Woodforde's Wherry?
- Thread starter The Seer
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First brew I did was a Wherry, I followed the instructions exactly. It got down to 1014 and was a nice brew even though I think I drunk it before it was fully conditioned. I'e since done a second one where I rehydrated the yeast and left it in the fv for two weeks and that got down to 1011. Both brews were kegged.
banjokat said:
I usually end up drinking mine before they're ready!
Rehydrated the yeast? You mean mixing it with tepid water then adding that to the brew? S.G. seems a little high though. :wha:
I did this kit more or less when it first came out back in the mid 90's. Very disappointed, never cleared, odd taste. :x Other's have said the same from their attempts around this period.
Though my Great Eastern Ale was superb, hence the reason for giving the Wherry another go. :pray:
rickthebrew
Landlord.
Probably one of the best kits i reckon - i`ve bottled and kegged this before with great results - i currently have 40pints bottled and a 40pint keg - the keg has been conditioning for two months and i`m gonna leave it till xmas!!
My second ever brew was a wherry! :
My second ever brew was a wherry! :
Dry hopping the keg for a few days with some dried leaf hops really makes a difference to kit beers and gives you an appreciation of the different hop flavours.
You could try dry hopping wherry with 10g of Goldings for 5 days in a sterlised muslin bag. I've tried some cracking kit beer which has been treated this way.
You could try dry hopping wherry with 10g of Goldings for 5 days in a sterlised muslin bag. I've tried some cracking kit beer which has been treated this way.
rickthebrew said:Probably one of the best kits i reckon - i`ve bottled and kegged this before with great results - i currently have 40pints bottled and a 40pint keg - the keg has been conditioning for two months and i`m gonna leave it till xmas!!
My second ever brew was a wherry! :
I'd like to leave mine until Christmas, though it's doubtful it'll survive until the end of November.
fivetide
Well-Known Member
What Wez said. Stick an ounce of EKGs, First Gold or even some Amercian aroma hops in a muzzy and pop into a secondary bin, or the barrel during the week or warm conditioning. Hoike the bag with the thread you remembered to tie to it, then condition for a month in the cold. It's not a bad brew if you give it long enough to condition and don;t get tempted into drinking 'okay' beer. If you do, I guarantee the last pint will be the best one and you'll wish you'd left it all a bit longer.
timbowden
Regular.
Just finished a king keg of wherry - crackin! but will definately try a bit of dry hopping in the future!
Old nog, muntons gold stout and muntons gold old english ale fermenting/conditioning as we speak!
tim
Old nog, muntons gold stout and muntons gold old english ale fermenting/conditioning as we speak!
tim
Only works if you like overly hoppy unbalanced beers though IMO.
IMO if your going to add hops to a kit you need to add some sweetness too. IMO. That's possibly due to my taste in beers though. Which is why beer is so great-there's a taste for everyone. :thumb:
IMO if your going to add hops to a kit you need to add some sweetness too. IMO. That's possibly due to my taste in beers though. Which is why beer is so great-there's a taste for everyone. :thumb:
fivetide
Well-Known Member
It's certainly about knowing what you like, and I think 'over-hopped' is a similarly subjective opinion. I would argue that if anything, dry-hopping pale ale, bitter and best bitter kits actually brings them closer to the taste of the majority of modern commercial ales, and that anyone new to homebrewing would be more likely to achieve results similar to the drier, bitter, more aromatic brews they are currently enjoying on the pumps these days, if they add hops.
Wherry is already on my Christmas list. I'm only just through my first kit (just about to prime the bottles), but I have liked Wherry when I have found it on tap, and could do with a bit of that in the home!
:drink:
:drink:
fivetide
Well-Known Member
Good call Mouse. The Great Eastern is another good 'Woodforde's' kit and one that is particular good with a little dry hopping with a nice aroma hop.
There are a few keys to these kits, not least huge amounts of aeration (put your paddle in a cordless drill if you want!), well rehydrated yeast or a rapid starter, reasonably temperature control and a long conditioning period (say, a week in the warm to help prime, then a further week in the cool for every .010 points of OG.
Some of them really are great. I tried somebody's Smugglers just the other day and it was excellent. And as Wez said, it's a great place to start tinkering with hops. Careful though, it's an addictive hobby...
There are a few keys to these kits, not least huge amounts of aeration (put your paddle in a cordless drill if you want!), well rehydrated yeast or a rapid starter, reasonably temperature control and a long conditioning period (say, a week in the warm to help prime, then a further week in the cool for every .010 points of OG.
Some of them really are great. I tried somebody's Smugglers just the other day and it was excellent. And as Wez said, it's a great place to start tinkering with hops. Careful though, it's an addictive hobby...
My Wherry is nearly clear. I was conditioning it out in my tin shed. I tried some didn't like the taste, so brought the barrel indoors.
I've tried it again, and now drinking it. I'm happy with the taste, more or less like the pub stuff. Could do with being slightly colder, but not as cold as the temperature outside currently.
I've not tried dry hopping, I don't know how and concerned I'll spoil it.
I've tried it again, and now drinking it. I'm happy with the taste, more or less like the pub stuff. Could do with being slightly colder, but not as cold as the temperature outside currently.
I've not tried dry hopping, I don't know how and concerned I'll spoil it.
Nice one Seer, I'm glad it has turned out well for you. :thumb:The Seer said:
As a result of that thread âThe Reasonâ and because I have never tried a premium kit, I did pick up a Wherry pre-Christmas and started it off on Jan 2nd. Gravity was down to 1.014 when I checked it at the weekend and I will probably be bottling in the next couple of days. Strange caramel smell though.
