Wilko's Hoppy Copper Bitter

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DamageCase

DamageCase

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I've been putting off doing this kit for a little while now since the house and kitchen was still in a state from a New Years party but, finally, I got it going tonight. I must say this has got to be the nicest smelling kits I've done, not marmitey like the Wilko's Sweet Newkie Brown nor as sickly sweet like the Festival Pilgrims Hope. It's got a pleasant malty smell, though I was expecting to smell some more hops, given the description in the name. I've short brewed it to 20 litres, using brewing sugar (I'd have used Brew Enhancer but the sugar came with it). The Wilkos Sweet Newkie Brown came out a bit thin so I hope at 20 litres this one will have more body. I get the feeling that now that my family know I'm into home brewing I may get many more beer kit presents for future birthdays and Christmases . Who am I to complain? :thumb:
 
brewing short to 20L will give it more body but so will adding DME. Your best bet for one can kits is to do both. Brew the kit to 20L and add either 500g DME or 1Kg brew enhancer (which is basically just 500g DME and 500g brewing sugar anyway)

let us know how it turns out :thumb:
 
Well for now all I can tell you for now is it's gone off a like a bomb. The ring is only just forming but it's throwing out C02 like neither of my previous brews have. This might be because it's a bit too warm at around 24 degrees. I was expecting the temperature to drop with the heating off during the night so I wrapped it up in a duvet. I think it must be the fermentation keeping it warm at the moment so I've unwrapped it to see if it cools a little.
 
Just started one of these today. No frills, just did what the kit recommended.

Will update as and when.
 
I've just started this one too DamageCase and its bubbling away a day or so later. I used 1kg of brew enhancer instead of sugar though and brewed to about 20l.

How long you going to leave it in the FV for and are you bottling or kegging ?

I'm going to keg it ready for the Six Nations :drunk:
 
I'd have used brew enhancer but I got a kilo of brewing sugar free with the kit so I though I might as well use it. If I like the beer enough I'll do it again with brew enhancer. I reckon it's going to take about a week in the fermenter. I'm on day 4, I think and it's still going strong, maybe a tad less frisky than it was on the first and second days. The only thing is, not much of a krausen ring is forming and there doesn't look to be much in the way of foam. Are you guys experiencing the same? For all the C02 coming off it I was expecting to see a lot more of both. I'm going to keg it, both because I find bottling to be a faff with my current equipment and because I've not long bottled so I'm low on bottles.

I very amateurishly filmed myself doing this brew so I might link a video when I've edited and uploaded it to Youtube.
 
I used this kut as a basis for my festive ale. Very impressed. Pre-festive spices i thought it was a good light bitter, quite nice and easy to drink if you fancy a few. After I added some festive spices and fruits it came out even better!
 
Lots of bubbling but little foam for me too. It looks a really nice colour though.

There was lots of foam when I mixed the water and ingredients together though.
 
Looks like my estimation of a week was a bit off. Despite still going like carbonated buggery yesterday, it's stopped today. My last Wilko kit fermented in 4 days as well, maybe the smaller volume brew with the same amount of fermentables has made for a more vigorous fermentation? I'll still leave it for another day at least as I'd like to get the Final Gravity down to at least 1.010 or 1.008. I'll take a gravity reading tomorrow.
 
Tried mine on Sunday. Made with 1kg brewing sugar and 500g medium spray malt - Lovely colour but very green tasting. Been in the bottle 1 month. The rest was kegged so i will sit on it for a while longer :cheers:
 
My first brew was a Hoppy Copper. Its currently in the pressure keg though I think I buggered it up. I'll find out in two weeks when I take my 1st sips.
 
DamageCase said:
The only thing is, not much of a krausen ring is forming and there doesn't look to be much in the way of foam. Are you guys experiencing the same? For all the C02 coming off it I was expecting to see a lot more of both.
Click to expand...

Yep. Exactly the same here so far.
 
I'm glad someone has done a topic about this before me, now I know a little of what to expect, I shall be doing mine in the next couple of weeks as my keg is going to be running on empty, to it I shall be adding the 1kg of beer enhancer, 500g of extra dextrose and shortbrewing to 23L approx. I shall let you know how that turns out so you'll know wether its worth the extra money.
 
It's shortbrewing for me as Ive been brewing to 25L the last 2 times Hah, First time I'll be brewing to 23L intentionally.
 
I'd do it to 20 litres to be honest mate. These cheap kits are pretty watery when brewed to 23 litres and it'll improve the taste, body and alcohol content. Those are all good things in my book but if you don't want the increased alcohol, just use slightly less brewing sugar.
 
Duely noted, shall brew to 20L with the enhancer and dextrose and let you know how she turns out.
 
I've just taken a gravity reading and it's fermented down from 1042 to 1006 giving me 4.8% abv. I've either cocked up my reading or this has fermented much better than I thought it would. I'll be kegging this tomorrow. It looked a lovely colour in the test tube. It's paler than I thought it would be, more an amber than a copper and it smells good too. Yum I can't wait for this to be ready!
 
Sampled mine last night, very pale but smelled and tasted good.

I always forget to taka an initial gravity reading so generally just keg it 3 or 4 days after it starts bubbling or after 10-14 days.
 
Update for you guys on the Wilko Bitter, Got her brewing on saturday, used 500g DME, 1200g dextrose and brewed to 20l, came out with an OG of 1.053, should end up around 6%...little ott. Had a peep a moment ago, lots of bubbling but no foam and only a small krausen ring, rather pale looking by my bitter standards but smells good. Will take a gravity reading tomorrow and keep you posted.
 

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