Wilkinsons Artisan Lager kit

[Cheyne_brewer]

As Coopers kits have become like hen's teeth during the lockdown, I bought some Wilko kits to tide us over. Just on is an Artisan Lager kit (the one with the dry hop sachet). Strangely my wife has stopped moaning about the fermenters and conditioning barrels in the kitchen now the pubs are all shut

I'm as sure as can be that the kit and 1Kg Muntons kit enhancer were mixed and stirred properly - in fact after the first hydrometer reading I thoroughly stirred again and remeasured. The unpitched wort SG with a 21-litre brew length came in at around 1056! This seems highly unlikely given the 1.8kg of concentrated wort and 1kg dextrose/spraymalt mix but left overnight this didn't change and the hydrometer reads very close to 1.000 in tap water.

The wort is a very pale colour in the trial jar, and around 18 hours after pitching the 6g lager yeast had a lovely krausen head. I wasn't expecting much action from such a small yeast dose but there you are. I'll update when the fermentation is over & see what sort of FG I end up with.

Next up will be the Wilko Artisan Bitter - it would be another Woodfordes Wherry but the lager kit has me intrigued!

 

[dwhite60]

Keep us posted.

 

[BrewMeHappy]

I'm interested to see how you get on with this too as I have this kit is sat on my shelf and I'll be getting it on in a week or two.

 

[Cheyne_brewer]

It finally stopped bubbling at around 1.008. Did a quick taste test out of the test jar - very watery to my taste. The brew is very light coloured, I still wonder if there's a layer of extract lurking at the bottom, of the FV.

I'll bottle some as a test & see how it compares when carbonated - I'd rather it didn't end up as drain cleaner.

Paul.

 

[Rodcx500z]

1056 to 1008 = 6.30%abv i would be happy with that, have dry hopped it yet

 

[Cheyne_brewer]

1056 to 1008 = 6.30%abv i would be happy with that, have dry hopped it yet

I was extremely sceptical about the OG as per the original post, to the extent that I have now bought a single-scale hydrometer and a refractometer with OG scale. All further brews will be cross-checked - yesterday’s Wherry clocks in at 1045 on both.
The prospect of drinking tasteless as high ABV lager makes me shudder! (Ok it’s for the wife but I like the drama lol).

 

[dwhite60]

I was extremely sceptical about the OG as per the original post, to the extent that I have now bought a single-scale hydrometer and a refractometer with OG scale. All further brews will be cross-checked - yesterday’s Wherry clocks in at 1045 on both.
The prospect of drinking tasteless as high ABV lager makes me shudder! (Ok it’s for the wife but I like the drama lol).

Whatever it tastes like now, it'll be different after four weeks in the bottle.

I made a cream ale a some months ago that really wasn't to my liking. Six weeks later it became a lot better.

Give it time.

 

[terrym]

I was extremely sceptical about the OG as per the original post, to the extent that I have now bought a single-scale hydrometer and a refractometer with OG scale. All further brews will be cross-checked - yesterday’s Wherry clocks in at 1045 on both.
The prospect of drinking tasteless as high ABV lager makes me shudder! (Ok it’s for the wife but I like the drama lol).

If its a kit and its properly mixed (i.e. there no clumps of DME or sugar or LME stuck to the bottom of the FV) there can only be one OG outcome. It can't be anything else, its not like AG where the OG is subject to mashing efficiencies . So you can accurately calculate OG using the wort volume and what went into it using this.
https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/calculatorSo in your OP case with 1.8kg LME and 1kg enhancer (assume 50:50 dextrose: DME) and brewed to 21 litres the calculated OG would have been 1.042. Only by adding more sugars or reducing the wort volume or both will you get a higher OG.
When I did mostly kits my measured OG and the calculated OG were never more than a gravity point different,

 

[Cheyne_brewer]

