Woodfordes Wherry Review

[marlon]

I'm SW london so I don't know how it compares

Not much difference I should imagine, but I've never tried testing ph or anything complex like that. I just know the kettle and the shower head would clog up all the time if we didn't have a water softener on the supply. (Every tap EXCEPT the 3rd tap used for brewing.......and drinking water of course).

 

[Tanzanite]

Woodfords wherry kits £17.95 at brewbitz home brew shop

 

[Personal91]

Not much difference I should imagine, but I've never tried testing ph or anything complex like that. I just know the kettle and the shower head would clog up all the time if we didn't have a water softener on the supply. (Every tap EXCEPT the 3rd tap used for brewing.......and drinking water of course).

Our kettles do smeg up but we don't have to have a separate tap for drinking water from, our water is 'safe' , even if we do have fluoride in it!

 

[xozzx]

Ive got a woodfordes wherry waiting for me back home, it should be nicely conditioned by the time I get back too :-) It took about 3 weeks to ferment (temp was fairly stable at 18C) and there were still a few bubbles each minute when I bottled it, FG had been stable for 4 days at 1014 tho (I think, notes are on my other laptop). I was called offshore early December so bottled the day before leaving, that was over 3 weeks ago and probably another 2-3 before I get home.

Im hoping its a good one as I intend to fully enjoy it after no drink for a month and half over xmas and new year.

While offshore Ive also made a nice shopping list for when I get home to move up to AG - Im even treating myself to a shiny grainmaster and brewmaster SS bucket... cant wait. Also been reading up on converting an old fridge for better temp control, hope to work on that soon too.

 

[GhostShip]

Would appreciate a bit of advice chaps.

My Wherry has been in the cold for over 3 weeks now (in a barrel). Should I leave it in the cold, or bring it to room temperature which is how ale is normally drunk. Or is it just a matter of personal taste?

 

[Dutto]

Would appreciate a bit of advice chaps.

My Wherry has been in the cold for over 3 weeks now (in a barrel). Should I leave it in the cold, or bring it to room temperature which is how ale is normally drunk. Or is it just a matter of personal taste?

If it's clear and has a head on it then the temperature is very much a personal taste thing.

Personally, I hate beer that is cold (it dulls the taste and the aroma as far I am concerned) so I bring it in from the garage well before I intend to drink it and let it warm up in the kitchen before pouring.

I particularly like a Wherry of an evening and I reckon that it responds very well to being at room temperature ...

... which is why I normally bottle it.

Enjoy! :thumb:

 

[GhostShip]

If it's clear and has a head on it then the temperature is very much a personal taste thing.

Personally, I hate beer that is cold (it dulls the taste and the aroma as far I am concerned) so I bring it in from the garage well before I intend to drink it and let it warm up in the kitchen before pouring.

I particularly like a Wherry of an evening and I reckon that it responds very well to being at room temperature ...

... which is why I normally bottle it.

Enjoy! :thumb:

I'm not a fan of cold beer either, so I'll heed your advice and bring it in this weekend. It is perfectly clear but I agree that it's easier to evaluate the taste and aroma when it's at room temperature. It will be interesting to see how much difference it makes. Thanks for your reply.

 

[Eddie]

Happy New Year all.

Mine has been sat in the garage since 12/12/2016 so moved it into the house today after reading recent posts. I have never really tried my ales at room temperature as they have always been kept in the fridge. There is a difference in taste and I am well impressed with how it has turned out being my first brew. It does seem to have evaporated a bit since being in the garage as there is only about 6 inches left in the PB. Could be something to do with the 6 pints I gave to a mate (who was impressed) and the odd taste every day or so
Think I will put some into bottles and try and keep for a few months to see how they age.

Got my next kit, Youngs American IPA so looking forward to getting that on the go. If anybody has any tips on that I would be grateful. Hopefully this time I will keep a bit more back and not be so impatient.

 

[GhostShip]

Moved my barrel in from the cold last night and am sat with a pint now. Much, much better. Crystal clear with a nice fruity flavour and touch of bitterness at the end. I also think the 'twang' has gone. If I was served this in a pub, I'd probably sit there remarking on what a nice pint it was. Really enjoying this tonight and still half a barrel left!

 

[terrym]

For beer serving temperatures try this...
http://cask-marque.co.uk/info-for-pubs/beer-temperature/

 

[sdt7618]

My Wherry is now ready for bottling, but was wondering if I should leave as is or use a hop tea.

Anyway have decided to go with bottling 10l and dry hopping/hop tea the rest. out of my hops available( cascade, Amarillo, mosaic, challenger and saaz) whats the opinion on the best one?

 

[terrym]

My Wherry is now ready for bottling, but was wondering if I should leave as is or use a hop tea.

