Toonahfish
Well-Known Member
Hey all! This is my first post on this forum and I gather that the Wherry is a VERY popular kit, so I apologise if this point has been covered before.
Choosing to brew during the winter probably wasn't the wisest decision, since ambient temperature was about 15-18 degrees Celsius. As a result fermentation was sloooow. It was in the FV for two weeks and during this time it never got below SG of about 1.020. I figured that it had got too cold and stopped. So I purchased a brew belt and hooked it up to a thermostatic controller which kept it at a constant temperature of 19 degrees for a further week and the SG reached the target, and stayed there. So, all told, 3 weeks in the FV. I then bottled it with a little sugar and left it in a warm-ish place for 2 weeks, then a cold place for another week.
After all this I tried one and it was flat, had no head, and had some...odd...tastes. Could this simply been because it was cold (perhaps around 3 or 4 degrees), so the carbon dioxide stayed dissolved and the esters etc. weren't evaporating?
Then I brought it out into my living room and left it for another week and it improved massively. It's really quite good now and gets better with each bottle I open. It is well-carbonated, and with a good head (although it's not the creamy white I was expecting, more like the head on Guinness...)
Now, my question is this. The beer did not come out as I was expecting. It is very dark and has some caramel and coffee overtones. Also, whilst I've got the OG and FG readings and it claims to be about 4%, I wouldn't have said it tastes particularly alcoholic, nor do I and others seem to feel any effects of it. So, since this is my first brew, is this what Woodeforde's Wherry is meant to taste and behave like? I like it, but it's not what I expected. Could the slow, cool fermentation have changed the nature of the beer? I would say it's more like a dark ale now, getting towards a stout.
Please do let me know your thoughts. I'm now gearing up for another brew, possibly a Trappist-style ale, or Woodeforde's Sundew, so that they're ready for summertime consumption! Essentially, so much to brew, so little time... Ha! :):
Choosing to brew during the winter probably wasn't the wisest decision, since ambient temperature was about 15-18 degrees Celsius. As a result fermentation was sloooow. It was in the FV for two weeks and during this time it never got below SG of about 1.020. I figured that it had got too cold and stopped. So I purchased a brew belt and hooked it up to a thermostatic controller which kept it at a constant temperature of 19 degrees for a further week and the SG reached the target, and stayed there. So, all told, 3 weeks in the FV. I then bottled it with a little sugar and left it in a warm-ish place for 2 weeks, then a cold place for another week.
After all this I tried one and it was flat, had no head, and had some...odd...tastes. Could this simply been because it was cold (perhaps around 3 or 4 degrees), so the carbon dioxide stayed dissolved and the esters etc. weren't evaporating?
Then I brought it out into my living room and left it for another week and it improved massively. It's really quite good now and gets better with each bottle I open. It is well-carbonated, and with a good head (although it's not the creamy white I was expecting, more like the head on Guinness...)
Now, my question is this. The beer did not come out as I was expecting. It is very dark and has some caramel and coffee overtones. Also, whilst I've got the OG and FG readings and it claims to be about 4%, I wouldn't have said it tastes particularly alcoholic, nor do I and others seem to feel any effects of it. So, since this is my first brew, is this what Woodeforde's Wherry is meant to taste and behave like? I like it, but it's not what I expected. Could the slow, cool fermentation have changed the nature of the beer? I would say it's more like a dark ale now, getting towards a stout.
Please do let me know your thoughts. I'm now gearing up for another brew, possibly a Trappist-style ale, or Woodeforde's Sundew, so that they're ready for summertime consumption! Essentially, so much to brew, so little time... Ha! :):