My First Wherry Brew!

Norkie · Mar 20, 2015

Hey all,
I am currently on my first ever beer brew. I thought i'd start off simple and get hold of a kit (FV, Pressure Barrel etc.) and go with the Woodfordes Wherry.
Being from Norfolk, it's a beer I know well so provides me with a good reference point.

I pitched the yeast last Saturday with the venting of CO2 slowing from Wednesday.

Without opening the FV, it's a little difficult to see progress but I can see a good krausen ring around the inside.

It's been at around 18Â°C - 19Â°C all week and I intend to leave it in the FV for another week before checking the FG readings and considering either bottling or barreling.

I am thinking about having a sneaky peek tonight, perhaps a taste. I know I have to be patient but I really want to know how it is all going!

It's like cooking, surely you need to taste it as it progresses?!...

What do you think? I've read the other Wherry threads and am not too concerned about the fermentation stalling at the moment.

Crusty · Mar 20, 2015

It's a great kit to start with. Indeed, it was also my first brew. I've got another one just transfered to one of my PB's, although this one was brewed short to 21 litres and had additional medium spraymalt added. The sneaky taste I had when transferring to the PB was certainly promising!

Slid · Mar 20, 2015

Norkie said:
Hey all,
I am currently on my first ever beer brew. I thought i'd start off simple and get hold of a kit (FV, Pressure Barrel etc.) and go with the Woodfordes Wherry.
Being from Norfolk, it's a beer I know well so provides me with a good reference point.

I pitched the yeast last Saturday with the venting of CO2 slowing from Wednesday.

Without opening the FV, it's a little difficult to see progress but I can see a good krausen ring around the inside.

It's been at around 18Â°C - 19Â°C all week and I intend to leave it in the FV for another week before checking the FG readings and considering either bottling or barreling.

I am thinking about having a sneaky peek tonight, perhaps a taste. I know I have to be patient but I really want to know how it is all going!

It's like cooking, surely you need to taste it as it progresses?!...

What do you think? I've read the other Wherry threads and am not too concerned about the fermentation stalling at the moment.

Making beer is a lot like cooking, so - yes!

However, the cooking food is essentially free from bacteria as few can survive boiling temperatures. Brewing beer is a good medium for a number of bacteria, although alcohol is poisonous to most.

Best time to taste is at bottling time, by which point, the alcohol content is high and some exposure to air is unavoidable anyway.

As a general rule, keep your beer away from the spores carried in the air and away from oxygen. A CO2 blanket above the beer is your beer's friend, so keep them close together.

Norkie · Mar 21, 2015

Well,
I just had to check it out. I sterilised everything before drawing the beer out via a turkey baster.
I took a reading, that came out at 1.012.
There beer looks a good colour and to taste it's still a little sweet with a distinct floral note that I assume will mellow in the next week along with further time in a barrel or bottle.
I too brewed short of the 23 litres having read about it on here.
Planning on transferring next weekend and then staring another brew at the same time!

Hops_and_Dreams · Mar 21, 2015

Where abouts in Norfolk are you Norkie?

Bit addictive this home brew malarky. I only started a couple on months ago and I'm hooked! The first was a Nelson's Revenge. I'm not so keen on Wherry, but I am going to do a Sundew later this year I think. I tried Once Bittern a few weeks ago for the first time, which was a great pint and, in my opinion, the nicest of the Woodfordes beers - unfortunately it's not available in kit form.

Toonahfish · Mar 21, 2015

I did my first Wherry in January. It has come out COMPLETELY different to the commercial. It's almost like a porter!

Racinsnake · Mar 21, 2015

I was pleasantly surprised how similar the kit was to the commercial brew :-o although it was in wetherspoons!
Rob.

Norkie · Mar 22, 2015

I'm just outside of Norwich in a town called Wymondham.
When I'm taking readings, to monitor the Gravity, how can i bios back a head of co2 again?
I want to check the gravity again today to see if the yeast is still working okay.

Hops_and_Dreams · Mar 22, 2015

Norkie said:
I'm just outside of Norwich in a town called Wymondham.
When I'm taking readings, to monitor the Gravity, how can i bios back a head of co2 again?
I want to check the gravity again today to see if the yeast is still working okay.

I'm just the other side of Norwich, in North Walsham.

Do you mean a head of CO2 in the FV? Once you shut the lid again, fermentation will still be giving it off and purge the O2 out of the airlock (or in my case, escape from elsewhere!). I wouldn't open your lid too often though, if you can get beer out, other things can get in.

Norkie · Mar 22, 2015

Hops_and_Dreams said:
I'm just the other side of Norwich, in North Walsham.

Do you mean a head of CO2 in the FV? Once you shut the lid again, fermentation will still be giving it off and purge the O2 out of the airlock (or in my case, escape from elsewhere!). I wouldn't open your lid too often though, if you can get beer out, other things can get in.