So in your OP case with 1.8kg LME and 1kg enhancer (assume 50:50 dextrose: DME) and brewed to 21 litres the calculated OG would have been 1.042. Only by adding more sugars or reducing the wort volume or both will you get a higher OG.
When I did mostly kits my measured OG and the calculated OG were never more than a gravity point different,

I agree completely - I have made a lot of brews over the years, AG, extract & kit, and can't explain the huge OG reading. I always take my time mixing and aerating the reconstituted wort, raising it up from the bottom. The wort wasn't a strong colour which would have indicated poor mixing. As I broke the hydrometer used in this brew shortly after I can't test it again and have bought a single-scale one to replace it as well as a refractometer. As they both agree very closely with water and a Wherry wort (1045) I'm pretty confident in my readings now.

 

[blackBeer66]

As Coopers kits have become like hen's teeth during the lockdown, I bought some Wilko kits to tide us over. Just on is an Artisan Lager kit (the one with the dry hop sachet). Strangely my wife has stopped moaning about the fermenters and conditioning barrels in the kitchen now the pubs are all shut

I'm as sure as can be that the kit and 1Kg Muntons kit enhancer were mixed and stirred properly - in fact after the first hydrometer reading I thoroughly stirred again and remeasured. The unpitched wort SG with a 21-litre brew length came in at around 1056! This seems highly unlikely given the 1.8kg of concentrated wort and 1kg dextrose/spraymalt mix but left overnight this didn't change and the hydrometer reads very close to 1.000 in tap water.

The wort is a very pale colour in the trial jar, and around 18 hours after pitching the 6g lager yeast had a lovely krausen head. I wasn't expecting much action from such a small yeast dose but there you are. I'll update when the fermentation is over & see what sort of FG I end up with.

Next up will be the Wilko Artisan Bitter - it would be another Woodfordes Wherry but the lager kit has me intrigued!

How did it come out? Any good compared to Coopers?

Cheers

 

[dwhite60]

How did it come out? Any good compared to Coopers?

Cheers

If he bottled this on May 2 I don't think he's into yet. I wouldn't be. Three weeks in the bottle minimum.

 

[Cheyne_brewer]

Initial tasting is that it’s quite light, in no way comparable to Coopers European for instance. I have 4 test bottles conditioning & will update when tested.

in addition I started the Artisan Bitter kit today, OG 1043 so about spot on for the claimed 4.2 abv.

 

[Cheyne_brewer]

I tested one of the bottles a couple of days ago. To be fair it's not a million miles away from the Coopers European lager, although the yeast flavour is still very strong. There must be 1/4" of yeast in the bottle - whatever they use in this kit has the reproductive potential of a barnful of horny rabbits in lockdown!

Having put the fv in the garage to clear the damned thing has started fermenting again. This kit is cursed!

 

[blackBeer66]

I tested one of the bottles a couple of days ago. To be fair it's not a million miles away from the Coopers European lager, although the yeast flavour is still very strong. There must be 1/4" of yeast in the bottle - whatever they use in this kit has the reproductive potential of a barnful of horny rabbits in lockdown!

Having put the fv in the garage to clear the damned thing has started fermenting again. This kit is cursed!

Give it more time. Might still be good.

 

[Scottyburto]

Hi
I've seen someone mention on another thread that the paper scale inside the hydrometer can slide up after a few years. So maybe your hydrometer was out by 9-11points so your 1008 fg is 1017-1019 and that'll be why it's started fermenting again and loads of yeast in the bottles.

 

[Sidri]

Hi,

I made a batch of this early part of April with 500g of lighly hopped DME and 500g of extra light DME. I used the Wilko Gervin ale yeast and let it sit in the FV for three weeks before giving it a week in the secondary (SG 1051 FG 1011). Tried the first bottle at the weekend to see how it was getting on and I'm pleasantly suprised, so much so that I tried another 6 before the weekend was out. Going to try and leave them for another month now to see if it gets any better, but I'd be happy to drink them a they are now.