Wherry: Quick Question

[WeeDave]

ABout to kick off my second ever brew, and my very first Wherry!

So, question is regarding yeast.

Is the kit yeast sufficient or should I up the anti on it?

I have a Coopers Yeast from a Coopers lager kit that I could add..... (I know it's an ale yeast, and not a lager yeast )

Thoughts?

 

[Algernon]

Yeast from the kit seemed fine when I did mine. The wherry does take a while (4 weeks at least) to taste genuinely nice. Once it has got to that stage it does then continue improving to become really very nice. Mine has been conditioning for about 8 weeks now and is pretty good in the keg. Not sure how the bottles are, I might pop one later in the week to check.
Good luck

 

[Jeff Brewjubbly]

I did Wherrys a few years ago and they were my favorite kit. I never used anything other than the supplied yeast.

 

[morethanworts]

I have to add a different slant on this. I read loads about stuck fermentations with this (around 1.020).

I've done two batches of Wherry (short, to 21.5L), and allowed them to mature for many weeks. It's a great drink, which I dry hopped with Goldings on both occasions. But I used an 11g sachet of Gervin on both occasions (as well as the 6g kit yeast, which I could probably have left out), rehydrated as per Danstar's Nottingham instructions. If you pitch it dry, you may lose a big portion of viable cells upon impact in the wort. Both of my batches were great and took off like a rocket at 20C. The online calculator I used reckons 10 or 11g is about right for this batch size.

So my advice... Either use two 6g sachets or get any Nottingham strain 11g sachet (such as Gervin English Ale) AND rehydrate carefully, attenuating the yeast mix to as close to the wort temperature as you can before pitching. Also aerate well for 5 mins with a whisk/spoon first.

6g CAN be enough, even pitched dry, but you're increasing your chances of a stuck fermentation, and plenty seem to have had that with this kit.

 

[Antony]

both my wherries have came off fine, and 4 weeks after fermenting, the last one is pretty nice. unfortunately I sucked up half the trub in the first batch before priming it, so Its still clearing.

Dry hops would make it awesome

 

[Drunken Horse]

Finished my first brew a few weeks ago and in the bottle conditioning. I switched the supplied pack for a 11g ale yeast from Wilko's 9i didnt make a starter) I had no problems at all with it and have enjoyed the couple of bottles I've tried. Just trying to resist the rest for a while for them to get to their best.

 

[gbox82]

Currently drinking my second batch of wherry, i have used the supplied yeast on both occasions and both came out great!

I too found that it took around 6-8 weeks in the keg to get really good, as previous posters have said.

 

[redhousebrewing]

Currently drinking my second batch of wherry, i have used the supplied yeast on both occasions and both came out great!

I too found that it took around 6-8 weeks in the keg to get really good, as previous posters have said.

+1 have done 2 Wherry kits, one pitching the dry yeast straight in, the 2nd with rehydrating the yeast - both worked just fine.

 

[Underscore]

Currently drinking my second batch of wherry, i have used the supplied yeast on both occasions and both came out great!

I too found that it took around 6-8 weeks in the keg to get really good, as previous posters have said.

+1. A really nice pint now - just a shame that I'm over half way through it!

 

[WeeDave]

Well, first schoolboy error.

Fecking too much hot water. Currently the FV is sitting at 21l and about 28degs.

Currently got a fan on full setting right beside the FV. I'm just going to leave it for 15mins to see if it gets down to about 26/24 degs then pitching.

I used boiled water into the FV, filled both cans with hot water to get the stuck stuff out them and then used bottled water (room temp) to get to 17L. I then used 4L of refridgerated bottled water to get me to 21L.

What an eejit. :electric:

 

[Pinchy]

thats normal temp mate all my bews have been that temp when they are topped up. Just be patient and wait until its cool enough.

 

[GavH]

Well, first schoolboy error.

Fecking too much hot water. Currently the FV is sitting at 21l and about 28degs.

Currently got a fan on full setting right beside the FV. I'm just going to leave it for 15mins to see if it gets down to about 26/24 degs then pitching.

I used boiled water into the FV, filled both cans with hot water to get the stuck stuff out them and then used bottled water (room temp) to get to 17L. I then used 4L of refridgerated bottled water to get me to 21L.

What an eejit. :electric:

I did exactly the same thing with an Admirals Reserve except I didn't use refrigerated water. In my innocence, I pitched the dry yeast at well over 34c. Went off overnight like the proverbial rocket and settled back within 48hrs. Took a gravity reading on day 3 which was low enough to consider 'job done' but left it to the 2 WK point with no change to be sure. Bottled and drinking it now at 4 wks in the bottle. Lovely. Good head, clear, ticks almost all the boxes other than it's a bit fruity, which may be the esters from pitching too warm, or, it may be that it's supposed to taste like this. The tasting notes on the box do say its supposed to be fruity, but having not done an AR before and only two brews prior, I have no frame of reference whatsoever.

 

[Drunken Horse]

Well, first schoolboy error.

Fecking too much hot water. Currently the FV is sitting at 21l and about 28degs.

Currently got a fan on full setting right beside the FV. I'm just going to leave it for 15mins to see if it gets down to about 26/24 degs then pitching.

I used boiled water into the FV, filled both cans with hot water to get the stuck stuff out them and then used bottled water (room temp) to get to 17L. I then used 4L of refridgerated bottled water to get me to 21L.

What an eejit. :electric:

I did exactly the same thing with an Admirals Reserve except I didn't use refrigerated water. In my innocence, I pitched the dry yeast at well over 34c. Went off overnight like the proverbial rocket and settled back within 48hrs. Took a gravity reading on day 3 which was low enough to consider 'job done' but left it to the 2 WK point with no change to be sure. Bottled and drinking it now at 4 wks in the bottle. Lovely. Good head, clear, ticks almost all the boxes other than it's a bit fruity, which may be the esters from pitching too warm, or, it may be that it's supposed to taste like this. The tasting notes on the box do say its supposed to be fruity, but having not done an AR before and only two brews prior, I have no frame of reference whatsoever.

I've drunk admirals reserve from the brewery it is quite fruity.