St Peters Golden Ale review

[mazmann]

I have just moved this into a keg from my bucket thing, you can tell that I am new to this!

I have just followed the label on the back of the box, however I plan to bottle it in a couple of weeks.

I have added sugar already into the keg, do I then add sugar in the bottles as well?

Thanks for any advice.

Mike

 

[ThePurpleMoose]

I'm glad there are a lot of good reviews, as I have just bought this kit! Ill be giving the ruby a try too, the reviews for that kit looked even better.

Im saving up for a Buffalo boiler to start my first BIAB, so the golden ale kit is just to keep me going!

I didn't think beer kits could be that good, is it as good as BIAB?

 

[Halfacrem]

Kicked one of these off this afternoon. It's the first kit I've done which included a hop sachet. It clumped up a bit when I stirred it in, so I made sure I gave it a good beating with a long spoon, which I think did the job (difficult to see through the mass of foam). Any hints on avoiding clumping in the first place would be appreciated.

 

[Jamthesun]

hi as a newbie what do you mean water bath?
cheers mike[/quote]

Think he means he has put his FV into another container of water to help keep the temperature down.[/quote]
Looking at the post date, I'd imagine it was the opposite! A water bath with fish tank heater to warm it up. [/quote]

Sorry for the late reply! Yes I use a big plastic bucket, the flexible, ribbed ones with integral handles (a bit like the ones builders use). I put water in it and stand the FV in it. An aquarium heater maintains a reasonably constant temp.

Now for the beer. A cracker. Light and hoppy with a rounded flavour. It goes on the do again list definitely!

 

[Halfacrem]

Two months in the bottle for my Golden Ale and to my mind this still needs a little more time to mature.

It took an age to carb up, but it's about perfect now. I still think the taste needs to mellow out a bit as there is a slight plasticky twang, which has died down a lot since I last tried a bottle, but still just about there. Hopefully another few weeks and it should come good, but not sure at the moment if it will go on the repeat list.

 

[BicesterTerrier]

.......
I didn't think beer kits could be that good.....

I had a meeting with an Engineer at Muntons some months ago, he reckons that in a blind tasting the Brewer from St Peters couldn't tell the kit from the real thing.

He also told me that Woodfordes Wherry is their biggest selling kit, but if every Wilko store stocks it then they have quite a large exposure.

Rich

 

[conorm]

I brewed this about a year ago. Very dissapointing. Didnt have a good flavour at all. Put this down to either a bad batch or a slight infection (i.e. enough to taint the flavour - musty, but not make it go bad completely)

 

[FuzzySteve]

I made this before Christmas and found it to be a very good kit, with one major drawback as far as I was concerned: it seemed to get worse with age! It started fine but flavour faded with increase in dryness. I'd need to try it again to see if it was my palette and not the beer before I recommended it.

 

[bottler]

I brewed this too. I found it just ok. I brewed it in january i think, but ive held 4 bottles back to try in june. Im having a weeks cottage holiday in june and keeping samples of all my earlier brews to see what they should taste like given a bit of time. I usually scoff the brews a bit early. :thumb:

 

[user 6139]

I've just brewed this one. It's been in bottles for just over a week, so I thought I'd give one an early try.

Beer has carbonated nicely, and it's clear. But, there's an over-powering bitter hoppy taste to it. Hoping a few more weeks in the bottle will tame the bitterness.

Maybe I shouldn't have used the entire sachet of hop-powder when brewing ?

 

[BicesterTerrier]

I've just brewed this one. It's been in bottles for just over a week, so I thought I'd give one an early try.

Beer has carbonated nicely, and it's clear. But, there's an over-powering bitter hoppy taste to it. Hoping a few more weeks in the bottle will tame the bitterness.

Maybe I shouldn't have used the entire sachet of hop-powder when brewing ?

I had the same overpowering hoppy taste, but then the original bottled stuff is quite hoppy too. I didn't leave it long enough to improve, put it down to a beginners mistake and drank it far too early. Would be keen to hear how you get on in a few weeks/months with it

 

[user 6139]

Well, nearly a week later, and I've "sampled" a few more of these.

The strong hoppy taste has mellowed a touch, and it doesn't taste quite as chemical-y .

My mistake with this brew has been over-carbonation. I normally drink Czech pilsners, and other strong European lager-beers, so like a reasonably fizzy drink. I had a really flat batch early in my brewing career, and now tend to over-do it with the priming sugar to compensate.

So my St. Peters is now like a very lively lager :smile:

If I did this one again, I'd use half the hop-powder, and only 1 coopers sugar lump per bottle to prime.

I'm not disappointed with this brew, it's entirely drinkable :razz:

 

[Silverback]

I've brewed a batch of the golden ale which has been in the initial FV for about 3 weeks. I've just taken a hydrometer reading which suggests an alcohol content of 2.8% - a bit weedy compared to the 4.7% suggested on the box. Does anyone know if the alcohol level will increase once I prime and bottle?

Also does anyone have any idea what I've done wrong?

Any and all comments welcome!!!

 

[Midlife]

I like a nice hoppy golden ale.... Anyone tried this kit with a finishing hop bag like goldings? Or is it hoppy enough. Do the teabags add flavour or aroma?

Cheers

Doug

 

[BicesterTerrier]

I like a nice hoppy golden ale.... Anyone tried this kit with a finishing hop bag like goldings? Or is it hoppy enough. Do the teabags add flavour or aroma?

Cheers

Doug

I didn't leave mine long enough, but hoppy is definitely a word I would use to describe what I had.

 

[bottler]

I've brewed a batch of the golden ale which has been in the initial FV for about 3 weeks. I've just taken a hydrometer reading which suggests an alcohol content of 2.8% - a bit weedy compared to the 4.7% suggested on the box. Does anyone know if the alcohol level will increase once I prime and bottle?

Also does anyone have any idea what I've done wrong?

Any and all comments welcome!!!

Sounds like you havnt mixed the brew hard enough at the start, and so not getting a proper reading. What was the gravity reading at the start, and the reading after 3 weeks ?

 

[Silverback]

1031 at the time of brewing and 1010 after three weeks

 

[Midlife]

This kit is really nice. Been bottled for about three months now and half way through the batch. I used the hop sachet that come with the kit and also a goldings hop bag in the FV. Aroma and taste Is good, quite hoppy which is what I like. Also it's very clear, like a commercial bottle beer.

Very happy, big thumbs up from me and I will be doing it again :

Doug

 

[Tarticus]

First Post on here, but started this one off yesterday, and within 7hrs was chugging along nicely, and hitting the lid :)

Started to settle down a bit now, like others have said the hop powder took an age to dissolve, and needed a good beating with my paddle :P

Plenty of froth, but if I read my Hydrometer right was coming out at 1.046 so all looks ok if I can get it down to 1.010 all be fine.

Will be bottling and then starting a Better Brew Bandit :)

 

[Tarticus]

Well after 3 days the big foamy yeasty head has gone down and its bubbling away very well. Will leave it until Next Thursday then bottle and get my next brew on :)