Woodfordes Wherry query

[carl_saint]

Hi all, I started my first wherry 3 days ago. Took my time, sterilised everything thoroughly, followed instructions exactly etc. My brew has been kept around 19/20degrees and foamed up in the first 12-24 hours. It's now completely flat and I've tested the SG at 1.013. I stupidly didn't take a OG so don't know if fermentation is complete. My airlock didn't bubble at all either.

My question is, is my brew ready for kegging? It's still a bit cloudy but smells immense.

Could fermentation be complete in 3 days?

Cheers guys

 

[snail59]

Wherry is famous for sticking during fermentation. Give it another couple of days then check gravity again. It should (if I remember correctly) go down to 1008 ish. If its still the same the only advise I could give would be to sanitize a long handled spoon and very very gently give it a stir to rouse the yeast. I would always leave my beer's 10/14 days before bottling or kegging. So give it a little while then check it again. The best leason you will learn is the art of patience

 

[carl_saint]

Thanks for the advise

 

[DaveMack]

Hiya , i'm doing a Wherry ... it started off at 1055 , after a week its down to 1018 because it got stuck the other day at 1020 , if you have a look on the box it says it should go down to 1014 or below .
Hope this helps you

 

[guyb]

if the airlock didn't bubble you didn't have a seal on the fermenter somewhere.

best advice,, leave it a whole 14days, the end product will be better - if you can and have the means, then syphon it into a 2nd fv and leave for another 7 days in a cool place, then bottle or keg. It will taste better.

mine went to 1.012 - I used Safale-04 yeast

was a good pint

:grin:

 

[carl_saint]

Yeah I know it says it should be below 1.014 that's why I was confused. Given it a gentle stir and taken the airlock off changed and put back in tightly and it's bubbling away nicely now. Will leave it for another 3/4 days and test again. Cheers for the advise guys

 

[snail59]

Good luck hope it comes good. I dont bother with air locks on 5gal FV's. You wont get an air tight seal on the plastic buckets anyway. I just snap the lid on and you can feel the pressure on the lid any way.

 

[shearclass]

1.013 is reasonable for a two can premium kit, the lowest i've ever had them go is 1.010 but most finish about 1.012 - 1.014. Most of the one can lager kits i've done have gone right down to 1.002 - 1.006. 3

I can only assume that the strengths they quote on the boxes assume a FG of 1.008 or lower, which is totally unrealistic in my 10 months home brewing experience.

No harm in letting it clear in the bucket for a while before transferring to keg though.

 

[aneray]

No harm in letting it clear in the bucket for a while before transferring to keg though.

Totally agree with the above.

I leave all brews at least another week. This gives the yeasties time to clear themselves up and settle, reducing the amount of sediment in the bottle.

Even though I have read excellent feedback on the Wherry kit, I have never made it myself, and I will go as far as saying that I have never made a two can kit. Does the twenty or so quid price tag justify itself or is the kit just another average brew.

 

[guyb]

Even though I have read excellent feedback on the Wherry kit, I have never made it myself, and I will go as far as saying that I have never made a two can kit. Does the twenty or so quid price tag justify itself or is the kit just another average brew.

In my opinion it is, absolutely.

I did Wherry, St Peter's Ruby Red Ale and Milestone's Lion's Pride (All two can kits) - all have a better taste than the Coopers Cerveza (which is a 1 can kit) in my experience.

Perhaps an exception is the Edme stout (1can kit) to which I added 454g treacle, 500g light brown sugar, 4.5L of Elderberry juice - it's conditioning at the moment.

Moved on to AG now though.