Wilko Dark Velvet Stout pimping up suggestions
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Llamaman, it's not overly bitter but is pretty roasty. It's a bit like a cakey imperial but without the alcohol hit. one or two is enough tho.
I generally do 10 - 12 litre batches too. Think I'd add a few hundred grams of brew sugar next time, to up the abv wallop
I generally do 10 - 12 litre batches too. Think I'd add a few hundred grams of brew sugar next time, to up the abv wallop
Hi
Sorry to hijack the thread, but I'd rather post on one that has the same subject matter that's already been discussed, rather that to start up a new thread.
I love stout and I've seen some good reviews on the Wilko DVS.
I've seen a few people on the Wilko site saying they would double up the initial malt and use the standard (23 litre) volume to increase the abv. I want to increase the abv but by doing the opposite; use a single can and reduce the volume to about 15 litres (problems currently being space / equipment / bottles) I plan to add some other sugar (DME or rich / dark-ish sugar) and dump the kit yeast and use a specific stout yeast instead.
A few questions if I may:
@Gulpitdarn and @RichK
You guys have already done what I'm planning to do. Did you use a standard yeast packet / amount?
Should I be using a yeast calc or is an 11-ish gram packet likely to be sufficient? I guess it depends how much sugar I add.
@BeerLanark
How did your use of the standard yeast packet with the extra sugar and reduced volume end up?
@Kenboy
I'd like to add some vanilla extract same as you have done.
I see you used 20ml. Can you recall how short your volume was please?
How was it after the bottle conditioning? I'm also looking to add at the bottling stage, so interested to hear your results.
Sorry for all the bone questions - new to all this and trying to get a handle on things.
Thanks for your patience.
Cheers, Phil
Sorry to hijack the thread, but I'd rather post on one that has the same subject matter that's already been discussed, rather that to start up a new thread.
I love stout and I've seen some good reviews on the Wilko DVS.
I've seen a few people on the Wilko site saying they would double up the initial malt and use the standard (23 litre) volume to increase the abv. I want to increase the abv but by doing the opposite; use a single can and reduce the volume to about 15 litres (problems currently being space / equipment / bottles) I plan to add some other sugar (DME or rich / dark-ish sugar) and dump the kit yeast and use a specific stout yeast instead.
A few questions if I may:
@Gulpitdarn and @RichK
You guys have already done what I'm planning to do. Did you use a standard yeast packet / amount?
Should I be using a yeast calc or is an 11-ish gram packet likely to be sufficient? I guess it depends how much sugar I add.
@BeerLanark
How did your use of the standard yeast packet with the extra sugar and reduced volume end up?
@Kenboy
I'd like to add some vanilla extract same as you have done.
I see you used 20ml. Can you recall how short your volume was please?
How was it after the bottle conditioning? I'm also looking to add at the bottling stage, so interested to hear your results.
Sorry for all the bone questions - new to all this and trying to get a handle on things.
Thanks for your patience.
Cheers, Phil
BeerLanark
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Hi Phil @UKSkydiver
I used 1kg Muscovado and 500g Demerara and the standard yeast packet that came with the kit done a pretty good job. With an SG of 1.066 and an FG of 1,010 giving and ABV of 7.35 so yeah it done its job well. I brewed mine short too only used 17 litres of water. I did add 2 scraped out vanilla pods into it but couldn't taste any vanilla in the finished beer, but not tried without the vanilla so nothing to compare it against. I also gave it a little dry hop for 3 days with some hops I had spare and that helped with aroma. Overall it was a pretty nice stout, if a wee bit strong lol.
I used 1kg Muscovado and 500g Demerara and the standard yeast packet that came with the kit done a pretty good job. With an SG of 1.066 and an FG of 1,010 giving and ABV of 7.35 so yeah it done its job well. I brewed mine short too only used 17 litres of water. I did add 2 scraped out vanilla pods into it but couldn't taste any vanilla in the finished beer, but not tried without the vanilla so nothing to compare it against. I also gave it a little dry hop for 3 days with some hops I had spare and that helped with aroma. Overall it was a pretty nice stout, if a wee bit strong lol.
