Jim's Beer Kit

Hi Jocky, Many thanks for a super quick reply and concise instructions. I didn’t expect that! I’m not too worried about the cost of using an alternative to sugar, more interested in effective priming without altering the taste detrimentally. I have previously used carbonation drops (Coopers) directl...

Just trying to gather peoples views on a couple questions please: Is it easy/good to rehydrate a kit yeast before pitching and if it is a better way to do things how best to rehydrate the yeast? Secondly, which is considered better, to use a sugar or spray malt for priming for secondary fermentation...

Oh I forgot to say that I too have been saving commercial beer bottles but I’m not a prolific drinker and my collection of glass beer bottles is only increasing in quantity very slowly. I will still have to buy bottles (when they come back into stock at the brew shop) to make sure I have enough to r...

Hi Kendizle, All good stuff, thank you. Yes I’d picked up on the 2,2 & 2 procedure and it was this that I followed when I did the Wherry kit. I think where I went wrong was just after I popped the carbonation drops into the bottles and screwed on the caps. I should have agitated the bottles and then...

Hi Manngold, Thank you for your tip. However I think I’d prefer the glass beer bottles as if I were to proudly share any of my brew with others it will look just that little bit more “professional”. Mind you I suppose I could rack to a variety of different bottles but that would mean it would be mor...

Ah, I missed that, you “cold crashed” before bottling. I had in my mind that you had racked to bottles before cold crashing. So a new meaning for “twang” is an off taste in home brew beer and there I was thinking of elastic bands! Yes, I certainly didn’t pick up any odd taste in my Woodforde Wherry ...

Hi Kendizle, Thank you for your tips, that was very helpful of you. I will certainly consider swapping the yeast at your suggestion, I’ll Have to see what my brew shop has available. I use bottled spring water simply because my tap water is sourced from a lake about a kilometre away (it a private wa...

Hi MarkA, Thank you, yes I hope to make a new batch some time over the Easter weekend (my 2nd ever brew). It’s another kit, though it’s the larger 2 can kit supposedly giving 32 pints this time. (woodfordes Admirals Reserve). I am toying around with the idea of doing a priming mix using disolved DME...

Hi, I just thought I’d Update every one on my bottle carbonation issue. I took the advice of returning the bottles to the 20 deg C environment and gave each bottle a gentle shake before standing them upright. After 4 day’s I checked the firmness of the PET bottles by squeezing them. They had definit...

Thank you MarkA and Sonicated, I’m Feeling a little more confident that my brew might yet sparkle (at least a little). I’ll keep giving the PET bottles a little squeeze to see if they firm up in the coming weeks. I’m just getting ready to start my second Woodforde’s kit (Admirals Reserve) so hopeful...

Hi MarkA, Thank you for your reply and advise. I had been squeezing the side of the PET bottles to see if there was any increase in pressure but I couldn’t detect any obvious change from when I first filled the bottles. However I have now put my bottles back into the 20 deg C room and will monitor t...

Hi, really appreciate some guidance please. I just tried my first home brew, Woodforde Wherry and I’ve Got to the tasting stage (I think). Basically the beer is as flat as a pancake! I used the 1 can kit (20 pint) but instead of following the kit instructions I took heed of advice generally given in...