Waiting...

[BeerBelly]

Hi everyone, once again thanks for the info from my earlier post concerning what starter kit to go for.
I have ordered my kit should be with me tomorrow (fingers crossed)
* Woodfordes Wherry Premium Beer kit
* Barrel with co2
* 33Ltr Fermenting bin + airlock
* Paddle
* Syphon
* Steriliser
* Hydrometer
* Thermometer
* Trail Jar
* 1 Gas charge + converter

Totally noob question can i add to this (flavour wise) recommendations welcomed :thumb: or should i just learn to crawl first then walk then run and finally fall over :whistle:
Thanks.

 

[ni9e]

You could try using Dry Malt Extract instead of sugar or if you are near a wilko's store you could add a pack of beer kit enhancer both will give more body/flavour than just using sugar :thumb:

 

[tubby_shaw]

As the wherry kit is a premium kit there is no need to add any extra fermentables (sugar, malt extract or beer kit enhancer).
What I would suggest is that you replace the yeast that comes with the kit for a pack of SO4 or Nottingham Ale yeast :thumb:

 

[jonewer]

The Wherry kit is actually quite good. Just drunk the last of mine and certainly wouldnt be upset if I bought a pint of it in a pub....

However the yeast is a bit dodgy. Many people have trouble with stuck fermentations so I would use an alternate yeast and/or add some yeast nutrient.

You may also want to set up a starter culture rather than just sprinkling the yeast on the top.

With regards to the taste, I found that the kit lacked hops. You might want to use some of the diluted wort and boil up some extra hops, maybe 12.5g of fuggles or goldings for 30mins and again at 15 mins.

I would recommend though that you leave off faffing much with your first kit.

Leave in the keg for at least 4 weeks. Ready to drink when it clears.

 

[BeerBelly]

Firstly...thanks for top tips :thumb:
Secondly: kit landed today, just finished the big clean and rinse, fermenting bucket now full of my first tipple waiting for bubbles to stop etc :pray: then going to do the transfer to keg/barrel.
When i do the transfer to barrel do i add normal sugar or brewers sugar :wha:
Heres to a horrid few weeks watching my new baby grow.
Thanks in advance :drink:

 

[Aleman]

Brewing sugar is supposed to be glucose . . . Normal sugar is sucrose (two glucose molecules) . . . It makes no difference

 

[jonewer]

Brewing sugar is supposed to be glucose . . . Normal sugar is sucrose (two glucose molecules) . . . It makes no difference

[molecular biology nerd]
Sucrose is one fructose and one glucose.
Maltose is two glucose.
[/molecular biology nerd]

But yes, still makes no difference in practise...

 

[Aleman]

Brewing sugar is supposed to be glucose . . . Normal sugar is sucrose (two glucose molecules) . . . It makes no difference

[molecular biology nerd]
Sucrose is one fructose and one glucose.
Maltose is two glucose.
[/molecular biology nerd]

But yes, still makes no difference in practise...

Doh! of course it is! I'm sorry, I had been drinking . . . It's all Wez' fault! :twisted:

 

[Wez]

Me!! :wha:

:whistle:

 

[BeerBelly]

Does brown sugar have any, if any advantages? :hmm:
Also: i just realised i forgot to add the campden tablet at the start will this make my first brew :sick:

 

[jonewer]

Does brown sugar have any, if any advantages? :hmm:
Also: i just realised i forgot to add the campden tablet at the start will this make my first brew :sick:

Did you sanitise your equipment first?

All campden tablets do is drive of the chlorine in the tap water.... not essential.

 

[BeerBelly]

Yeah i did the clean and tidy part first, just forgot the tablet to kill the chlorine taste :cry:
Thank **** for that :rofl:

 

[BeerBelly]

Yes it's sideways, but i had been drinking last night, and yes it's just gas but it is my first brew, its like having a baby :party: Three days in :

View My Video

 

[jonewer]

Yeah i did the clean and tidy part first, just forgot the tablet to kill the chlorine taste

I didnt use one and my wherry came out fine.

Ahh... the joys of watching an airlock! Hours of innocent fun!

But ditch that 'Handy' thing and get a proper bubbler. They are much more fun to watch

 

[TheCheekyMonkey]

I have just started the wherry kit this week myself, just used tap water, didnt bother with the campden tablet (mine never came with any anyways).

bubbling like a good un, i have binned the airlock which came with it, and fitted the more standard ones which i got from e-bay.

cant wait now.

have got a wine on the go and an alcotect moonshine going also, as soon as ive finished with the wherry in the FV i`m gonna bang a magnums pear cider in lol, have to be quick, the dog is preggers and she`s going under stairs soon, so only got a couple of weeks to get me brewing done!!

 

[BeerBelly]

Almost there now :whistle: When i transfer to my barrel do i add the sugar in the barrel first or do i draw some of the brew off make the mix with sugar and then put back into main brew or what? so confused :wha:
Also when i do the transfer to barrel, if i want to bottle some seperately,do i bottle at this stage or could i bottle when ready to drink to give to mates as a sampler?

 

[tubby_shaw]

Almost there now :whistle: When i transfer to my barrel do i add the sugar in the barrel first or do i draw some of the brew off make the mix with sugar and then put back into main brew or what? so confused :wha:
Draw about 500ml out of your main batch and dissolve the sugar into that, then very gently stir it back into the main batch
Also when i do the transfer to barrel, if i want to bottle some seperately,do i bottle at this stage or could i bottle when ready to drink to give to mates as a sampler?
Yae bottle at this stage this will give you adequate carbonation in the bottle rather than trying to bottle from the keg

 

[BeerBelly]

Thanks, feel so numpty Just off to make a 'prison' cider will take photos and post if thats ok?

 

[BeerBelly]

Ok, i have had a couple of days now of nothing, no movement with the hydrometer also :thumb:
So i have made a sugar solution up per instructions mixed it and added to main batch, i have transfered to keg and everything is ok, one question please:
Do i use the kegs screw top now or do i install the screw top with the gas valve on it?
Thanks.

 

[jonewer]

When I kegged my wherry I just used the standard lid.

I didnt need the CO2 at all, as it turned out.....