Kenboy
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Hi Phil,. My volume came out at 4.2% which is exactly where I wanted it. I'm drinking the beer now and it's delicious.
The 20ml of vanilla extract wasnt enough but the 200g of lactose and 100ml of pure chocolate extract has worked really well. If I made again I would probably triple the vanilla or add some sticks. Maybe increase the chocolate to 150ml. But the taste as is now is really great.
I like what the lactose does to the flavour and body.
Look what I found in the cupboards!
SWMBO said to crack on and give it a whirl.
Anyone any idea how much and when to add it?
SWMBO said to crack on and give it a whirl.
Anyone any idea how much and when to add it?
![BREWING THERMOMETER STICKERS ACCURATELY MONITOR FERMENTING BEER & WINE LIQUID TEMPERATURES 5PCS HOME BREW SPIRITS WINE LCD ADHESIVE [US]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/311DDjo2X3L._SL500_.jpg)
No, with a simple one can (particularly Wilko) kit, I tend to substitute something else. Quite possibly a Wilko Gervin yeast or maybe CML Real Ale yeast.
11 ish grams has been plenty for just about anything I've done though.
I have done one of these today, I added 1k of dark sugar and 500g medium dme made up to 23L came in at 1050 used a gervin yeast at 20c it will have 3 weeks in fv then 3 days in the shed at about 8c then pb with 90g sugar for 6 weeks or longer, also did a wilko mexicam lager 500g of demerara 500g of light dme to 21L 3 weeks in fv dry hop after 2 then 3 days in shed and bottled came in at 1045, I normally do ag but my mum in law god bless her keeps buying me kits when she goes in wilkos she,s 85 I have not got the heart to say I don,t want them 
I have done one of these today, I added 1k of dark sugar and 500g medium dme made up to 23L came in at 1050 used a gervin yeast at 20c it will have 3 weeks in fv then 3 days in the shed at about 8c then pb with 90g sugar for 6 weeks or longer, also did a wilko mexicam lager 500g of demerara 500g of light dme to 21L 3 weeks in fv dry hop after 2 then 3 days in shed and bottled came in at 1045, I normally do ag but my mum in law god bless her keeps buying me kits when she goes in wilkos she,s 85 I have not got the heart to say I don,t want them
Rod is attempting to nuke his brewing room again by using the gervin yeast hedron collider ;p
An update on my pimping activities with a bit more detail as to steps I took to get what I ended up with:
I made it up short to 17.5 litres: kit extract in the fermenter (22 litre bucket) along with a couple of kettles-full of hot water and added 1kg Wilko Geordie Beer Kit Enhancer. OG was 1.058
Yeast calcs suggested in the region of 19-25g yeast
I had been let down by ParcelFarce so I had to go with what I had on hand which was: Wilko English Ale yeast (11g) plus two other kit yeasts in the fridge that came with a Belgian Tripel and the Wilko Stout yeast itself : (~6g each)
I added them all together and rehydrated them in 150ml water at 24 deg C for 15 mins (23g total yeast). The yeast was in a clean and sanitised wine glass, covered by a sanitised piece of cling film.
Pitched into the wort at about 22 deg C and used an electric hand blender to aerate
I fitted the lid, along with a sanitised airlock containing sanitiser and put in room @ 19 degrees. Temp on the FV is running 22 deg, so after 12 hours moved into the garage @ 16 deg. Temp on FV now 20 deg. Fermented for just over 2 weeks at about 20 degs. I ended up with a FG 1.010 (6.3%?)
I wanted a straight stout, a choc stout, a vanilla stout and a choc and vanilla stout, so I split the batches into secondary fermenters: 4 lit plain, 6 lit choc, 6 lit vanilla and then later took 2 lit each from the choc and vanilla to make the mixed C&V batch.
