Novice help required please – Woodfordes kit

Firstly sorry I waffle, but I try to give as much detail as I can, so you can help me, if you are bored easily please do not read on;

Background: I have brewed wine and larger in the past but not ale (and I haven’t brewed anything for a few years now, but I love doing it – sometimes rubbish results but mostly good, ish)

I went on, what I can only describe as, a very highly recommended tour of the Woodfordes brewery on Sunday and decided to purchase a Woodfordes – “Nelsons Revenge homebrew kit”. I have to admit I was very very exited to start brewing again, after all the years.

Monday I purchased 22L of bottled spring water and that evening I sterilised one of my fermentation buckets and started the brew. Boiled 3.5l of the water put the cans into very hot water toped up with the rest and the yeast etc, as per instructions. After starting the brew I went to sterilise my hydrometer but it was broken, so I went to bed.

The next morning; no bubbles, after work I raced home and still no bubbles, annoyed I pulled the sealing tape from around the side of the bucket (I always seal the lid with industrial tape) and noted plenty of froff on the top, I then remembered one of my buckets has done this in the past (I must have a non air tight bucket, also long time since my last brew, so I had forgotten), so I sealed off the lid again and went to bed (drinking, eating and sleeping are my 2nd, 3rd and 4th favourite things to do)

The next day no bubbles again, I pulled the bubble wrap up from the bottom (yes I use bubble wrap, round the bucket to minimise risk of temperature fluctuations, the room is thermostatically controlled – currently this week 19⁰C, but it can fluctuate by 1 to 2⁰C) and there is about 6mm of white sediment at the bottom, the middle looks a bit cloudy and the head has almost gone, just a bit of froff left.

Without a hydrometer it’s hard to tell if the brew has finished, so what do I do?

Equipment I have available:
Another fermenting bucket
A VINbright filter + filters (from wine making days)
Enough 660ml bottles – clear – green – brown
I have some old finings (Silica Hydrolised) and enzyme’s (Malto-Dextrin, Pectic Enzyme) but I think they are for wine making not ale.
I do not have a hydrometer, pressure bottle, or Co2 other than a fire extinguisher and have no intention of buying them unless absolutely needed (this will increase the one off cost of making a one of batch)

After doing a lot of online reading about primary and secondary fermentation I am unsure what to do.

Q:

Do I wait another day or two and rack off into the other fermenting bucket, with the intention of going to bottle shortly after (a few days later)?

Do I wait another week or two and go to bottle?

Do I use the finings or enzyme’s?

Do I use the wine filter?

I a’int fick or nu’fin, all I want is a nice clear bubbly ale with flavour in bottles, time is no object but I can’t justify buying lots of equipment for a one off batch, I can store the bottles at ambient temperature at the moment (9 - 15⁰C)


If you are still reading, then well done and Many Thanks in advance, any help is most appreciated

Neil

Takes a long time for the yeast to colonise 5 gallons. That's what the cloudiness is, I reckon. It's just slow getting started.
Leave it alone for 2 weeks.

Yep. Patience Patience Patience :)

Though the Woodfordes kits often need a gentle stir after about 4 days in.

Thank you, I have to admit I have gently sloshed the bucket around every evening, with my loving arms.

I would leave it in the bucket so it has a total of 2 weeks in the fermenter. I wouldn't bother swirling it about anymore you have probably done enough. Don't worry about the airlock bubbling or not, they are largely pointless.

During that time you can get yourself another hydrometer.

Next Friday check the gravity, it should be below 1.016
Just before bottling a couple of days later check the gravity again it should be the same.

When you transfer to the other bucket add in 100g of sugar you have dissolved in boiling water, and mix it in gently with the beer that you transfer in. This saves you putting sugar in the bottles individually.

Then bottle your beer. Leave in a warm place for a couple of weeks, then transfer somewhere cool for at least 2 weeks, then drink and enjoy :)

Thank you very much for replying and your advice

Neil

First of all, I would definitely head down your LHBS and get a new hydrometer. You could leave it in the fermentor for weeks, but you won't know if your fermentation is stuck unless you check the SG reading with a hydrometer.

