Hello and advise needed

[nsmithoils]

Hi I am new to brewing and only just started after receiving a beer kit for Christmas
Keen to learn the best kits to use and any secrets
Not a good start as brewed a wherry left it for 8 days until fermentation stopped
Tested with hydrometer and static
Added sugar and left for a further 3 days
Barrelled and been conditioning in a cool garage
However after a month it's quite clear but bitter? Any suggestions
Neil

 

[damienair]

Hello and welcome. I only started in December. I have made a few brews, Mangrove Jacks kits get good reviews. I have a Mangrove Jacks Pink Grapefruit IPA conditioning and will be putting on a Mangrove Jacks Bavarian Wheat kit next. The Coopers Hefe Wheat kit turned out to be a fantastic beer.
I bottle my beers, so don’t have any experience with barrelling. I leave my beers in the fermentation bucket for 2 weeks, batch prime with brewing sugar in another fermentation bucket with a tap. I then bottle and leave the bottles at 20-22 degrees in an airing cupboard to carbonate for 2 weeks. I then leave leave them out in my garage to condition for 2-3 weeks.
Perhaps your beer may not have finished fermentation, I test mine with a hydrometer at around 12 days, then 48 hours later at 14 days. If the reading is the same I bottle that day. I also add the priming sugar just before I bottle. Sorry I’m not much help to you. I’ve not done a Wherry kit.

 

[Spit]

Hi Neil
If your hydrometer reading was stable for 48 hours I would syphon off my brew into the keg add my priming sugar gently stir then put the keg somewhere warm for 14 days and then somewhere cool for 14 days. I also bottle but the principle is the same. Hope this helps.
Going luck and keep brewing.

 

[nsmithoils]

Hello and welcome. I only started in December. I have made a few brews, Mangrove Jacks kits get good reviews. I have a Mangrove Jacks Pink Grapefruit IPA conditioning and will be putting on a Mangrove Jacks Bavarian Wheat kit next. The Coopers Hefe Wheat kit turned out to be a fantastic beer.
I bottle my beers, so don’t have any experience with barrelling. I leave my beers in the fermentation bucket for 2 weeks, batch prime with brewing sugar in another fermentation bucket with a tap. I then bottle and leave the bottles at 20-22 degrees in an airing cupboard to carbonate for 2 weeks. I then leave leave them out in my garage to condition for 2-3 weeks.
Perhaps your beer may not have finished fermentation, I test mine with a hydrometer at around 12 days, then 48 hours later at 14 days. If the reading is the same I bottle that day. I also add the priming sugar just before I bottle. Sorry I’m not much help to you. I’ve not done a Wherry kit.

Thank you for the advise I will try your approach on my next batch,think I may have followed the box instructions too literal

 

[nsmithoils]

Hi Neil
If your hydrometer reading was stable for 48 hours I would syphon off my brew into the keg add my priming sugar gently stir then put the keg somewhere warm for 14 days and then somewhere cool for 14 days. I also bottle but the principle is the same. Hope this helps.
Going luck and keep brewing.

Thank you, I will transfer to a keg after primary fermentation and follow the 14/14 rule

 

[An Ankoù]

Hi I am new to brewing and only just started after receiving a beer kit for Christmas
Keen to learn the best kits to use and any secrets
Not a good start as brewed a wherry left it for 8 days until fermentation stopped
Tested with hydrometer and static
Added sugar and left for a further 3 days
Barrelled and been conditioning in a cool garage
However after a month it's quite clear but bitter? Any suggestions
Neil

Hi and welcome to the forum.
8 days for a Wherry to ferment is about right. You don't say what the hydrometer reading was. Your beer in the barrel is clear, but is it fizzy. Is your "barrel" a pressure barrel? It's supposed to be a bit bitter. Is it too bitter?

 

[nsmithoils]

Hi and welcome to the forum.
8 days for a Wherry to ferment is about right. You don't say what the hydrometer reading was. Your beer in the barrel is clear, but is it fizzy. Is your "barrel" a pressure barrel? It's supposed to be a bit bitter. Is it too bitter?

The final read was 1012 after three days of being stable. It does taste really bitter and not a great taste.Hoping it will clear after an additional few weeks
Have just started a muntons smuggler ale so any pointers would be good,it went into the fermentation bucket and cupboard last night- temp there is 18-20

 

[Gerryjo]

Hi and welcome to the forum...

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Welcome to the forum

 

[nsmithoils]

Brewing a Muntons Smugglers Ale
Is the general consensus to stick to the 2+2+2 rule from fermentation to being ready

 

[damienair]

Brewing a Muntons Smugglers Ale
Is the general consensus to stick to the 2+2+2 rule from fermentation to being ready

Yes. That is what I’ve been doing following advice from this forum and the results were great. Too great in fact, my first 2 batches are gone. So rather than drinking mine after the 2+2+2, I’m building up a stock of 4 beer kits before I start consuming them again. My Mangrove Jacks Pink Grapefruit IPA is ready to go, my Cider is half way there, another week before I bottle my James Blonde Ale and then I’ll be sticking on a Mangrove Jacks Bavarian Wheat beer. I’m going to wait until May. After that I’ll have a nice choice.

 

[nsmithoils]

Yes. That is what I’ve been doing following advice from this forum and the results were great. Too great in fact, my first 2 batches are gone. So rather than drinking mine after the 2+2+2, I’m building up a stock of 4 beer kits before I start consuming them again. My Mangrove Jacks Pink Grapefruit IPA is ready to go, my Cider is half way there, another week before I bottle my James Blonde Ale and then I’ll be sticking on a Mangrove Jacks Bavarian Wheat beer. I’m going to wait until May. After that I’ll have a nice choice.

Thanks for the advice.I will go with the timescale and see how it goes
Have a few spare FV so an interesting option to bulk brew and not drink any
I admire your will power