Re: Wilko's Delicate Pilsner

[Worrywort]

I have just done this kit with 1 KG of light spray malt and did a hop tea with Saaz hops, brewed slightly short at around 21 litres, hydrometer reading came out at 1044 so should be a bit stronger and have a bit more flavour, will look forward to this in a couple of months time.

 

[Slid]

Bottled today and of course mrcpea is quite correct - it tastes like a light ale (because it is ). But quite nice. Would not describe the taste as heavy in any way. Even at circa 5.5%.

 

[Slid]

I have just done this kit with 1 KG of light spray malt and did a hop tea with Saaz hops, brewed slightly short at around 21 litres, hydrometer reading came out at 1044 so should be a bit stronger and have a bit more flavour, will look forward to this in a couple of months time.

This will be a great beer and nothing like the lager you buy in the supermarket. Great option IMO. :drink:

 

[Worrywort]

This will be a great beer and nothing like the lager you buy in the supermarket. Great option IMO. :drink:

Let's hope so, this started fermenting after only a few hours and is still bubbling away, I will bottle it in two weeks time with half a teaspoon of sugar per 500ml bottle, I don't like to much fizz in my beer so hopefully this should be about right:thumb:

 

[Lesinge]

I have bottle this (28/05/14) after two days with Finnings and it is still a little cloudy. The only other beer that I have bottled that is still cloudy was my first two attempts which were both Youngs' Lager so maybe its this type of beer - lager with ale yeast.

Taste at bottling is pleasant, nothing special at the moment but having done both the Light Golden and Mexican Cerveza lagers from Wilko I know that given time they become very drinkable beers, so this will be put into storage for a couple of months.

 

[Brew2Day]

This is my first lager and have now stuck it in a secondary bin and launched some beer finings into it and left it a place where ambient temps are a little lower but not as cool as I want it to be. I also used Muntons Brew Enhancer and it stopped fermentation after about 5 days. When I tasted it it had a strong, classic pilsner taste and that back of the throat hit you get but did taste very thin and watery.

I tasted it again while going to secondary and it was much better and almost drinkable there and then. Gonna prime with some DX when I pop it in the barrel.

I will do this one again but try the addition of some hops like I have done with my BrewMaker Essential Lager.

 

[proost]

Right, started this on 31/03/15 using:

The kit tin
1.5kg Light Spray Malt
2 x 11.g Saflager S-23 yeast
1/2 tsp Yeast Nutrient
Brewed short to 21L
Pitched yeast at 22c
Fermented at 16c
SG 1.049
FG 1.007
About 5.5%
Took 12 days in the FV
Left on the garage floor for 6 days and then bottled.
Batch primed 160g Golden Sugar.
Stored in the fridge until ........

Tonight! Carbonation is spot on, although the head dissipated 2/3 of the way down the glass. Slightly cloudy. Taste wise, nice with no HB twang although I've never tasted a lager like this. Would I do this again? Yes definitely, even the old trouble n' strife liked it! I would brew this to the same recipe.

Really pleased with this even though I tend to stick with dark ales.

:thumb:

 

[redhousebrewing]

I did one batch with S-23 yeast and one using the std included yeast, both had around 30g of Saaz dry hopped for the last week of fermentation.
Set aside in the cellar for 2 months and sampled yesterday...
Both good but the S-23 batch wins out for me.

2 more kits waiting in the cellar so I think I'd better get some more S-23 yeast in the near future...

 

[Lesinge]

I brewed this short and added light spray malt and after a month or so I can say what a nice beer this has turned out to be. It is a lovely straw coloured crystal clear beer with a nice taste (a slight bitter taste which might be the style) but very smooth. Mine is 4.8% rather than the straight kit strength of 4% so I don't know what the straight beer would be like but I will definitely brew this exactly the same again and maybe next time add some Saaz hops. Recommended.

 

[Slid]

Bottled today and of course mrcpea is quite correct - it tastes like a light ale (because it is ). But quite nice. Would not describe the taste as heavy in any way. Even at circa 5.5%.

Had a proper taste of this on Saturday July 5th and am pleased with the result. As these kits were being sold at £7.50 in the recent sale, they were a good way to get decent pale ale at a decent price, with not much effort. Made to 27L (6 gallons) with a kilo of demerara sugar. :-D

 

[JKaranka]

This kit made a cracking Saison. I added leftovers of Saaz and Hallertau when mixing the kit and pitched Belle Saison. Also added a kilo of brew enhancer (wanted something with sugar to bring phenols into it). The fermentation was allowed to go wild into the mid twenties. Beer came out light gold, with a good yeast character: peach, some clove, slight banana, floral aroma. Finish was dry, body medium light with a slightly creamy mouthfeel. The entire five gallons were drunk in one sitting 5 weeks from pitching. Good reviews from beer gourmets and beer dislikers alike. Much recommended as a fairly neutral and light kit to make your own by tweaking.