Ah, great to know another members not far off!
I am going to take another reading tomorrow just to see if the gravity reading has dropped successfully.

I've not looked a your previous posts yet, are you into all grain breing at all?
Regards,
Jonathan.

Hops_and_Dreams · Mar 23, 2015

Norkie said:
Ah, great to know another members not far off!
I am going to take another reading tomorrow just to see if the gravity reading has dropped successfully.

I've not looked a your previous posts yet, are you into all grain breing at all?
Regards,
Jonathan.

I've not come across anyone from this part of the world yet! Have you been to Goodlife Homebrew in Norwich yet? They've got a good selection and their prices seem to be far cheaper than online.

No, not done any all grain, space is a limiting factor (as well as ability!). I'm only on my third kit, so not been doing it long. I did order a 20ltr stock pot yesterday though, going to try extract brewing next with a hoppy American IPA.

Norkie · Mar 23, 2015

Hops_and_Dreams said:
I've not come across anyone from this part of the world yet! Have you been to Goodlife Homebrew in Norwich yet? They've got a good selection and their prices seem to be far cheaper than online.

No, not done any all grain, space is a limiting factor (as well as ability!). I'm only on my third kit, so not been doing it long. I did order a 20ltr stock pot yesterday though, going to try extract brewing next with a hoppy American IPA.

Yes, Good Life is excellent isn't and they are very helpful!

I'll hopefully be calling in there this weekend for another receipe as I want to get another brew going as soon as I take the current one out of the FV. No point in having an FV sitting around doing nothing is there now! :drunk:

Hops_and_Dreams · Mar 23, 2015

Norkie said:
Yes, Good Life is excellent isn't and they are very helpful!

I'll hopefully be calling in there this weekend for another receipe as I want to get another brew going as soon as I take the current one out of the FV. No point in having an FV sitting around doing nothing is there now! :drunk:

Yeah he seems like a pleasant chap. Went there today in the end, stocked up on malt extract for the first couple of extract brews.
What are you going for next? I picked up a couple of the Festival kits a few weeks ago, not done them yet, but they seem to be good quality.

Norkie · Mar 23, 2015

Not sure yet. Was thinking Sundew Pale Ale.
I took another reading this evening and and the brew looks stuck on the same reading it was on Friday so am going to have to pitch some more yeast!

Hops_and_Dreams · Mar 24, 2015

Norkie said:
Not sure yet. Was thinking Sundew Pale Ale.
I took another reading this evening and and the brew looks stuck on the same reading it was on Friday so am going to have to pitch some more yeast!

If the reading is 1012 still, then I would say it's finished and doesn't need any more yeast. Not done the Wherry, but my Nelsons Revenge finished on 1012. Just time to bottle and get another one on the go!

If you do the Sundew, please report back as I fancy doing this one!

Norkie · Mar 25, 2015

Checked it last night and it's down to 1.010 now.
I have some flip top bottle coming (From here - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CLEAR-Gla...t=LH_DefaultDomain_3&var=&hash=item35e5d30a22)
Will keep tabs in the gravity until they arrive.

My plan now is to bottle 12 bottles-worth and pressure barrel the rest.

How much sugar should i put in each bottle and the barrel?
* The bottles are 500ml a piece.
* The barrel will have only 15l.
The pressure barrel is a Young's 5 gallon (23l).
I brewed the wort short, to about 21l, take another 6l out for the bottle leaves about 15l.

I am planning on using regular granulated sugar, by my calculations I am looking at:
* 55.4g for the pressure barrel
* 1.8g per bottle
This is based on - 85g sugar per 23ltrs (approx. 3.69g/ltr).

Does this sound right?

Tyler · Mar 25, 2015

Hi Norkie, I am running a couple of days behind you - also on my first ever brew, also doing Wherry. I pitched mine on Monday. Fingers crossed we both get a decent brew at the end of the process!

Slid · Mar 25, 2015

Tyler said:
Hi Norkie, I am running a couple of days behind you - also on my first ever brew, also doing Wherry. I pitched mine on Monday. Fingers crossed we both get a decent brew at the end of the process!

You will, for sure, if you wait long enough!

Perfectly drinkable 6 weeks after pitching, but double that time and it comes into its own. Try putting on a stout in the meantime, since as kits go, these tend to be ready relatively quickly.

Norkie · Mar 25, 2015

Slid said:
You will, for sure, if you wait long enough!

Perfectly drinkable 6 weeks after pitching, but double that time and it comes into its own. Try putting on a stout in the meantime, since as kits go, these tend to be ready relatively quickly.

I'm back to the brew shop this weekend, for some more ingredients, so I can get something else brewing as soon as I move the Wherry out of the FV :)

Racinsnake · Mar 26, 2015

Hi Norkie
Your priming sounds pretty good to me, and you have a real bargain there with the bottles.
Give your bottles a couple of rotations and keep warm for a few days before chilling, assuming your not batch priming that is.
Rob.

My First Wherry Brew!

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