Muntons West Coast IPA - progress and questions

[toledo]

These Muntons kits are good from my very limited experience... Having followed the instructions to the letter this IPA has now been PET bottled, after an initial gravity of 1.066 and very rapid airlock activity post pitch which lasted about six days. Shortly after dry hopping (the hops smell really good) there was a lot of airlock activity starting within an hour of hop addition and stopping suddenly after 3 days - probably due to CO2 nucleation on the pellets, it's hard to believe that could be chemical immediately after adding pellets. Final gravity of 1.008 puts this in range for expected ABV, so I'm happy there. The beer looks pretty hazy, consistently so through the 37 bottles filled: is this normal - and should this IPA clear as the bottles sit?
Thanks in advance!

 

[MrRook]

Dry hopping can cause haze.

 

[toledo]

Thank you, @MrRook - the haze has descended and the beer looks good.
A cheeky bottle at the weekend confirms that this is delicious, best one yet. Restraint prevails so the crates are yet to be further threatened by more consumption: it can only get better

 

[Beermonster66]

I just pitched this kit but didn't read the instructions and filled to the usual 23L instead of 20 . I bunged in 1/2 Kg extra sugar to bring the SG up and ended up at 1.05. Final ABV will be lower than expected but no bad thing since this kit is rated for 7% @20L. Just checked and happy to report it's bubbling away merrily.

 

[Ale House Rock]

LIke the original post, I started with an OG of 1.066 but after the 9-10 days when the hops should be added as per the instructions, my SG was 1.022 - way too high to be adding hops. I left it for another week and it got down to 1.014 which I was not unhappy with so I added the hops. That also stimulated a lot of airlock activity. I bottled it 3 days later and it was extremely cloudy. The only other beer I have encountered that went as cloudy as this after dry hopping was the Youngs New World Saison which took months to clear up. 2 days after bottling, when checking to gauge how firm the PET bottles are becoming, there's a very obvious tide mark ring of 'stuff' in the neck of the bottle. I have gently agitated the liquid in the neck of the bottle to free it from the neck but this is something I've never had happen before. Thoughts anyone?

 

[Graz]

I have made this, as with the majority of my beers it went into a keg, seem to remember it being a bit hazy at first but cleared more over time. But a bit of haziness in my beers never bothers me and with something like an IPA which you want to drink fairly fresh I definitely live with it.

Due to the hop additions I would have cold crashed it and it would have been kegged through a siphon filter. If you didn't do something like that then you may have got a bit more sediment. Still nothing to worry about though, if it tastes good then enjoy.

 

[Beermonster66]

so I added the hops

Did you add the hop pellets loose? I use a stainless steel mesh hop can which helps keep the brew clean.

 

[Ale House Rock]

Did you add the hop pellets loose? I use a stainless steel mesh hop can which helps keep the brew clean.

I always add the hops loose and use a hop sock when siphoning. Its a 75g hop addition but never seen anything like this even with 100g additions except the Youngs NW Saison. The 'ring' around the neck of the bottles does not look like hops which I would describe as having a wet sawdust appearance/texture. When I agitated the bottles to disperse it, it was evidently a very fine residue.

 

[MashBag]

Shortly after dry hopping (the hops smell really good) there was a lot of airlock activity starting within an hour of hop addition and stopping suddenly after 3 days - probably due to CO2 nucleation on the pellets...

Nah. More likely the yeast found some fermentable sugar in the hops.

 

[Johnrogers]

Thank you, @MrRook - the haze has descended and the beer looks good.
A cheeky bottle at the weekend confirms that this is delicious, best one yet. Restraint prevails so the crates are yet to be further threatened by more consumption: it can only get better

Hello, I've just bottled mine at the weekend , looks good but a little bitter on the back end , I hope it subsides

 

[Polcho]

I've not had time to brew from grain this past year or so.

I brought this West Coast kit, and in all honesty, it's delicious.

I've done five so far, and I just started another yesterday before work. It literally takes no time at all.

I have been fermenting at 21 deg, (it's constant due to being in a grainfather conical fermenter).

I was wondering what the optimum temp would be, so I emailed Muntons, I didn't get a reply, I've sent another today.

It comes out close to 7%, which I thought would be a problem, I'm not keen on very strong beers, but since I'm driving the van every morning, I don't have more than 2 pints anyway.

I don't bottle it, I put it in a 5 gallon plastic barrel, bottom tap.

It's always hazy, I don't have a problem with that.

It's just a very nice drink!