poochops]

I was on homebrew online earlier buying a false bottom for the grain father, I’ve not used them for ages and thought I’d have a pootle around the website and saw the Cwtch kit. Remembering how good this is I just ordered one, my first kit for two years and I’ve got great expectations for a Christmas sesh or two!
I was looking back on this thread and it was two years yesterday that I said I’d brew it again, I’ve done about twenty ag brews in the meantime but seeing the kit the memory of how good it is came flooding back, can’t wait to get it going now.

 

[Minimag1]

Did this kit myself on the strength of what I've read on here (normally do all grain), must say I'm pleasantly surprised, kits have come a long way from when I did them in the 80's

 

[johncrobinson]

I agree. You get good information from members here who have actualy have bought the kit, That oneself might only be still be at the stage of thinking about .

 

[trummy]

Hi Liam, this really is a murky brew. Imo it's def worth putting into a secondary or cold crashing for a week or two. When I made this kit I hopped in a muslin bag, then cold crashed for two weeks, it resulted in a crystal clear beer. My brother in law made this recently without the muslin or cold crashing and we described it as pond water, although it still tasted lovely.

Pond water would be an understatement - mine looks like sludge - thick sludge at that. Hope it clears now air temp is beginning to drop

 

[ChrisM]

Brewed this kit a couple of months ago - lovely tasting pond water describes my experience exactly. I decided against posting a picture - in common with most others on this thread. I bottled half, and found chilling these in the fridge produced a creditable unfiltered beer, rather than something drained out of an old radiator!

 

[trummy]

Seems to be clearing and not tasting so hoppy now but not sure I am that big a fan

 

[pms67]

Pond water would be an understatement - mine looks like sludge - thick sludge at that. Hope it clears now air temp is beginning to drop

Just close your eyes when drinking!
Clear beer is a personal thing though, I don’t mind it looking like pond water, it’s good to watch the Hophouse 13 drinkers or whatever s*** It’s called look on in horror as I slurp away at my homemade rocket fuel puddle juice (in reality it’s a lovely hazy 4% sessionable ipa hopped to the max)
Decent kit though
Enjoy

 

[trummy]

Thanks for the advice pms - yea a little haze does not bother me at all, do a lot of homebrew drinking when out in the motorhome so sediment does get shook up.
I did a couple of brews which would not clear at all despite adding finnings. I think it must have been an infection of some kind so really 'thick' beer I am a little wary of. Pleased to say it has started to clear. Still young will give it another month or so now

 

[yrhendystu]

Cwtch is apparently Welsh for cuddle and is pronounced cutch.

It also means cupboard, in Wales we have cwtch dan star, or cupboard under the stairs.
Depending on where you are in Wales you'll also see it spelt cwtsh. Either way they are pronounced the same. Like butch but with a c.

Thanks for the review will be interesting to try at some point. Maybe put it on my list for Santa.

 

[pms67]

Thanks for the advice pms - yea a little haze does not bother me at all, do a lot of homebrew drinking when out in the motorhome so sediment does get shook up.
I did a couple of brews which would not clear at all despite adding finnings. I think it must have been an infection of some kind so really 'thick' beer I am a little wary of. Pleased to say it has started to clear. Still young will give it another month or so now

Do you cold crash before bottling? I find it helps a lot

 

[trummy]

Normally yes but due to the present situation I was running very
low so had 3 brews on the go at the same time. it had turned warm as well. i usually do my Christmas brews now but I was a month early so i must admit it was warmer than usual - my 'cold crash' is to stick my barrels outside at night.
I brewed Cwtch, Old London Porter and Summer Golden Ale - a good varied selection I think.
Just tried the Cwtch and it has cleared and as thirsty as I was tasted pretty good.

 

[ChrisM]

Managed to keep a bottle in the cwtch for three months, quite an achievement for me. Attempted a mini cold crash by keeping it in the fridge for a day before drinking. Clear as a bell, and tastes amazing - will be making another batch soon.

 

[ChrisM]

For my second batch of Cwtch I still chucked the dry hops in without a bag - but then a proper cold-crash before bottling - after two months it is completely clear. Perhaps my imagination but I wouldn't say the flavours are quite so pronounced as for the first batch. Still a cracking beer though and I will be making more.

 

[Pavalijo]

I bottled mine yesterday (see photo below) having racked off into a bottling bucket 10 days previously and put it into an insulated but unheated shed. I could see that there was a lot of sediment that had dropped out by the time I bottled and it was clearer than others had reported. However we have had sub zero temperatures for a few days!
I had a taste of the dregs collected after the last bottle - put that in a fridge overnight and tasted it today - still muddy looking (far murkier than that in the photo) but I have to say that I loved the muddy ditch water - this is going to be the best kit I have done so far. I was going to leave it a few months before I opened a single bottle but not sure I have the willpower now!!

 

[trummy]

Did Cwtch again about 6 weeks ago, Decided to use a muslin bag I had in my brew kit to contain the hops but the holes where too big and they just dissipated through the brew. Been in the gable end where its been cold and it still is not crystal clear but getting there. Of all the kits I have made this is far the most 'dirty' . Its not a brew to do if you want a quick brew to drinking time but its a good pint (eventually)

 

[Pavalijo]

Had my first bottle yesterday, about a month after it finished carbonation. There is quite a bitterness, but even so it was excellent. I suspect I another couple of months this will be my best brew yet by some distance!
The hop flavours were superb.

 

[Graz]

Just started on a keg of this made a while back. Has cleared up nicely. It's really good.

I have made it once before and it was bottled. I messed up the carbonation and it was way too fizzy, almost impossible to pour and too much bite from the CO2, even in spite of that it was still good.

Think I'm going to be making this a bit more often based on the current brew. There was some talk of another Tiny Rebel kit in the pipeline from Muntons but so far it doesn't seem to have happened. Be good if they could release another that's as good as Cwtch.

 

[Graz]

My keg of this finally ran out on Saturday

This is definitely in my top 5 kit brews that I've ever done, it's got a good back bone, not too malty, not too bitter, and then the hops just finish it off. Got a decent aroma and taste but without being completely overpowering, but I like them hoppy so it may be too much for some. Moving to lighter beers now for the summer but I'll be kicking off another one of these sometime in August ready for cooler times.