I got my additions info from a couple of different sources which I have since lost but this was my method:
Chocolate:
The original guide called for 6 us fl oz vodka and 3 oz cacao nibs for 10 US gal which I worked out as 177ml and 86 grams respectively for 37 litres. After doing all the maths, I ended up with 28ml vodka and 14.5 g nibs for 6 litres. And then after 24 hours I didn't feel it was chocolate-y enough, so I added another 50% making 45ml vodka and 23g nibs. I swished this around for a couple of days and then put in the freezer to take the 'butter' off. In the end, there was no butter to take off. I added this to the sec. ferm. for 5 days.
Vanilla:
Original recipe called for 2 - 3 bean pods per 5 US gal = 18.9 litres, which works out to 0.6 - 0.9 beans per 6 litres which equates to just under 1 tblsp of paste per 6 litres. I steeped this in vodka for a couple of days and then added to the sec. ferm. for 4 days.
The result.
From a additional flavour point of view - there is little, if any difference between the plain, choc, vanilla or C&V, so not sure where I went wrong. All in all, pretty disappointing to be honest.
In terms of the brew itself.... It's ok in small doses - but it feels thin (having read up i think this is the brewing it short and the high ABV)
There is quite a 'taste' and not one that I personally like. It's a bit astringent. Not sure if that's the blend of random yeast that I used, especially since I used a Belgian yeast or the amount, or something else.
I hope that helps others one way or another and I open myself up for your combined wisdom.
Cheers
I made it up short to 17.5 litres: kit extract in the fermenter (22 litre bucket) along with a couple of kettles-full of hot water and added 1kg Wilko Geordie Beer Kit Enhancer. OG was 1.058
Yeast calcs suggested in the region of 19-25g yeast
I had been let down by ParcelFarce so I had to go with what I had on hand which was: Wilko English Ale yeast (11g) plus two other kit yeasts in the fridge that came with a Belgian Tripel and the Wilko Stout yeast itself : (~6g each)
I added them all together and rehydrated them in 150ml water at 24 deg C for 15 mins (23g total yeast). The yeast was in a clean and sanitised wine glass, covered by a sanitised piece of cling film.
Pitched into the wort at about 22 deg C and used an electric hand blender to aerate
I fitted the lid, along with a sanitised airlock containing sanitiser and put in room @ 19 degrees. Temp on the FV is running 22 deg, so after 12 hours moved into the garage @ 16 deg. Temp on FV now 20 deg. Fermented for just over 2 weeks at about 20 degs. I ended up with a FG 1.010 (6.3%?)
I wanted a straight stout, a choc stout, a vanilla stout and a choc and vanilla stout, so I split the batches into secondary fermenters: 4 lit plain, 6 lit choc, 6 lit vanilla and then later took 2 lit each from the choc and vanilla to make the mixed C&V batch.
I got my additions info from a couple of different sources which I have since lost but this was my method:
Chocolate:
The original guide called for 6 us fl oz vodka and 3 oz cacao nibs for 10 US gal which I worked out as 177ml and 86 grams respectively for 37 litres. After doing all the maths, I ended up with 28ml vodka and 14.5 g nibs for 6 litres. And then after 24 hours I didn't feel it was chocolate-y enough, so I added another 50% making 45ml vodka and 23g nibs. I swished this around for a couple of days and then put in the freezer to take the 'butter' off. In the end, there was no butter to take off. I added this to the sec. ferm. for 5 days.
Vanilla:
Original recipe called for 2 - 3 bean pods per 5 US gal = 18.9 litres, which works out to 0.6 - 0.9 beans per 6 litres which equates to just under 1 tblsp of paste per 6 litres. I steeped this in vodka for a couple of days and then added to the sec. ferm. for 4 days.
The result.
From a additional flavour point of view - there is little, if any difference between the plain, choc, vanilla or C&V, so not sure where I went wrong. All in all, pretty disappointing to be honest.
In terms of the brew itself.... It's ok in small doses - but it feels thin (having read up i think this is the brewing it short and the high ABV)
There is quite a 'taste' and not one that I personally like. It's a bit astringent. Not sure if that's the blend of random yeast that I used, especially since I used a Belgian yeast or the amount, or something else.
I hope that helps others one way or another and I open myself up for your combined wisdom.
Cheers
Last edited:
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