Anyway have decided to go with bottling 10l and dry hopping/hop tea the rest. out of my hops available( cascade, Amarillo, mosaic, challenger and saaz) whats the opinion on the best one?

Why not dry hop/hop tea one half of your brew with Challenger which is in keeping with the style and do the other half with one or a mix of the American hops. I suggest 25g goes in each. I've not used Saaz but would have thought that it's not best suited to a Wherry, although others may disagree.

 

[sdt7618]

Why not dry hop/hop tea one half of your brew with Challenger which is in keeping with the style and do the other half with one or a mix of the American hops. I suggest 25g goes in each. I've not used Saaz but would have thought that it's not best suited to a Wherry, although others may disagree.

Had thought about that, but haven't brewed the kit Au natural, so was going to go that way. to be honest Challenger was my first thought.

 

[mapron]

Started a kit last November hoping for a Christmas drink. It took ages to ferment. Incredibly slow. Nearly a fortnight before I bottled then just as slow to condition. By New Year it was still flat and sweet. I kept testing it and so my stock is going down but now at the end of March it is conditioned and beginning to taste like ale.

 

[terrym]

Started a kit last November hoping for a Christmas drink. It took ages to ferment. Incredibly slow. Nearly a fortnight before I bottled then just as slow to condition. By New Year it was still flat and sweet. I kept testing it and so my stock is going down but now at the end of March it is conditioned and beginning to taste like ale.

Lots of folk on here leave their beer in the FV for at least 2 weeks before bottling, me included, so if that's what you did it's nothing unusual.
If it is sweet it may be that the fermentation stuck, which is a common thing with Wherry kits done with the kit yeast. Did you take SG readings?
And if it was flat after a week or two carbing up in the warm it is likely that you didn't use enough priming sugar. If your beer is now carbonated you didn't give it chance to carb up in a warm place.
The two Wherry kits I did took ages to come good, and that is often the case with malty darker beers. So again your experience is not unusual.
All that said if your beer has finally come good I hope you are enjoying it in spite of the long wait.

 

[mapron]

I suppose I was fooled by the instructions that came with the kit -
'Sprinkle the yeast, cover, and leave to stand for 4-6 days in a warm place. Fermentation will be complete when bubbles cease to rise (when the SG remains constant). Usually below 1014'. Transfer the beer to bottles or pressure barrel with a little sugar to help condition the beer. Stand the bottles or barrel in a warm place for two days, then allow 14 days in a cool place or until the beer has cleared.'
On the basis of these instructions I was hoping that the beer would be ready after two months.
At the same time I brewed Coopers Stout which fermented strongly and was excellent by Christmas.

 

[terrym]

I suppose I was fooled by the instructions that came with the kit

Unfortunately most kit instructions are over optimistic about the time that beer requires before it comes good.
It is probably to get the uninitiated to believe that they can be drinking good beer in days rather than weeks or even months which is nearer the truth.

 

[BeerisGOD]

Happy New Year all.

Mine has been sat in the garage since 12/12/2016 so moved it into the house today after reading recent posts. I have never really tried my ales at room temperature as they have always been kept in the fridge. There is a difference in taste and I am well impressed with how it has turned out being my first brew. It does seem to have evaporated a bit since being in the garage as there is only about 6 inches left in the PB. Could be something to do with the 6 pints I gave to a mate (who was impressed) and the odd taste every day or so
Think I will put some into bottles and try and keep for a few months to see how they age.

Got my next kit, Youngs American IPA so looking forward to getting that on the go. If anybody has any tips on that I would be grateful. Hopefully this time I will keep a bit more back and not be so impatient.

Think you chose wisely there mate. The Young's kits come with much clearer instructions. If I remember correctly they give a minimum time of three weeks in primary or advise a fg before bottling. I gave my IPA 4 weeks. I had one a couple of months back (brewed in July) and although the hops had faded it still tasted better than most bottled ipa you buy in shops.

There's plenty of stuff on here on the IPA so don't hesitate to check.

 

[Tanzanite]

Just cracked a new batch of wherry made in jan, added a few East kent goldings, nice taste but seems a bit thin and lack of body for a wherry, has any one else noticed this. ?????

 

[BeerisGOD]

Just cracked a new batch of wherry made in jan, added a few East kent goldings, nice taste but seems a bit thin and lack of body for a wherry, has any one else noticed this. ?????

If you did a 23 litre batch you will find this, a few on here advise 21. It's a choice that leaves u in limbo a bit, more beer yes but weaker and as u say thinner. I'll admit I've only done one wherry but in all honesty the pint of it I had from a pub at the weekend made me realise it wasn't much better than the kit. For an AG it had a twang which surprised me. Maybe it was served a tad too cold though.
Maybe leave it another month. I am realising four months makes a big difference on body and flavour it's just hard with the summer approaching to leave them idle 😋