Wilco’s golden ale kit

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Hi. I have bought Wilco’s golden ale one tin kit. What can I do simply to improve this or should I just do as it says on the tin.
 
  • Brew it short - 19/20L rather than 23L
  • Make it up with spraymalt / dried malt extract rather than brewing sugar
  • Add some hops, either dry hop in the FV after 10 days or boil 3L of water, cool until less than 80C, and steep the hops for 30mins then add the liquid to the kit
 
Hi. Thanks for that. What does brewing short mean does it give more flavour. Does the addition of hops after ten days go in a Muslin bag so it can be removed. Any variety and how much I suppose I could check on line. Would you change the yeast. I only have the brewers sugar at the moment. Questions questions questions
 
Hi. I have bought 2 ounce of first gold hops. After how many days should I had them. They look like pellets. Hiw do I add them And how much. Do I put them in a Muslin bag.
 
Hi. I have bought 2 ounce of first gold hops. After how many days should I had them. They look like pellets. How do I add them And how much. Do I put them in a Muslin bag.
There's a debate somewhere else about the amount for dry hopping, 5 to 10 grams per liter seems the consensus. Not sure how flavourful First Gold is, maybe someone with more expertise could shine a light here.
Dry hopping is done after fermentation, for 3 to 5 days. So after 10 days, for 4 days, should be among the possibilities. You could make a hop tea ( @Dutto is a connaisseur ) or straight pop 'm in (what I would do). They'll fall apart and float to the bottom to join the trub.
If you WANT to use a muslin bag, you could tie one around the hose for transfer to the bottling vessel.
"Brewing short" means adding a bit less water so the taste and % will be a bit more present. It will leave you with a bit less beer though.
 
Hi. That’s great. I think I’ve got it. I will ferment until complete. Add Muslin bag with 60 Grammes of my hops gold hops. I used brewing sugar not dme. Leave for a further 4 days. Then remove bag. Add to bottles with additional sugar spray malt light for example. Wait a few weeks and the cool and drink.
 
I wanted to do everything in one pot. After the four days of hops in the primary fermenter can I add a sugar solution carefully to this batch without or would you symphon into a new fermenter vessel and add a sugar solution to this and the bottle.
 
Well, splashing has to be kept to a minimum, because of oxidation. I think: a clean and sanitised pot, add the sugar solution and then syphon the beer into the new pot. Stir carefully with sanitised spoon to mix it all well. No. Splashing.
If you add the sugar solution to the primary, the yeast will whirl up and that 'd be a shame. How will you handle the bag with hops? Carefully pull them out before siphoning, or just leave it and syphon away, letting the hops settle down on the bottom? Since they are pellets, I wouldn't do too much with the bag, to not disturb it.

Nice to see you put much thought and planning in what you want to do!
 
Yes that’s it. I would worry about the oils from the hops not being distributed evenly.

Oils are hydrofobic, as is alcohol. It can be expected that what goes for the hop-oils, goes for alcohol as well.

I get your point, I would not worry though. The bittering oils were distributed throughout the boil into the brew, the aroma oils will mix up just as the alcohol will, a simple bit of splashless stirring should take that worry away.

Damn now you got ME worried
 
Hi don’t know much about brewing but a lot about chemistry. Alcohol is hydrophilic that’s why it mixes. I can imagine that the alcohol may solubilise the oils and the water the alcohol. Just surmising. I will try to find out. I’ve just ordered another 50 grammes of fiddles to add to the gold. I will check up how much before I add it. Anyway may never get to that pint. It’s been going now for four hours at 20oc and no bubbles. Depressed. Fell at the first hurdle. Haha
 
Bubbles do not indicate fermentation.

It takes quite a bit of co2 to get the pressure in the headspace up enough to get the bubbling going. In the second stage there will be hardly any bubbling going on.

You WILL get that first pint.

You could from now on consider the fermentation vessel a black box and adjust your actions approvingly.

Improvise, adapt and overcome.
 
Haha. Hopefully. Get your point. Lots to dissolve before you see the gas production. I brewed a few years a muntons kit and it stuck so got nothing. I complained and they send me two packs which was kind.
 
On a slight different note. I have some brown lager bottles Amstel I think. Can I use those to bottle beer. They should be strong enough I think
 
@bez
I can take up to 24 hours before some yeasts get going enough to see bubbles through an airlock, and that assumes that the lid on the FV doesn't leak, in which case you may see no airlock bubbles at all although the fermentation is underway.
Next I would stay with the 50g (2oz) of First Gold in your bag after about 10 days. Save your 'Fiddles' (Fuggles?) for another beer. Try new things by progression is my advice.
Finally it sounds to me you are trying to overcomplicate your approach to brewing possibly by what you have read on here. Making acceptable beer from a kit with or without dry hopping is a simple operation so I suggest you keep it simple as well to start with, perhaps reading these will help.....
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/...de-to-brewing-your-own-beer-from-a-kit.57526/
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/a-newbies-guide-to-dry-hopping-your-beer.61045/
 
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Yes I do generally overcompicate things. I’ve got a more expensive kit coming so will start that next week. Festival premium ale It’s a razorbavk IPA. It comes with several things hops etc. Bit pricey 28 quid so I won’t to practice with this 20 quid kit
 
On a slight different note. I have some brown lager bottles Amstel I think. Can I use those to bottle beer. They should be strong enough I think

Those bottles should be strong enough for average brews. And the right colour too.
Yay fermentations!
 

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