Second, I never get bubbles through my air-lock (my FV isn't air-tight). What I do get, however, is a pressure differential. You'll probably notice the water up one side more than the other, which is a clue that there is pressure being generated, if not enough to get a bubble through.

Yes, hydrometer is a must.

I wouldn't splosh though, a gentle stir is OK but you shouldn't slash.

Thanks for the advice; I am planning to get a new hydrometer tomorrow afternoon.

I know everyone has their own opinion but what is the best way to clear ale and still have the bubbles.

Thanks again

Neil

NinjaNeil said:

Thanks for the advice; I am planning to get a new hydrometer tomorrow afternoon.

I know everyone has their own opinion but what is the best way to clear ale and still have the bubbles.

Thanks again

Neil

Click to expand...

Patience :thumb:

Crash cool after initial fermentation (either in primary of secondary), prime and bottle, leave in warm for two weeks then in the cool for a couple of weeks minimum and should be crystal clear :

I could never get clear beer until I used a second FV. So procedure would be something like - ferment in primary for 10 - 14 days then syphon into secondary for about 1 week then move it to a colder position (if possible) for 4 days then rack into bottling bucket.

Hope this helps

Beat me to the cold crash :thumb:

Picked up the new hydrometer this afternoon, sterilised it and have just taken a reading of 1012, at what point would you recommend transferring to the second fermenting bucket?

Thanks again everyone

N

Just thought I would post up the results of my novice brewing, just in case it helps someone in the future, if you are not interested in kits or at a much higher level of brewing than I, then this is not your post – please switch off and let the novices read so they can learn from my mistakes:

Kit: Woodfords – Nelsons Revenge (£22.00 from the Woodfords shop in Norfolk)
Water: Sainbury’s 5L water (5x) used 21L – 3.5L boiled to mix the kit in and the rest cold in the bucket.
Equipment: 2 fermentation buckets, tubes, rigid syphon tube, a couple of airlocks, sterilisation fluid, and eventually / crucially a hydrometer.


Started the brew 03/03/2014 – Ambient temp 20˚C ± 2˚C – SG unknown (no hydrometer but should have read about 1038 according to the kit)

Reading taken 08/03/2014 – Ambient temp 20˚C ± 2˚C – SG 1012

Racked into 2nd Bucket 08/03/2014 – Ambient temp 20˚C ± 2˚C – SG 1012

Reading taken 15/03/2014 – Ambient temp 20˚C ± 2˚C – SG 1010

Bottled 16/03/2014 – Ambient temp 20˚C ± 2˚C – SG 1010
At this point I added too much priming sugar into the bottles – I used sterilised Cobra bottles (660ml) and added 1 level tsp of caster sugar via a funnel and capped, first bottle was clear as was the mid bottle and the end bottle, don’t ask why I just wanted a visual during the process. Stored in a cool dark place.

1st bottle opened beginning of May

Results:
If the bottle is poured in a single hit and over a sink to allow the head to flow away they are totally crystal clear with a taste that resembles (and I have done a Pepsi challenge) the real product. The only way we could tell the difference was the amount of fizz my batch had over the real product.

Notes: when pouring a bottle you must be committed and make sure you discarded about 20 – 30mm of the bottom contents and not slosh back otherwise the first ½ pint glass is crystal clear and the 2nd murky and not so good on the taste buds.

In short if I could go back in time I would have perhaps done the following:

Waited an additional week or 2 in the second bucket or racked off into another bucket and left for another week or 2.
Used less priming sugar – ½ a tsp would have been more than enough, the kit said ½ for 500ml and I didn't want a flat beer again, this time it was too much.


I rate the kit 90% - the crystal clear beer is awesome and the taste excellent – I only wish I had been a bit more patient and used less priming sugar.

N

Sounds like you have fermentation and a leaky vessel to me. I have done loads of wherry kits. To me they are like grain parcels to ethiopians. I have never had a stuck ferment or needed to stir them, but i do keep the temperature up in them. Usually 22c and they ferment all the way out by themselves.

