Wherry - here's my break down of the process

[cubensis]

So I have brewed around 10 kits now. Each time I start a new brew I try to eliminate a problem i've had with my last and also try to improve the process of brewing. I picked up a Wherry kit of eBay for £14 delivered so that's what i'll be doing in a few days. Here is my process, i'd love to hear any opinions on how to improve or what steps could be altered.

1 Campden tablet for 20 litres of Wherry (I always short brew a Wherry o increase ABV), Allow this to sit the night before, this removes chlorine and chloromide that "can" cause bad flavours

Add the two tins of LME to a measuring jug and dissolve along with either 1KG of brewing sugar or 500g of DME - not sure yet, again this is to improve the ABV

Put the Measuring jug contents into treated water

Stir this for a few minutes to aerate the wort using a paint mixer on a drill (first time i'll be using the paint mixer, drill combo but sounds like a good idea as the wherry has a reputation for sticking at 1020 and aerating the wort is apparently a good way to stop this)

Add goldings hops that have been soaking in hot water (tea bag style, so they just get thrown in)

Making sure the overall temp is around 20 C add yeast with yeast nutrient and gently "fold" the yeast into the wort (Once the yeast goes in oxidisation should be avoided)

Leave to primary ferment waiting for a steady reading of 1010 - 1014 probably about a week to 10 days

Syphon from primary to secondary with a nylon filter bag over syphon tube. Do not move the primary when doing this and keep the end of the tube close to the liquid so it doesn't oxidise the key is to avoid splashes or creating a head on the wort

Put the lid on the secondary container and leave another week for any further yeast etc to drop

Transfer to bottles using little bottler and batch priming with around 90 - 100 grams of normal sugar

Leave the bottles in a warm place ~20 c for 2 weeks and then a cool place to condition

Try after about 3 weeks

wait about 2 months for it to properly mature and the hops to add the depth of flavour

So how does this sound? I'm attempting to bring together all I have learnt in this batch; secondary ferment to reduce cloudyness, avoid splashing when transfering, using campden tablets to get rid of chlorine and chloromide, using yeast nutrient to give an efficient fermentation and using a paint mixer on a drill to aerate the wort.

Any comments would be great - cheers

 

[joe1002]

When dry hopping you will need to do it after the initial fermentation, I would add them to the secondary. Personally I wouldn't soak them in hot water as this may draw off some of the aroma oils (I think) you want in your beer.

I have a hop sock (thanks PD :thumb:) which I boil for 10 mins to sanitise, add the hops along with a sanitised teaspoon (to weigh them down) and add them to the beer for a week or two (after the initial fermentation). I can then easily fromve them and syphon to my keg when ready :thumb:

 

[cubensis]

Ah i see, what is the reason not to do it during the primary fermentation? The hop sachet says to do it at this time, it also says to boil them and add the whole contents to the FV (They are in a teabag style mesh but yea I may weigh them down) would you still say not to do this?

 

[stuey]

90 - 100 grams of priming sugar for an ale sounds a little on the heavy side for me personally.

I'm not a fan of overly fizzy ale so tend to prime 20-23 litres at around 70 - 80 grams of sugar.

It is your brew though so if you like it fizzy then go for it! :thumb:

 

[joe1002]

Ah i see, what is the reason not to do it during the primary fermentation? The hop sachet says to do it at this time, it also says to boil them and add the whole contents to the FV (They are in a teabag style mesh but yea I may weigh them down) would you still say not to do this?

Ah, you are using hop tea bags. I have no experience of these so I would go with the instructions unless anyone has experience they can offer.

I dont know for sure the the reason behind the timing for dry hopping but I suspect it is best to let the yeast get on with the initial fermentationfor the first few days. Also the co2 produced during the fermentation may also take with it the aroma you are trying to impart into your beer. They are my thoughts behind it anyhow :thumb:

 

[cubensis]

90 - 100 grams of priming sugar for an ale sounds a little on the heavy side for me personally.

I'm not a fan of overly fizzy ale so tend to prime 20-23 litres at around 70 - 80 grams of sugar.

It is your brew though so if you like it fizzy then go for it! :thumb:

Yea I do like it to have a fizz, maybe i'll compromise and go 85 :)

 

[cubensis]

Ah, you are using hop tea bags. I have no experience of these so I would go with the instructions unless anyone has experience they can offer.

