Woodfordes Wherry is my inaugural brew….two days into fermentation and I’m like a nervous father to be….keep keeping its OK. The man cave now has beer to add to bikes!

No replies necessary, just wanted to share my enjoyment of watching 40litres of brown liquid ferment!

Rock on

Good for you, be patient though, don’t drink it for at least 8 weeks after bottling it. WW isn’t one to be drunk ‘young’.

No, I was mega excited. My wife wasn’t happy as I’d come in from work and go straight to the cupboard rather than check up on her (who was/is expecting a baby).

Sounds good. What kind of beer is WW? A pale hoppy session beer or a heavyweight?

It is sometimes wrong to be excited, in this case everything is cool.

No, I was mega excited. My wife wasn’t happy as I’d come in from work and go straight to the cupboard rather than check up on her (who was/is expecting a baby).

Never knew your good lady was expecting Tom, that’s awesome!. All the best mate. 😀

Was recommended WW by a mate so fingers crossed it’s a good drinker.

ale linky

I have a batch of American IPA waiting for its yeast. Got to take my drums up to the other practice room but when I get back, yeast in.
All grain brew in a bag, OG1059, 20 litres of pale hoppy goodness. Yeast will be Safale US05, “Chico” strain as used in Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

OP , don’t be tempted to keep popping the lid to have a look, that way contamination lies (potentially). And ignore the instructions about how long it takes. It will be done when it’s done, not after X days. Best way to check is with a hydrometer. If it shows the same reading, below 1012, for three consecutive days, it’s done. Should be around 7 days, don’t even think of looking before that

Put my first ever homebrew ( muntons gold ipa) into the fermenter yesterday. Got up this morning to find the bubbler happily bubbling away as the brew fermented…..have been ecstatic all day about it.
This is in kit form. Already hunting down recipes for extract ipa brewing!
Any handy hints or tips from people?

All sounds good gang. To test with hydrometer should I just scoop some out with a sterile measuring container or do I need to symphony some out? This whole contamination thing concerns me!

Sterilise a turkey basiter or similar and use that to take a sample.
That’s what was told to me

Slight hijack – I recently brewed and bottled some homebrew and it’s completely clear in the bottle until I open it, at which point it goes not clear (I’m not sure cloudy, just not clear) and it’s very carbonated but tastes fine. Any ideas on what’s going on here?

Could be that you’re disturbing the bottle as you open it, or you’re not pouring especially carefully, or it could that it’s over carbonated and the act of opening releases enough gas to disturb the sediment.

Wild guesses I’m afraid.

Did you use finings before bottling? How much priming sugar did you use. How gassy is it?

I always get excited for the first tasting even after about 7 batches. I generally try a bottle too early and am disappointed. Wait.

If you bottle your beer, have at least one PET (plastic) bottle in each batch. You’ll know when the batch is carbonated as the PET bottle will be rock hard – like a brand new unopened bottle of your favourite fizzy pop. Normally takes 2-3 weeks from bottling, if kept in a warm place, but the beer will improve if it’s then moved to a cool dark place for at least another 2-3 weeks.

Coopers do these bottles in batches of 24 for about a tenner. Tesco sell said bottles if your LHBS doesn’t

Wilko sell plastic bottles as well, can’t recall if they are coopers ones though.

Don’t get a wilko branded can kit, the one I did was horrible.

I’m told to bottle after 7-10 days of stuff being in the fermenter.( and to see when gravity reaches about 1014)
How long to condition once bottled? I’m hoping to have the stuff in bottles for about 3 weeks so I can crack them open with my brother and father around the 15 th feb for the rugby. That sound about right?
Also rather than sugar I was given carbonation drops ( coopers) are these any good does anyone know?

The wilko plastic bottles will be fine, even if not branded as coopers.

Conditioning takes at least 2-3 weeks -see my post above. The longer, the better, especially with some kits eg Coopers IPA

Coopers carbonation drops are fine if a tad expensive for what is basically sugar. Other brands are available from a good home brew store. Half a teaspoon of sugar is even cheaper, if a bit of a faff. Use a cook’s measuring spoon set, using the half teaspoon size, a level one of those is perfect for ales; use more if you like it gassy

7-10 days is a good rule of thumb but you should always check with a hydrometer. The turkey Baster idea above is a good one. If it’s below 1014 and doesn’t change over 3 consecutive days then it’s definitely done. Some two can kits have been known to “stick” at around 1020; give it a gentle stir if it does and leave it another 3-4 days.

Aye, it’s usually fizzy enough, it’s the conditioning I need to wait for.

Wait longer if it’s colder.

