1st Brews

Discoverrick

First home brew kit was half bottled and half kegged on the 8th of January. It was a Woodforde's Wherry Ale, (Rookie fool proof) 40 pints of. I brewed for 7 days and siphoned into my pressure barrel then filled the bottles via the tap (Messy won't be doing it again this way). Seeing as this was my first attempt at home brewing I was not sure about the sediment in the bottles but thought that following the instructions on the box would be sufficient to get a reasonable ale. I could not resist trying a bottle after a week when I came home inebriated from the pub, unfortunately being drunk I could not remember what it tasted like the following morning. I hung on till Wednesday where after drinking three felt I had a good ale. From the bottle it was clear flavourful and held a small head, so apart from the head retention and a slight sweetness I was happy. What I was not happy about was the amount of sediment in the bottle. Although the bottles where clear I think I got too much in and/or it had not had enough time to compact (if it does?). So more than 2 inches had to be sacrificed to the beer gods every time boo. I waited till the 2 weeks were up to try the cask and it was great really good. Head, flavour...... but the beer had not settled yet. I thought that I could let that develop over the next two weeks. Unfortunately after discussing my brew with my father in-law he asked if he and a mate could come and try a bottle on the way to the pub, great! I thought...... I'll get to hear someone else's opinion. I was going to be in on my own bottling my next brew (Magnum Elderflower Cider, which I'll discuss next time after I've tried it) so it was good to have a bit of chatter. Problem being of course they did like it and stayed at "Pub Smith" till after eleven. So my cask never got to age. Reading up about it now I believe that it was a bit on the weak side and that in order to get the 4.5 abv advertised you need to not add as much water. I bought a second fermenting bin and some finings but I think I will leave the next ale in the secondary longer, may be 10 days then rack into the second bin and cold condition in there before kegging 75% of it. I have bought a clip and stiff siphon tube to reduce sediment transfer further. I will keep the finings for a summer, none-kit brew. Cider looks good and clear need to give it a week in the Grolsh bottles before trying. Will cold condition that for last 2 days of the 7. I know I want to condition my beer for longer so have started to brew Woodforde's Nelson's Revenge . This was supposed to produce 36 pints of 5% Ale. I read that you need to add less water than they say after I started the brew on the 26th so I have added 300g of brewing sugar with another litre of water hope this gives a bit more umph. Hopefully I will be content with the cider till the Ale's are ready I want to give it a month in the Keg. I may buy another keg to start conditioning next brew ASAP. So I have 7 bottles of Wherry, four of which I shook to reduce the chance I would drink them (don't know what effect that will have on them), 49 bottles of elderflower cider and a Nelsons revenge in the FV. Think I could do the lager in the bottles I have as well. Don't want to to be short of ale. ttfn. p.s. make that 6 wherry and 47 cider........ahem

Discoverrick

Magnum elderflower cider review Well, at the end of my last review I mentioned that I had drank 2 of my ciders. I only am glad I did so now as I can see the massive improvement in taste after two days cold store (shed). I was disappointed in sediment of my last brew (Woodforde's Wherry), only due I'm sure to my ineptitude in brewing (still went down fine). Well Magnum Cider? Yes. I hope I can wait a couple of weeks before I drink it all as it is crystal clear and is so much improved. I have drank 3 bottles tonight and was worried about the strength being low as I forgot to take initial gravity reading (as I have for next ale Woodforde's Nelsons Revenge). However, I think its fine now, may be 4.5%. I realise that you do have to check your levels much more carefully than I have done and will ensure I adjust water and sugar levels appropriately as well as full fermentation completion. Think that there is a slight initial off taste which will improve if only I can not drink it. I will have to make the Turbo Cider to compare. Cheers! ttfn.

HBO_Staff

As you have found brews can really improve if left for a few weeks in the barrel or bottles, so if you can get yourself a brew or two in front of yourself they can be left to condition and then drank at their best. It also gives them chance to clear properly. If bottling we highly recommend using a 'little bottler' attached to your fermenting vessel as this really minimises disturbance of the sediment, and it makes filling bottles unbelievably easy and quick, with no waste which is important!
http://home-brew-online.myshopify.com/collections/all/products/little-bottler-complete

They are also available with a vessel, so if you fermented in your first vessel, then syphoned over to the second (with the little bottler already attached) when it is nearing completion and leave to settle again, this reduces sediment even further as it in effect leaves it behind twice;
http://home-brew-online.myshopify.com/collections/all/products/beer-wine-fermenting-vessel-25-ltr-little-bottler

Your brew can then be bottled using the little bottler. If sediment is a real problem, then try a yeast upgrade such as Danstar - this compacts the sediment in to a thick sludge which is very well compacted and much harder to disturb, if you want you can even try tipping the vessel to get the last bit without disturbing it too much too!

If you want your brew a bit stronger then you can do one of two things, or a combination of the two, either reduce the water volume down by a few pints and make a 40 pint kit to say 36 pints, or add more fermenatable sugars which will then ferment into alcohol - ideally in the form of brew enhancer or spraymalt. The additional sugars will ferment and increase the finished strength of your brew.