Youngs American IPA

[Lonick]

Just started brewing again. I've got the American Pale Ale version. Also rather than using the pack of yeast that comes with it, i'm using White Labs California Ale Yeast WLP001.

Fingers crossed and i'll let you know how it goes.

 

[tobiasbeecher]

This has finished, 18 days in primary. FG of 1.005, making that... 6.69%. Not bad... Havent tasted it yet though.

 

[crafty-man]

Four days in and still bubbling away. Temp hovering around 22. As this is my first brew I don't think i will lift the lid until it stops bubbling. Actually, my FV has a tap on it, should I take my gravity sample from here?

 

[tobiasbeecher]

I found that at 21-22 degrees, it took around 16 to 17 days to finish bubbling and settle at FG of 1.005. I would suggest start taking daily readings at 14 or 15 days and then you can be sure. Use the tap, no need to crack the lid open!

 

[crafty-man]

At 14 days the burst of bubbles has gone from every 30 seconds at its peak down to one every 5 mins. So I took a gravity sample this morning of 1.005. I can't see it getting any lower. the sample was very cloudy but tasted ok depite its yeastyness.
Does this level of C02 indicate the end of the fermatation phase?
Or is it more to do with the SG?
Whilst the instructions say that CO2 production drives off the hop aromas it does also say that hops can be added below 1.010
I guess i'm ready to move it to the pressurised cask for conditioning.
Apart from chucking in the hops, am I to assume the cloudiness will settle once in the cask?
I assume the cloudiness is due to the level of fermentation? does the activity completely stop or is it working at a much lower level once in the cask - enough for the yeast to drop out of suspension?

 

[tobiasbeecher]

Mine was incredibly cloudy, more so because of the hops than the yeast. Either way after 3 weeks conditioning it had carbonated nicely and had cleared substantially, improving in taste too.

Give it a Coue more days, check gravity again and if it hasn't changed, keg it. Then leave it there a minimum of 2 weeks. I had better results waiting 3 weeks. It will then be pretty clear! Its not the clearest kit I've done but it does certainly settle well. I didn't add anything to try and clear it. All natural.

 

[roosterjones]

I bottled mine yesterday after 3 weeks fermenting & 2 days cold crash. Still super cloudy.
It finished at 1004. So a decent 6.8%.
Batch primed & put half into my new tap-a-draft system I picked up from wilko. Other half bottled.
Can't wait to try it, tasted awesome up till now.

 

[tobiasbeecher]

Well it has now bottle conditioned fully for 3 weeks, having spent 3 weeks in primary. I will be testing it tonight. 6.6%. I have high hopes considering how nice it was at bottling :)

 

[crafty-man]

After 2 weeks of fermenting I transferred via the fv tap to the Youngs Ubrew 'pressurised' :lol: cask, all bar four pints of sludge. After conditioning in the dining room for two weeks it now tastes delicious and is only slightly cloudy. This morning I have moved it to the garage where I hope it will continue to improve.
As regards Youngs Ubrew kit - what a load of utter rubbish! the FV has very leaky lid, to which, I had to apply loads of sellotape in order to get the CO to go thru the bubbler.
The 'pressurised' :rofl:cask tap leaks from the tap that came with it. This is the so-called improved design (the one with the two black o-rings) there is a big gap between the cylinder part that connects to the cask and the moving tap part.
When the holes line up - obviously fluid comes out and when the holes aren't lined up the 'fit' has to be tight enough that allows the tap to turn but does not allow fluid to creep round to the opening in the tap. The 'new' design has two o-rings above and below the opening in the tap part but the fit is very loose and surprise surprise it leaks - a lot!
So I went back to ye olde brew shoppe and they kindly gave me a replacement in the 'old' design which is much better but only stops leaking when the tap is in its sweet-spot.
The other problem is with the cap, the main seal for the cap is fine as long as one uses vaseline. The seal between the injector valve and the cap leaks if you over-tighten as the rubber washer distorts. So I stop tightening when the washer starts to distort - BUT it's not enough to keep the gas from leaking out. Also, when CO is injected, it comes out at minus 200 degrees causing the washer to shrink and go rock hard - result; loss of pressure - DOH!
There's more, oh yes. The pressure relief 'valve' is a clear silicon band covering a small hole in the side of the injector, this also seems to suffer the same problem. The cask is rated at 1 bar (15psi) yes I fitted a pressure guage - which doesn't leak! The problem is, it only holds pressure at 1/2 bar (7psi) - NOOOO!!. No wonder my brew is flat :cry:

 

[tobiasbeecher]

Well I just brewed a second batch of this, but this time it is the american pale ale rather than the american IPA. Here is the kit:



I pitched at 22 degrees, long with 25 litres. OG is 1.050 on the dot, so this should come out at around 5.25%. I will dry hop it with the included hops as well as citra and simcoe.