Did you use finings before bottling? How much priming sugar did you use. How gassy is it?

I didn’t and just under a teaspoon per (500ml) bottle. It’s quite carbonated though, none have blown their tops off but popping the cap off does cause it to fizz enough to overflow the bottle if you don’t pour it quickly.

edit: when poured and settled a bit:

Eek! That’s mud, that is. I recommend using finings on your next brew 😯

Unless it’s a wheat beer 😈

Sorry!

I use Isinglass finings or auxiliary finings – one or t’other, never both, before bottling.

Make sure fermentation has finished – see above – and siphon the beer into a clean fermenter; add sufficient finings for the batch size and leave for 2-3 days before bottling. For priming, 1/2 a teaspoon per 500ml bottle

I didn’t and just under a teaspoon per (500ml) bottle. It’s quite carbonated though, none have blown their tops off but popping the cap off does cause it to fizz enough to overflow the bottle if you don’t pour it quickly.

Batch prime it in a bottling bucket, mutch easier and more consistent carbonation.

As for primary fermentation, it’s done when it’s done. The instructions are merely guidelines under perfect conditions, I’ve had beers which say 10 days take 3 weeks, just got to be patient.

I brewed an IPA back in May last year and drank it over Christmas, 6 months in the bottle produced a really nice beer.

That looks horrible. Does it give you bad guts?

When your primary fermentation finishes, how are you transferring it to bottles? I’d recommend first transferring it to a clean bucket using a filtered siphon. Leave about an inch in the bottom too as that’s where all the sediment remains. Try to avoid stirring the first bucket up as you’re transferring.

This was my summer batch of coopers mexican lager. Crystal clear and absolutely delicious. The winter batch is just as clear but not as frothy, I think I transferred the bottles to the outside shed a bit too early and secondary fermentation didn’t go as well.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/ozXh45]2014-08-06 21.38.27[/url] by Jon Wyatt, on Flickr

Further to the good advice above – if you’ve transferred the beer to a second (clean) fermenter prior to bottling, leave it in a cold place – an enormous fridge would be ideal but cellar, shed would do. This helps yeast to fall to the bottom, gives a clearer ale.

Best bit of kit for saving faff – a bottling stick makes bottling a clean and quick job. Have a look on Hop & Grape or other home brewing website.
Watch out – brewings an addictive shed activity…..

I think I transferred the bottles to the outside shed a bit too early

My Dad used to keep his bottled home brew in our brick outhouse. One particularly cold winter, the contents started to freeze resulting in loads of exploding bottles of home brew.

He wasn’t a happy chicken. 😆

hmmmm…patience definitely is something I’ll have to master. With regards fermentation temperature does it have to be 18-20c? I have a feeling mine might be on the lower end. Does it mean it will just take longer or will it not work? I bought a kit with a barrel but bough 24 coopers PET bottles also. Once fermented should I syphon into the bottles for conditioning and put the rest in the barrel?

Thanks

p.s. think this is my most successful thread yet!

I think for fermentation 18-20 is ideal, but i think anything in that region will be ok. it will only stop fermenting when getting closer to 15 degrees. similarly anything much above 24 degress will kill the yeast basically. lower temps for longer seems to be generally preferable to higher temps, as this can cause the yeast to produce off flavours.

Yeast is actually surprisingly tolerant across the range, although keeping the temp constant will produce more consistent results. If you are DIY-minded google brew fridge and you’ll find some weird and wonderful ways of controlling your brewing temp environment. I followed a thread on the brewuk forum and built a temp controller for about 20 quid. Probably one of the best things i’ve done for improving my beer.

Has anyone pointed you to the mecca of brewing threads on here? loads of great advice on here

With regards fermentation temperature does it have to be 18-20c?

The first few days of fermentation are the most important in terms of temp control, but remember that if you stick the fermentation vessel in a room that is 20 degrees, the temperature of the fermenting wort will be a good few degrees higher than this. If you have no way of controlling temps, cooler is mostly definitely better.

I tend to pitch at 21 degrees and keep it there until fermentation starts, then drop to 17-19 depending on what i’m brewing and what yeast i’m using. Then I’ll gradually ramp it up as fermentation slows.

Pick up wine chiller from ebay/gumtree and an STC temp controller. You could probably get both for under £40. Loads of threads knocking around the internet on how to put it together (very straight forward) and that will allow you to have complete control over fermentation temps.

IMO, being able to control fermentation temps is the biggest step in improving your beer (assuming your cleaning/sanitation regime is already good).

Wow….think I might have opened a ‘pardoras box of beer’ here…..don’t think i’m going to be satisfied until it’s perfected!

Fermentation bucket is currently in the garage with a aquarium heater submerged. Giving me around 17-19 degrees I think. (Yep aquarium heater was because I was too cheap to buy a heating belt and it wasn’t allowed to come inside!). Time will tell if my first bodge will work.

Brew on!

That looks horrible. Does it give you bad guts?

Oddly, it doesn’t seem to but I’m not a big drinker so haven’t ever had more than one bottle in an evening. Think that I’ll probably throw it out and have another go using the advice in this thread 🙂

That’s a big step to take for a first time batch. I think the first brew I threw away was my 4th wine. It really was quite vile even though I left it bottled for 9 months. Something went very wrong with that one.

Try being very gentle with your bottles. Don’t move them for a few days before pouring, pour very slowly and watch to see if sediment is entering into the glass and stop if it is.

The key thing for homebrewing is to keep a pretty constant fermentation temperature (and that which occurs when bottle conditioning) of 17-20 degrees Celcius (unless you’re brewing a Saison). Remember, fermentation is exo-thermic so the temperature of the beer will be slightly higher than the surrounding. Aquarium heater in a builders bucket, filled with water and the fermentation bucket stood in it, is a good way of controlling this.

The yeast will cope with higher temperatures but more yeast (off) flavour compounds such as banana flavour esters will be produced along with higher alcohols. These are like ethanol (what you want) but with more Carbons and make the beer taste harshly alcoholic but will give you that nasty headache the next day.

WW is a great beer to start with and whilst tasting good, it does take a long time to drop clear. From memory, 4 weeks is pretty normal.

Just doing my first for 33 years (I’m 50). It’s been fermenting since Thursday. Airlock went a bit wild over the weekend and now doesn’t seem to be bubbling. I was planning to check the specific gravity after 7 days – should I check earlier given the lack of activity?

Also, any recommendations for a “Budvar” style lager kit?

OK….so it sounds like patience, attention to detail and a bit more patience is required to brew good beer.

Hmmm….should have asked Father Christmas for some patience and attention to detail then!

Question for those in the know…..
What’s the benefit of syphoning off the brew into a secondary fermentation vessel? Why not just transfer the brew In to bottles and bottle condition the beer ?

Also anyone know of a fantastic extract ipa recipe?

What’s the benefit of syphoning off the brew into a secondary fermentation vessel? Why not just transfer the brew In to bottles and bottle condition the beer ?

In general, bottle conditioning isn’t as effective at clearing up beer as leaving it on the yeast cake for a bit longer…but I rarely transfer to secondary…the perceived benefits (eg greater clarity) don’t outweigh the additional risk of infection, the faff or the exposure to oxygen. My beers normally come out clear anyway and I don’t have them sitting on yeast long enough to worry about having to get it off the cake (save for big beers where I do transfer to secondary to age).

I even dry hop in primary.

For a regular IPA, I tend to leave in the primary for 3 weeks and then bottle. I taste along the way so can easily leave for another week or two if it tastes like it would benefit from it.

Normally I let it sit at 17-19 degrees until fermentation has mostly complete, then gradually ramp up to 19-21 for a week or two, then dry hop for a few days and then cold crash for a few days.

Keep tasting though, I’d had beers taste great and are clear very quickly, so provided I’ve hit my FG I just bottle it.

Peterfile I take your point about the secondary fermenter, but I batch prime, and it’s become habit!
Never increased temp after fermentation has finished – always gone straight to cold – is this to ensure that it ferments as close to dryness as possible?

I get good IPA results with this:

Coopers IPA kit
1kg light spraymalt
60g Cascade hops in hop bag

Boil for 20 minutes

Make up to 17l in FV, add 40g cascade hops, Pitch Yeast (Safale so5) as close to 20deg as possible. Usually gets an og of 1048, final g of 1005 which equates to about 4.6% abv. Never bother with finings. Nice draft or bottled.

Cheers for that guys. Most helpful!:)
Any top tips for the bottling stage?i have a tap at the bottom of my fermentor, there is no problem in using that to fill up my bottles is there?
M

Wow, this thread has brought back some memories, I made WW as my first ever homebrew kit a few years ago.

It also reminds me that I made a batch of some strong 7.2% IPA that I bottled into 40 dark bottles……oh, probably 2 – 2.5 years ago. 30 of these have been sat still, in the dark bottles, in boxes, in a cupboard, in my loft for 2 – 2.5 years now. Are there any experts here who can tell me whether this will now be super conditioned into an amazing beer, or has the fact that I essentially forgot about them for 2 years killed them? Does homebrew go off?