 

[proost]

Right, started this on 31/03/15 using:

The kit tin
1.5kg Light Spray Malt
2 x 11.g Saflager S-23 yeast
1/2 tsp Yeast Nutrient
Brewed short to 21L
Pitched yeast at 22c
Fermented at 16c
SG 1.049
FG 1.007
About 5.5%
Took 12 days in the FV
Left on the garage floor for 6 days and then bottled.
Batch primed 160g Golden Sugar.
Stored in the fridge until ........

Tonight! Carbonation is spot on, although the head dissipated 2/3 of the way down the glass. Slightly cloudy. Taste wise, nice with no HB twang although I've never tasted a lager like this. Would I do this again? Yes definitely, even the old trouble n' strife liked it! I would brew this to the same recipe.

Really pleased with this even though I tend to stick with dark ales.

:thumb:

Just tried another one and it's now crystal clear with a nice clean taste. Head lasts all the way down (can't beat a bit of head all the way down! :whistle:)

:party:

 

[proost]

This kit made a cracking Saison. I added leftovers of Saaz and Hallertau when mixing the kit and pitched Belle Saison. Also added a kilo of brew enhancer (wanted something with sugar to bring phenols into it). The fermentation was allowed to go wild into the mid twenties. Beer came out light gold, with a good yeast character: peach, some clove, slight banana, floral aroma. Finish was dry, body medium light with a slightly creamy mouthfeel. The entire five gallons were drunk in one sitting 5 weeks from pitching. Good reviews from beer gourmets and beer dislikers alike. Much recommended as a fairly neutral and light kit to make your own by tweaking.

Can you give us some more recipe details, especially the temperature you fermented at. Did you use any heat or just left to ferment on its own. This sounds very interesting.

 

[Slid]

Can you give us some more recipe details, especially the temperature you fermented at. Did you use any heat or just left to ferment on its own. This sounds very interesting.

Yes indeed, if you recall any details, that would be great.
I'm well pleased with my own effort, especially with a bit of stout (Wilko Velvet Stout done as a 2 can). One day I too hope to post in the style of a brewing poet:

"Belle Saison. The fermentation was allowed to go wild into the mid twenties. Beer came out light gold, with a good yeast character: peach, some clove, slight banana, floral aroma. Finish was dry, body medium light with a slightly creamy mouthfeel."
:
Magnificent stuff, really love it. Mine were just OK wi' a Stout. :lol:

 

[JKaranka]

Not a lot of detail but some. I've made saisons before and slightly warmed them, but this one I left it in a converted loft so it must have gone fairly warm. Definitively more character. First couple days were cloudy but when the sun got out temps must have been around 25/26. That yeast deals well with the heat. Sticking to saisons in summer.

 

[proost]

Not a lot of detail but some. I've made saisons before and slightly warmed them, but this one I left it in a converted loft so it must have gone fairly warm. Definitively more character. First couple days were cloudy but when the sun got out temps must have been around 25/26. That yeast deals well with the heat. Sticking to saisons in summer.

Cheers for that. I'm gonna start this one on Tuesday.
Ill keep you all informed
:thumb:

 

[redhousebrewing]

Started this kit 6th April using tap water with half a campden tablet, 500g enhancer and 900g brewer's sugar, rehydrated yeast and short brewed to 21litres.
Corrected SG of 1044, started fementing quickly at a constant 20-21degC, bubbling through the airlock slowed after 2 days.
By 14th April SG had dropped to 1005 but plenty of bubbles in the sample tube, by 16th SG down to 1004 and fewer bubbles.
17/4/13 SG 1004 and virtually no bubbles in the sample tube - tasted a little yeasty & obviously flat but not far off drinkable even at this stage. Also surpringly clear so will see how much the finings and standing in the cold improve things over the next few days before bottling.

Bottled 20/4 via 2ndry FV to batch prime, tasted pretty good. By 23/4 it seems to have carbonated well, very thin layer of sediment and pretty clear.

Still impressed & will update on first tasting in around 3 weeks.

Stuart

Drinking it now and impressed - planning to do this again and maybe recycle the yeast to do a 2nd straight after.

 

[JKaranka]

Let me know how it goes as I'd like to turn it into a tasty foolproof go-to recipe. Nothing like independent replication.

 

[chrispurvis]

Started this kit a lil over a week ago. Brewed as instructions with 1kg muntons brew enhancer. Fermented for only 4 1/2 days due to high temps this time off yr. SG 1039. FG 1009. So once carbonated i work out this will be a lil over 4%.
Just had a taster after 5 days bottled in my concrete(cold) shed and its great. So great that im now sticking a couple more in the fridge and facing a grilling from the Mrs. All in all a very quick brewing delicious beer. I shall be highlighting the recipe in my brewers log and having another go.

As the temps cool down through the yr. Im thinking of perhaps switching the yeast to a true lager yeast. As an experiment. Could any1 reccomend a good lager yeast which is easily available from lhbs?

 

[pms67]

I have just bought my first ever Wilko.kit and.it is the.Pilsner and Real Ale.
Did you brew it short mate ? I very rarely do this as im too tight but im worried about this beer being a bit weak for a.1.can. £7.50 purchase.
Cheers