I dont know for sure the the reason behind the timing for dry hopping but I suspect it is best to let the yeast get on with the initial fermentationfor the first few days. Also the co2 produced during the fermentation may also take with it the aroma you are trying to impart into your beer. They are my thoughts behind it anyhow :thumb:

Yea it kind of make sense to add the hops in secondary I suppose once everything has calmed down a bit. I'll probably still put them in boiling water as this may be what releases the oils on this particular brand. Thanks for the comments :))

 

[stuey]

85 should still be enough for a tongue tingling fizz :thumb: :)

 

[cubensis]

One more quick thing on this, does anyone think finings are necessary? And if so would you use them in primary to get a cleaner transfer to secondary or in secondary to get a cleaner transfer to bottles? Also i keep buying £1 sachets from wilkinsons at the minute which instinct tells me is going to be a rip off! Anyone know of a 500ml bottle or something similar that can be bought?

 

[anthonyUK]

One more quick thing on this, does anyone think finings are necessary? And if so would you use them in primary to get a cleaner transfer to secondary or in secondary to get a cleaner transfer to bottles? Also i keep buying £1 sachets from wilkinsons at the minute which instinct tells me is going to be a rip off! Anyone know of a 500ml bottle or something similar that can be bought?

There are many things you can use for finings such as Gelatine which may be more cost effective.

 

[cubensis]

One more quick thing on this, does anyone think finings are necessary? And if so would you use them in primary to get a cleaner transfer to secondary or in secondary to get a cleaner transfer to bottles? Also i keep buying £1 sachets from wilkinsons at the minute which instinct tells me is going to be a rip off! Anyone know of a 500ml bottle or something similar that can be bought?

There are many things you can use for finings such as Gelatine which may be more cost effective.

Yea i heard gelatine could be used. Has it not got to be cold for it to work though? I don't really have any way to fast cool the wort.

 

[jonnymorris]

Do you re-hydrate your yeast? I mentioned this in another post just now. Have a look at the link to mash-sparge-boil if you can find it. Well worth considering.

 

[redhousebrewing]

I kciked off a 2nd Wherry yesterday and this time rehydrated the yeast - went off like a rocket overnight!
Its also got campden tablet, yeast nutrient, 500g beer enhancer so will be interesting to see where FG lands up.

Short brewing with the extra sugar/DME is going to be pretty potent!

Good luck with it.
Stuart

 

[cubensis]

Do you re-hydrate your yeast? I mentioned this in another post just now. Have a look at the link to mash-sparge-boil if you can find it. Well worth considering.

Hi, yea I will be rehydrating th yeast this time. I recently read up on it, never felt the need to as it went in the wort and became rehydrated there. But for anyone that thought the same as me apparently the cell walls of the yeast cannot stop certain nasties absorbing into them for a certain amount of time which kills alot of them off, after this time they are able to block liquid passing through them and as a result able to protect themselves. Rehydrating allows the cell walls to take in water that doesn't have the nasties in the first x amount of time (around 15 mins?) and then become non porous, once there non porous and are added to the wort much more of them are alive and a better, stronger, more efficient fermentation happens. This is a base level explanation that is probably a little sketchy but the principle is right as far as i can remember.

So; the upshot? I'll deffo be rehydrating my yeast from now on!

 

[cubensis]

I kciked off a 2nd Wherry yesterday and this time rehydrated the yeast - went off like a rocket overnight!
Its also got campden tablet, yeast nutrient, 500g beer enhancer so will be interesting to see where FG lands up.

Short brewing with the extra sugar/DME is going to be pretty potent!

Good luck with it.
Stuart

Sounds like your doing a similar brew to me. I think were onto a winner! I'm gonna do 1kg of beer enhancer I like the sound of a strong wherry.

 

[cubensis]

So, one thing i noticed before; my wherry went on Jan 2013 - doh!

Do you think the yeast will be okay? And if not do you think the gervin ale yeast sachet from Wilkinsons will work with this wherry okay?

This one: http://www.wilko.com/home-brewing/wilko-gervin-ale-yeast-11g/invt/0318922?VBMST=yeast

What does "exceptional levels of attenuation" mean?

 

[mickthetrick]

im going to kick a wherry off on monday and im going to add 454 gm bottle of golden syrup and brew to 20ltr., to just up the % a little. the last one i did just as the kit instructions and it turned out after a month in the keg a very nice session beer. clear also

 

[cubensis]

im going to kick a wherry off on monday and im going to add 454 gm bottle of golden syrup and brew to 20ltr., to just up the % a little. the last one i did just as the kit instructions and it turned out after a month in the keg a very nice session beer. clear also

Nice idea, I made my very firstt one with honey and it really suited the ale flavour. I may do 500gm DME and 454gm syrup!

My water is being prepared as we speak ... 1 campden tablet in - just off to buy my gervin yeast reading up on it, it gets good reviews and only £1.75