Definitely drinking too soon but what the heck ay?

[davecullen86]

Hello all

I brewed a Wherry + 50g Citra dry hop for 7 days and kegged yesterday.

All I can say is it tastes amazing and I must have had 4 or 5 pints from the PB already.

I love the taste right now, but understand the whole conditioning process.

Is there anyone else who can't wait and HAS to drink what they have just kegged?

Have a Coopers lager in now and a Festival Golden Stag on standby, then CERTAINLY doing another Wherry + Citra after!

Shame the price at Wilko has gone from £15 odd to £19 odd after the Jan sale!

Comments Welcome :

 

[SomersetBrewer]

Hello all

I brewed a Wherry + 50g Citra dry hop for 7 days and kegged yesterday.

All I can say is it tastes amazing and I must have had 4 or 5 pints from the PB already.

I love the taste right now, but understand the whole conditioning process.

Is there anyone else who can't wait and HAS to drink what they have just kegged?

Have a Coopers lager in now and a Festival Golden Stag on standby, then CERTAINLY doing another Wherry + Citra after!

Shame the price at Wilko has gone from £15 odd to £19 odd after the Jan sale!

Comments Welcome :

Hey mate. Drink it when you like is what i say!!!!. :drink:

 

[Pjam]

Is there anyone else who can't wait and HAS to drink what they have just kegged?

Probably all of us :lol: I don't know why I do it, I know it'll be crap but can't stop myself............. though I bottle. Drinking early is not really a good indicator of the conditioned taste.

 

[Rolfster]

I bottle to help me not drink it early......
It almost works :

 

[davecullen86]

Love ur replies! I guess there are many reasons, but we all know what we like. I kegged a Bulldog Four Finger Jack last week and if I'm honest it does not taste that nice at all after 7 days in the keg... Quite happy to leave that in warm conditioning for 2 weeks then in the garage (UK) for another 2 and see how it goes. But its taking valuable PB space!!! This Wherry + Citra is an EASY 1 week brew to glass job in my opinion. Try it if you love the hoppy taste!

 

[Runwell-Steve]

Yes, drink it when it is nice. My last couple of brews have been an Imperial Stout and a Pilsner, neither of them will be ready for some time yet. With being otherwise busy I have managed to completely run out of beer that is ready to drink, luckily I am working away from home for a few weeks so can partake in the hotel bar on company expenses otherwise I would be in real trouble.

I got a brew on last weekend, I imagine I will start drinking that pretty much as soon as I put it in the polypin. As I do a 45 litre batch there will also be a keg full which should last a bit longer.

I need to build up supplies, but I also have the wifes kitchen to finish refitting so time is not on my side.

 

[davecullen86]

Its amazing that we all look at time away on business or time away with the family as "quality conditioning time" I think I'm turning in to a proper home brewer haha!

 

[jaroporter]

i once started on a golden ale at SG ~1,024 (from ~1,050). was pretty decent as there was only half left by final gravity 1,012..
i've often had beers that've tasted better straight from the FV than after x weeks conditioning. personal tastes perhaps but that's why we brew ey? :

 

[Pjam]

Some beer doesn't show it's true character for 2-3 months! That's why you need to brew plenty so at least some of it remains untouched for while.

I've brewed some beer that was so bad (and wine) I nearly poured it away ...... only to discover when given time it was excellent.

 

[davecullen86]

Agree, ill leave what I have from the bulldog kit for weeks, if not months now in the hope it will be drinkable!

 

[SomersetBrewer]

Love ur replies! I guess there are many reasons, but we all know what we like. I kegged a Bulldog Four Finger Jack last week and if I'm honest it does not taste that nice at all after 7 days in the keg... Quite happy to leave that in warm conditioning for 2 weeks then in the garage (UK) for another 2 and see how it goes. But its taking valuable PB space!!! This Wherry + Citra is an EASY 1 week brew to glass job in my opinion. Try it if you love the hoppy taste!

What kits are theses pal?

 

[Duxuk]

I like to taste at every stage. The only way I've found to avoid drinking it too soon is to brew loads to build up a backlog. Then keep brewing at the rate I drink. I tend to drink less than 20 500ml bottles per week so I brew at least fortnightly. I occasionally buy a bottle of commercial beer for research purposes, but it doesn't live up to a good AG, or extract for that matter. :drink: I need to pick up Mrs Duxuk from the station so I'm on the forum 'cos I can't drink yet
BTW your life expectancy will be greatest if you drink 28 units per week. A teetotaler has the same life expectancy as a 93 unit per week drinker. Heard that on QI, so it must be true.

 

[davecullen86]

Love ur replies! I guess there are many reasons, but we all know what we like. I kegged a Bulldog Four Finger Jack last week and if I'm honest it does not taste that nice at all after 7 days in the keg... Quite happy to leave that in warm conditioning for 2 weeks then in the garage (UK) for another 2 and see how it goes. But its taking valuable PB space!!! This Wherry + Citra is an EASY 1 week brew to glass job in my opinion. Try it if you love the hoppy taste!

What kits are theses pal?

This a Woodfordes Wherry from Wilkos mate. I added a 50g Citra hop pellet dry hop for 4 days prior to kegging.

 

[graysalchemy]

You are getting a wherry to ferment in a week most people take at least 2 weeks to get it to ferment.

Is it not cloudy?

 

[davecullen86]

Its a bit cloudy at the mo after a week, but seems to be clearing in the PB...

off the top of my head OG was 1.039 and it ends up as 1.009 after a week!

 

[Sandimas]

I bottle to help me not drink it early......

+1

I normaly do a 50/50 bottle/keg, the bottles go at the back of the garage so I can't see them and forget about them. The keg stays in the house and I just can't keep away from it, I even gas the keg up with a HB cylinder now and tuck into it after a few days.....know I shouldn't but, well you know....

 

[Pjam]

OG was 1.039 and it ends up as 1.009 after a week!

Those figures are bang on for a Wherry. Most of the real action takes place in the first 3 days and with the alcohol that's produced in the first 3 days, your yeast now struggles to survive. Things slow right down though some yeasties are still active and you'll get a little more alcohol produced in the next few days.
You need the 2 weeks to let things settle, to clear a bit, otherwise you get a lot of sediment in the bottle. Expect some cloudiness in the last inch of the bottle even with a good technique!

 

[johnnyboy1965]

If its clear its ready to drink. Some beers get better with age, some are best drunk "young". Its really up to you and your willpower. Don't beat yourself up over drinking before its ready, every single brewer has done it. Get a good stock pile.

 

I kegged a Bulldog Four Finger Jack last week and if I'm honest it does not taste that nice at all after 7 days in the keg... Quite happy to leave that in warm conditioning for 2 weeks then in the garage (UK) for another 2 and see how it goes. But its taking valuable PB space!!! This Wherry + Citra is an EASY 1 week brew to glass job in my opinion. Try it if you love the hoppy taste!

i did this kit a few weeks back as a break from extract brewing/boiling etc. and i'm back on extract again now!! after 4 finger finished and being bottled for 2 months it still tastes like pi$$ with grass cuttings in. was thinking i got it wrong but if you've had similar then maybe its just the kit and not me!!

 

[davecullen86]

Yea mate, for a premium price kit aswell!

Had a quater of a pint glass from the PB earlier this eve and poured half of it away...

Gonna have to find some crazy person to drink it for me as I can't bear chucking away a brew!!