Wilko's Hoppy Copper Bitter

[munkian]

:clap:

I'll keg mine on the weekend :pray:

 

[Kyle_T]

Let us know how it turns out.

Couple help but notice your sig aswell A7X by any chance?

 

[munkian]

Let us know how it turns out.

Couple help but notice your sig aswell A7X by any chance?

Me ? Will do :thumb:

The sig is a quote by Dr Samuel Johnson which features in Fear and loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S thompson :geek:

 

[Kyle_T]

Ah I see, also the first line of a song I know

 

[munkian]

I think its based on Fear and Loathing :twisted:

 

[Kyle_T]

Hydrometer test just done, from 1.053 down to 1.024. 3.8% and no sign of slowing.

 

[Blank Reg]

Just done hydrometer test and has settled at 1006, which is as it should be. Will wait another day or two as there's still a bit of activity.

Observations: It's very thin, little colour, not much of a smell and not really that much taste either. Disappointing.

No foam on top in the FV at all. But it's been gassing away very strong for days.

I think this one's got a long way to go before being a decent beer. We'll see.

(My starting gravity read as 1032, but I have to assume it hadn't been completely dissolved at that stage, because that's stupid low.)

 

[munkian]

I sampled mine last night, good smell, very pale and no foam though it had a head when out of the FV tap. Didn't really taste of much either.

Hioepfully a month in the Pressure barrel will let it mature a little :pray:

 

[DamageCase]

I force carbed and tasted little before I put the sugar in for secondary. while kegging this. It looks and tastes more like a pale ale and is actually very pleasant at that, also remarkably clear already. I'm looking forward to sampling it again after a few weeks in the keg. I'm starting to think that Wilko's brews aren't exactly accurate to their names. The Sweet Newki Brown comes out more like a mild and so far it seems their Hoppy Copper Bitter is a delicate spring pale ale.

 

[LeedsBrewer]

If you're doing one can kits i'd definately recommend the Coopers ones. They are very good once you have added 500g DME and brewed short to 20L. They're only about 2 quid more expensive as well.

All 2 can kits are good as well. A big leap up from the basic wilkos kit. Definately worth the extra few quid IMHO :thumb:

 

[munkian]

I normally use two can kits or two cans of Wilkos/Coopers kits but go this for Christmas so just though I'd try it 'as is' with some medium beer enhamcer and short brewed to 20.

I think you are right though, much more like a pale ale

 

[Kyle_T]

Right, another update, the bubbling is fizzing down and should be ready to keg and bottle Monday. The smell is good, colour is very pale to what I was expecting, taste is rather bitter so good over all. I shall do a gravity reading tonight and she what she's at.

 

[memit]

The Sweet Newki Brown comes out more like a mild and so far it seems their Hoppy Copper Bitter is a delicate spring pale ale.

I reckon they are exactly the same as the munton's premium kits http://www.muntonshomebrew.com/category/premium-range/ but labelled differently. If the Newki Brown is more like a mild, that would match them up to the existing range... I wonder if it would be possible to find out what the 2-can kits are too - they're down to £16 at the moment.

 

[DamageCase]

The sample I tried didn't have a lot of taste but what there was, was very nice. I'm tempted to experiment by buying two of these to ferment without the sugar, using one yeast and adding hops to make a full bodied IPA. With 3 kilos of fermentable malt extract I reckon I could easily get 5% ABV. It would work out about the price of a premium 2 can kit as well. Does anyone have an incite on that idea? Would it work?

 

[Kyle_T]

Personally I wouldn't use 2 single kits, 1 kit yeast and hops without sugar, for something like that I would go extract brew. The recipe I've made uses 3kg for a mild/strong ale, I can imagine 1.7/2kg would do for an IPA.

 

[DamageCase]

I've done 3 kilo, pre hopped, all malt kits before, what is the difference between them and using two of these? These kits aren't that strong in flavour so surely two wouldn't make for too strong a malt profile? My idea is for a English version of an American Double IPA using a high alpha acid English hop like Pilgrim for dry hopping and or a hop tea in the primary. That hops gives a grapefruit/orange/lemon aroma so I guess I'm heading almost in a Punk IPA direction.

 

[Kyle_T]

I doubt theres any potential difference between them but the hops are already in the syrup, thats why I would go extract for more freedom.

On another note, Kegged and Bottled the Wilko Bitter, Not as pale as before, very strong bitter taste, good smell but is a little weak, OG 1.053 - FG 1.008 6%. Will give it 4 weeks to condition then maybe write a review.

 

[DamageCase]

Hoppy eh? I'll have to wait and see how Hoppy it is before even thinking about modifying it. Anyway I said I'd upload a video of the brewday. It's actually a Homebrew Wednesday video. I don't know if any of you watch or make these but I've recently started making them. Please excuse the ugly mug as well amateurishness of the video quality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCrWDnp7rIE

 

[LeedsBrewer]

DC - good vid from what i could see.

Couple of things to think about:

-You'll find it a lot easier to take SG readings by using a turkey baster to fill up the trial jar, there is less risk of hands touching the brew. You can buy a basic one from wilkos for 75p :thumb: Just remember if you do get one to sanitise it inside and out and remove the bulb to sanitise it properly.

-Also don't return the sample back to the bucket. It's best to count it as a loss to the brewing process than risk your whole batch for the sake of 50ml.

Let us know how the wine kit turns out as well :thumb:

 

[Kyle_T]

Good video, bit different to the way I've done it, we all have our own way to make it work. Goob job :thumb: