Is Wherry known for not achieving ABV?

[alfajerry]

Mine started at 1038 and finished at 1012, so 3.41% well off target.

 

[Clint]

A common occurrence when mixing the kit into the water is that sometimes it doesn't mix in enough and you get a false reading. Or you added too much water. Either way its no big deal.

 

[The Baron]

As Clint says this happens sometimes as long as the beer tastes good a few points of ABV matters not

 

[alfajerry]

It's the only kit of eighteen this year to be over a percentage point off.
I am happy to have a more sessionable beer really, as long as the taste is there.

 

[dad_of_jon]

It used to be renowned for sticking until they changed the yeast pack size from 6g

 

[Graz]

1.012 isn't stuck, that's about the expected final gravity, you might be lucky and get another point or two but it won't go below 1.010.

Alas the quoted ABV for these kits is also rather optimistic. The 3 kg of liquid malt extract supplied will give a best case starting gravity of 1.040 so not far off the 1.038 measured. Fermented out to say 1.011 gives an ABV of only 3.8% as you've witnessed.

The upside is he beer is still nice and you can more of it without getting trollied. If you want it stronger either add less water or add some extra LME/DME or sugar.

 

[alfajerry]

Thanks Graz.
So the maths indicates that there's almost no chance the kit will ever yield 4.5 ABV as claimed on the box?

 

[Big_Eight]

How much malt for extract did you have and what was the batch volume of the kit? Actually if you have a link to the kit I could take a look.

Edit: Found the numbers it does look like this kits OG would been around 1.041-1.043 it just depends on the yield per liter of the extract so you weren't far off as mentioned above.

If you boiled down 1-2 liters that would've help out the abv some. If the extract is LME maybe you didn't get quite all of in?

 

[Jim Brewster]

I don't think they supply enough yeast to be honest. Mine is struggling to carbonate and has a sickly residual sweetness after a few weeks.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I don't think they supply enough yeast to be honest. Mine is struggling to carbonate and has a sickly residual sweetness after a few weeks.

A couple of years ago the kit only came with 6g of yeast they then upped it to 11g after i contacted them (see post below) and showed them several threads here complaining about stuck fermentations if you only have 6g its a very old kit.


The Woodforde's Wherry stuck fermentation problem has been discussed many times on the forum so i decided to send them an Email as its a shame a kit a lot of member like has gained this reputation, i received this today -

Linda Arthrell <[email protected]>

Hi

Thank you very much for contacting the team at Muntons.

We have taken your comments on board and will be addressing this issue early next year with extra yeast in each Woodfordes kit. We are in talks with our yeast supplier to have an 11grm sachet produced, but in the interim we will be putting 2 x 6grm sachets in the kits.

Kind regards

Linda Arthrell
Homebrew Sales
07717 581223

Original thread -
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/the-last-stuck-woodfordes-kit-thread.74911/

 

[Sandimas]

When I used to make this kit I'd top it up to 21L rather than 23L to give it a bit more ABV.

 

[Jim Brewster]

A couple of years ago the kit only came with 6g of yeast they then upped it to 11g after i contacted them (see post below) and showed them several threads here complaining about stuck fermentations if you only have 6g its a very old kit.

Pretty sure I got the bigger pack but something seems off. Used to always wonder why there were so many threads about "stuck fermentations" as I'd never experienced it, but this is my first kit brew, I'm used to doing AG. Wouldn't hesitate to throw this whole lot in the bin, sadly. I quite enjoy a Wherry when I've bought it ready made from Woodfordes!

 

[Andrew Booth]

Wherry is a dependable Beer kit on tap or bottled it is 4.5 percent I’ve recently brewed a all grain version of this and it started with a gravity of 1.048 that was following a recipe Ray Ashworth gave out some years ago.

 

[alfajerry]

Wherry is a dependable Beer kit on tap or bottled

Andrew, I should have been more specific, it is the kit I am referring to.

 

[Andrew Booth]

I’ve done the kit many times it’s quite usual even with 11g of yeast to only get to around 4% the kit version doesn’t really compare to the keg or bottled version percentage wise.

at one point I started swapping out the kit yeast (Muntons GV12I think) for S04 when I did that it came out at 4.3.

the reason I brewed a all grain version was just to see if it could be done and how it compares to the kit version.

 

[soupdragon]

Don't forget, the kit manufacturers take info account the priming sugar. As little as 150g can add nearly 3 points to the alcohol. Still short of 4.5 but if (and it's a very bit if) you had a high attenuating yeast along with the priming sugar could get you to about 4.4%.
Not far off the mark but I'm sure 95% of people get nowhere near that.

Cheers Tom

 

[Andrew Booth]

The easiest way to get to 4.5 on a Wherry is to brew short to 20 litres that would give around 4.3 also you could add some dissolved sugar into the wort as well that would boost your abv not the most accurate way.

 

[Sven]

Bit of an old thread but, the Wherry that you buy in pubs or mini casks is actually 3.8%. I’ve been told that the ABV has to be changed to get it to taste similar (or as near as possible). So if your Wherry came out at 3.8% or above & tasted good, then happy days!
A few years back I asked this question on an Adnams brewery tour as to why their Broadside is 4.7% in casks but 6.3% in bottles. I got the reply that its to get them to taste as close as possible. (I found out about the difference in ABV when in a local theatre & getting very drunk whilst drinking Broadside when I didn’t realise it was the bottled variety!)