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Zapp
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  • 2 weeks later...
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Have read through this thread on numerous occasions over the last couple of years with great envy!

Well, I have finally taken the plunge and bought myself a starter kit and of course.......... a Woodfordes Wherry pack!

All cleaned of and sterilised yesterday afternoon and started the kit off Early evening. After a night out with my brother and the HMR bashing a few bunnies and a fox, I got Home around 12.30 am and the air lock was just starting to show a little activity. Got up this and the brew is certainly active.... The air lock is belching every couple of seconds and the head covers the inside of the lid.

I even just spent 10 mins watching it whilst enjoying a Golden Hen...... I can't wait to bottle in a few weeks!!

Thanks to everyone who has posted on this one as it have given me a wealth of information and the confidence to have a go myself (Especially the brewing guru Zapp).

Cheers.

Edited by Pigeon Paul
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Great to hear you have taken the plunge Paul, and you've made a good choice with the Wherry kit. There is a lot of satisfaction to be had in making your own ale, and you will save quite a bit of money too.

 

Let us know how you get on, and feel free to give me a shout if you get stuck.

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Guest cookoff013

Great to hear you have taken the plunge Paul, and you've made a good choice with the Wherry kit. There is a lot of satisfaction to be had in making your own ale, and you will save quite a bit of money too.

 

Let us know how you get on, and feel free to give me a shout if you get stuck.

 

+1

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Gents,

 

I will be bottling up my first brew this weekend (14 days in the FV) & have Two questions.....

 

1, When/how to add the priming sugar to my bottling bucket? If it is added straight into the bucket will it dissolve ok? I have kept back approx 1/2 pint of wort (in the fridge in a sterile bottle) would heating and dissolving the sugar in to it do any harm? Or could I add the sugar to the bottle in the next few days to give it time to dissolve naturally?

 

2, What really is best to use for priming? Normal Cane sugar, brewing sugar, sugar beat??

 

I have spent so much time reading up on so many different techniques that I have just confused myself further!

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A good idea once you really get up and running is to calibrate your bottling bucket so that you know by litre where 18-25 litres is. That way you can rack the beer into it, see how much you have and then gently but thoroughly stir in a priming solution made from 4g of sugar per litre (approx 2g per pint). This will save you quite a bit of time over individually priming the bottles.

 

Cane sugar is fine, just make sure it is fully dissolved.

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Guest cookoff013

i just add sugar to the bottles. as for batch priming there are multiple ways to do this, as long as its dissolved and is relatively clean / sterile.

you do not want to add any contamination if you can help it.

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  • 2 months later...

Brew day today. I'm making a "London Bitter" recipe from a Greg Hughes book - its a bit of a Fullers London Pride clone I think. 23 litres, 4kg pale, 200g Crystal, 30g chocolate. Hops are Challenger, Fuggles and Goldings. I'm trying my new Buffalo boiler out properly for the first time. I tried using it once before but though I'd tested it with water, it wouldn't hold a rolling boil, with wort. Thankfully I had my old home made boiler as a fall back so the brew was saved. I've modified it by swapping the the 120 degree thermo switch for a 140 degree one. Fingers crossed, I'm forty minutes into a 1 hour boil and its holding a good rolling boil :good:

 

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IMAG1202_zpsbe5e0407.jpg

 

IMAG1205_zpsf8aa4f19.jpg

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

What Brews have folks got ready for Christmas , and more importantly when dose sampling commence,??

 

moving house etc etc meant time was very limited so I took the easy cheats option of Young's harvest mild, chucked in a Top tap king keg and left to get on with it, (I do normally put a bit more effort in to it !

 

im not expecting miracles , but hopefully something vaguely drinkable.

 

its currently in its cold / clearing phase in the shed , im hoping to break the seal Christmas eve so ill pop a picture up (if im still alive )

 

ATB HD

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What Brews have folks got ready for Christmas , and more importantly when dose sampling commence,??

 

moving house etc etc meant time was very limited so I took the easy cheats option of Young's harvest mild, chucked in a Top tap king keg and left to get on with it, (I do normally put a bit more effort in to it !

 

im not expecting miracles , but hopefully something vaguely drinkable.

 

its currently in its cold / clearing phase in the shed , im hoping to break the seal Christmas eve so ill pop a picture up (if im still alive )

 

ATB HD

My brew at post 264 should be ready for Christmas. A sample a week ago was very promising. I also have a few bottles left of my previous two brews, a Ringwood old thumper clone and a very hoppy American IPA. I've brewed the latter three times now, its a corker.

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What Brews have folks got ready for Christmas , and more importantly when dose sampling commence,??

 

 

Sampling started a week back mate :yes:

 

Had a bit of a bash for a few mates, eight brews on the go. Three in casks, four in kegs and one in bottles - I must admit to feeling like death for a couple of days after.

 

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I've got a ruby mild and a dark, malty cascade beer left over for Christmas now I'm just about feeling up to drinking again!

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The Wet Spaniel looks like a fine establishment! Any chance of a lock in? :)

 

Absolutely mate , as long as you don't mind pulling your own pints - the landlord is usually asleep under the bar by half ten!!

 

errr that makes my half a pint of cloudy **** look rather pathetic . Top job all that effort must be worth it

 

I think as long as you've enjoyed making it and enjoy drining it that's all that matters HD.

 

 

 

We usually have a couple of 'beer fests' a year and it's as much fun in the planning and brewing as it is on the actual day.

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