Looking for a Ruby ale kit

[Racehunter]

Hi all. I am setting up to brew for the first time in donkeys years (not counting a BITB last year) and am rather partial to a ruby ale. I will be using a King Keg in my process and wondered what anyone thought of Mumfords St Peters Ruby Red Ale as a starting point?

Thanks

Steve

 

[Cheshire Cat]

St Peters was good when I brewed it 5 years or more ago.

 

[Graz]

Tiny Rebel / Muton's Cwtch is superb. It's a Welsh red ale which I guess makes it ruby?

Young's American Red India Ale is also quite similar.

 

[Racehunter]

Thanks for the feedback, Cheshire Car and Graz.

Let you know how I get on

 

[AnimatedGIF]

Thanks for the feedback, Cheshire Car and Graz.

Let you know how I get on

I'm looking forward to hearing how you get on. My last brew before my 18 month unintentional break was meant to be a ruby, and someone recomended Woodfordes Norfolk Nog. I bought it, brewed it, but it didn't look or taste as I expected it to. I may well have done something wrong though, as I am still pretty new to all this. All that said, there's none left, so it couldn't have been too bad.

 

[Racehunter]

Big trouble I seem to have is actually finding a kit that is in stock.

Hope it's not too long before I can start, ideally the cwtch, from everything that I have read

 

[Thatscold]

I’m currently conditioning this recipe Hop Gobbler
It’s not been quite two weeks in the keg, but I had the first sample last night and it tastes great already.

 

[Racehunter]

Just ordered Cwtch from Brew 2 Bottle along with a few bits and pieces, so hopefully, next week I can get up and running. As they say 'watch this space'

 

[terrym]

Just ordered Cwtch from Brew 2 Bottle along with a few bits and pieces, so hopefully, next week I can get up and running. As they say 'watch this space'

I think you have probably done well to avoid the St Peters Ruby Red kit. It turned out to be the worst kit I ever did out of the many kits I did, and was the only beer I have considered pouring down the sink. However I know others have fared better with it.

 

[Racehunter]

Sounds like I might have had a narrow escape

 

[Racehunter]

So the kit arrived on Friday and I started the process on Sunday, pitching the yeast at 16:00. The OG was 1045. Primary fermentation showed signs of starting at around 7:30 this morning and was soon 'audibly active'. Mind you, I am beginning to think the air lock I purchased is going to annoy me. Its one of the S trap type, with 3 spheres on each side. Filled to 1 1/2 spheres, it keeps pushing the water out so the fill is on the exit side only!

Anyway, I have a question. The instructions say to dry hop with the final 2 packets of hop pellets after 4 days, but is this a little early, if I expect the brew to remain in the FV for 14 days from the start, before bottling?

 

[AnimatedGIF]

So the kit arrived on Friday and I started the process on Sunday, pitching the yeast at 16:00. The OG was 1045. Primary fermentation showed signs of starting at around 7:30 this morning and was soon 'audibly active'. Mind you, I am beginning to think the air lock I purchased is going to annoy me. Its one of the S trap type, with 3 spheres on each side. Filled to 1 1/2 spheres, it keeps pushing the water out so the fill is on the exit side only!

Anyway, I have a question. The instructions say to dry hop with the final 2 packets of hop pellets after 4 days, but is this a little early, if I expect the brew to remain in the FV for 14 days from the start, before bottling?

I would work out how many days the instructions expect you to dry hop before bottling and stick to that. I.e, if the instructions say dry hop on day 4 and expect you to be bottling on day 10, then that is 6 days of dry hopping. If you plan to bottle on day 14, then that would equate to a dry hop on day 8. I've made up the numbers, but hopefully that makes sense.

 

[Racehunter]

Perfect sense, thanks. It says leave for 4 to 6 days after dry hopping. The 14 days comes from what I have read on here about not taking as gospel, what the instructions state with regards to getting into bottles.

 

[AnimatedGIF]

Perfect sense, thanks. It says leave for 4 to 6 days after dry hopping. The 14 days comes from what I have read on here about not taking as gospel, what the instructions state with regards to getting into bottles.

Perfect. I am with you on that in that I would leave for at least 14 days. In my limited experience, I have always left it longer than the instructions say.
I'm looking forward to hearing how it goes. I've seen so many good reviews about this kit. My local homebrew shop has them in stock so I plan to purchase it this week.

 

[Racehunter]

Update time: Hydrometer reading today (day 8) is 1013. Good thick krausen and lovely smell. Added both sachets of hop pellets with a view to bottling on Saturday, subject to steady readings. Obviously I didn't want to empty the trial sample back in so had to have a little taste. Still fizz on the tongue and I reckon this has real promise.

 

[pprovart]

I'm looking for a lovely Ruby Ale with bags of flavour, so am following this with interest! For me something similar to Hobgoblin but deeper... my first brew i started Sunday i've been given Military Mild by the wife for my Birthday.

 

[Racehunter]

Well I hope this one ends up as good as it has started. Fermentation activity really slowed down so I will take readings tomorrow onwards, hopefully bottling Saturday.

Just have to hope the hot weather doesn't upset the process as the FV is in the garage

 

[I.c.whitts]

Tiny Rebel / Muton's Cwtch is superb. It's a Welsh red ale which I guess makes it ruby?

Young's American Red India Ale is also quite similar.

Iv just taken delivery of a Cwtch box. Can’t wait to brew it. 4 packs of hops

 

[Covrich]

ST Peters Ruby is a decent kit brew

 

[bez]

Tiny Rebel / Muton's Cwtch is superb. It's a Welsh red ale which I guess makes it ruby?

Young's American Red India Ale is also quite similar.

Wow. Too hoppy for me. I had to wait six months to calm down.