Hydrometer is about 3 quid from wilko. And theres a 20% sale on. Its worth the small cost mate ;-)

Neil, firstly I think its great you have managed a great tasting clear beer that's what we all ultimately aim to achieve.
Having done approx 4-5 kits so far and speaking with my knowledgable home brew shop owner I would suggest exactly as you stated with regards to half a teaspoon per bottle, but perhaps once racked to secondary - after 5-7 days add a solution of priming sugar and water before bottling - ensuring even sugar distribution. Maybe to avoid guessing with the amount of sugar and experimenting with 660ml cobra bottles, invest in some PET bottles 500ml or glass bottles of around the same capacity.
Everything else seems like you kept a keen eye on it and have ultimately created a great looking and great tasting beer.
If you have any left you should post a pic to show off your finished product :-)

Hi guy's,

I started brewing my geordie bitter 10 days ago. My hydrometer reading has been stuck at 20. The temperature on the fermentation bucket reads 14 celsius. Is this too cold? Also, would an aquarium heater help get it started again?

Thanks in advance,
Pete

Ashley – thanks for the advice


Coups – Thank you for your kind words – I attended a local beer festival recently and although my brew was a bit on the lively side I thought it was clearer and tasted better than a lot of the beers I had the pleasure of tasting on the night, even if it is not as good as commercial beer.

I only have a couple of bottles left, my Dad keeps coming over and drinking it for me, however, I enclose a couple of photos taken by my daughter – the bottle I opened tonight was a bit cloudy compared to the previous ones – I must have disturbed the bottle whilst taking the photos (I also had to black out the top part of one of the photos due to other consumer products in the background) – P.S. thanks for the excuse for opening a bottle tonight. :drink:

In short the kits are not bad for what you get for the total cost – I like to dabble a bit so for a novice the kits are fine for me at the moment. The wife got me a Lager kit for my birthday and at the moment it is in its second fermentation bucket in a cool part of the loft. If anyone has advice on how to get the fizz after months of fermentation please let me know.


Pete_Pete – I am not sure if I can help out, I am a total novice, if I were in you position I would probably move the bucket to a slightly warmer place and add a bit of caster / brewing sugar to see if starts up again, or transfer to a second bucket to get the brew off the dead yeast

You could have killed the yeast off so you might need to prime it again – but please don’t take my advice; wait for someone more knowledgeable to help you out.


Thanks all

N

NinjaNeil said:

Ashley thanks for the advice


Coups Thank you for your kind words I attended a local beer festival recently and although my brew was a bit on the lively side I thought it was clearer and tasted better than a lot of the beers I had the pleasure of tasting on the night, even if it is not as good as commercial beer.

I only have a couple of bottles left, my Dad keeps coming over and drinking it for me, however, I enclose a couple of photos taken by my daughter the bottle I opened tonight was a bit cloudy compared to the previous ones I must have disturbed the bottle whilst taking the photos (I also had to black out the top part of one of the photos due to other consumer products in the background) P.S. thanks for the excuse for opening a bottle tonight. :drink:

In short the kits are not bad for what you get for the total cost I like to dabble a bit so for a novice the kits are fine for me at the moment. The wife got me a Lager kit for my birthday and at the moment it is in its second fermentation bucket in a cool part of the loft. If anyone has advice on how to get the fizz after months of fermentation please let me know.


Pete_Pete I am not sure if I can help out, I am a total novice, if I were in you position I would probably move the bucket to a slightly warmer place and add a bit of caster / brewing sugar to see if starts up again, or transfer to a second bucket to get the brew off the dead yeast

You could have killed the yeast off so you might need to prime it again but please don't take my advice; wait for someone more knowledgeable to help you out.


Thanks all

N

Click to expand...

Apologies mate I jumped the gun and read the first post without reading the numerous posts advising the same thing lol...

Hi guy's,
thought i'd update. Thanks for your advice.
I placed an aquarium heater in my fermenter set it to 20 celsius and after 5 days i got my geordie down to 1012 and it tastes and smells loads better!

So, after 17 days in all, i've finally bottled and kegged it! Can't wait to try it. Going to give it 5 weeks first!