What's better for my quick 5 week Stout?

[mancer62]

As usual I am well behind in my plans to have a Wilko's Dark Velvet Treacle Stout ready for the first day of the Cheltenham Festival on Tue 14th March.
I plan to make the brew this Sunday 5th Feb which gives me (5 weeks and 2 days).
I would like to know what is recommended more.
a. FV 3 weeks and bottle for 2 weeks?
b. FV 2 weeks and bottle for 3 weeks?
which would normally give better results?
Also any recommended hops to use for dry hoping in last few days in FV? If so amount and how long?
Cheers.

 

[Slid]

As usual I am well behind in my plans to have a Wilko's Dark Velvet Treacle Stout ready for the first day of the Cheltenham Festival on Tue 14th March.
I plan to make the brew this Sunday 5th Feb which gives me (5 weeks and 2 days).
I would like to know what is recommended more.
a. FV 3 weeks and bottle for 2 weeks?
b. FV 2 weeks and bottle for 3 weeks?
which would normally give better results?
Also any recommended hops to use for dry hoping in last few days in FV? If so amount and how long?
Cheers.

All beer will mature better in bulk than in bottles.
Secondary for a stout kit brew just means carbonation in a 5 week time window.
Dry hopping a stout kit is not really on the list of priorities, given the timescales.
Spend your money on extra malt - another kit is top of the list. 2x Wilko stout might work in 5 weeks. Don't recommend much else, TBH.

 

[Razor]

I would say probably 3 and 2. That'll give the yeast more time to finish and clear up. Happy to be corrected though if someone knows better.


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[Dutto]

Definitely a "personal preference" situation.

Personally, I would go for 2-1-2 (2 in the FV + 1 carbonating + 2 conditioning) on the basis that low carbonation (say 4g a litre) can happen fairly quickly and the beer then has time to settle and clear as much as possible before consumption.

PS

It's nice to know that this year I share my birthday with the start of the Cheltenham Festival. :thumb:

Up to now I only know that I share it with Albert Einstein and Michael Caine. Unfortunately, I have the looks of Albert but none of the brains or money of either!

 

[MyQul]

If it was me. I'd go to wilko and buy some gervin ale yeast/nottingham yeast. That stuff ferments fast, It's just fermented my blonde ale (gravity 1.041) out in 4 days.
Ferment, then test the gravity after day 5,6 and 7 if they're the same gravity on all three days bottle then condition for 4 weeks.Thats just me though as I'd want it to be conditioning for as long as possible)

 

[terrym]

I wouldn't have thought there is a right or a wrong way.
However if I were pushed I'd probably do what Dutto suggested, i.e 2+1+2.
One factor that will determine how it turns out is the yeast.
I've no idea how the kit yeast will perform but I'll bet its a Muntons yeast and it will come in a 6g packet . So you could get a Wilko Ale yeast which comes in an 11g packet and that should get going and finish quicker, and will also clear better since its a highish flocculating yeast although that's secondary since its a stout.
And whatever you do I would give it a couple of days in a cold place at the end of the primary to help reduce the yeast load going forward into your bottles, although again this not quite so important since its a stout.
Finally you will be encouraged to hear that the first Coopers stout I made was certainly drinkable after just over 3 weeks since it went into my PB, and I was able to easily check how it was progressing, although it did change over the following weeks as expected.

 

[chub1]

I did a Velvet stout when i first started brewingIt was way better with some lengthly storing as have both my extract and AG stouts.Personally i wouldn't bother dry hopping it at all.