 

[Eli_D]

I did the pale ale as a trial kit for our brew club.
It's bottled and carbonating just now, fingers crossed.

The kits seemed to be decent quality, hooing it tastes good.

 

[tobiasbeecher]

I did the pale ale as a trial kit for our brew club.
It's bottled and carbonating just now, fingers crossed.

The kits seemed to be decent quality, hooing it tastes good.

Its my favourite batch so far. Its nice enough to have 2 or 3 in a row!

 

[Eli_D]

Its my favourite batch so far. Its nice enough to have 2 or 3 in a row!

I hope you are right, looking forward to it but also a bit worried as it's for a kit trial for the beer club on Sunday.

 

[elliott]

Hi Guys, just trying out this kit, and after 6 weeks from start it tastes pretty good - still lots of grapefruit in your face taste, loads of hop aroma from the generous 100g bag of hops. Its gonna be nice as soon as it mellows out- just make sure you leave it for 4 weeks to condition and for the yeast cells to solidify- otherwise it will ruin the taste if it gets in the beer at all.
I've already brewed the EVIL DOG DOUBLE IPA and that was excellent- my mates are raving about it- 8.5% Just like all these kits- just leave longer at every stage the instructions tell you and you will get a great beer. I'm going to start a Better brew IPA kit now - but use centenial & citra hops with MUNTONS beer enhancer 1Kg and 500g of light malt extract instead of brewing sugar-so my first step away from a kit, so i'll let you know how this pans out but as far as the Youngs IPA kit- go's , its a thumbs up for me [ just gotta leave it alone-damit :nono:]

 

[juno]

Hello
I've made 3 of these. The first I was so impressed with invested in 3 more to build a stock for Christmas.
These kits have a starting sg 1080. My first lot fg1010. Unfortunately I forgot to take sg but it's not super strength.
Has anyone else experience of 1080 by my calculations these last two should be 9+% abv.

 

[elliott]

Hello
I've made 3 of these. The first I was so impressed with invested in 3 more to build a stock for Christmas.
These kits have a starting sg 1080. My first lot fg1010. Unfortunately I forgot to take sg but it's not super strength.
Has anyone else experience of 1080 by my calculations these last two should be 9+% abv.

supposed to be 6.5% , mine worked out at 7.5% and is strong enough in taste wise for me tbh. It seems to be maturing with a stronger taste weekly- 20 bottles left. Got a Better Brew IPA on the go at the moment to try out, then Evil Dog IPA again.

 

[Wolfracer]

A.A.A
A.P.A
I.P.A

All making their way to me from House of Home Brew. £20.70 each free delivery :thumb:


I've got high hopes for these kits. Can't wait to get them under way.
Regarding time in the FV, is this because of the higher %ages? I usually leave a brew for 2 weeks regardless... maybe I should start using my hydrometer... but I'm getting quite good at the visual bubble thing. the utility room is a constant 20 degrees summer or winter as it has the boiler in it, and is in the middle of the house. :thumb:

 

[juno]

Hello
These have hugely inconsistent sg.ranging from 1056 to 1080
I've spoke to Youngs and they say it's impossible....
But they do taste great.
Please post your starting gravity for comparison.
Thanks

 

[Wolfracer]

Hello
These have hugely inconsistent sg.ranging from 1056 to 1080
I've spoke to Youngs and they say it's impossible....
But they do taste great.
Please post your starting gravity for comparison.
Thanks

Will do, both FV will be empty by next weekend, so gonna do IPA and APA

will post up both.

 

[Wolfracer]

Bottled the Nog, so room for 2 more now

IPA and APA

BOTH were 1054 SG. 23 Litres, nothing altered, made to the instructions.

Lets see what happens in a fortnight...:hmm: