Woodforde's Wherry Kit (Help for a newbie please)

[Dill]

Hi everyone, I am a newbie to brewing and this forum and I have just bought the necessary items to get me started in home brewing. Having been on this and a few other forums I decided to get the “Woodforde’s Wherry” kit as it seems to be highly praised amongst the home brewing fraternity.
Trouble is I am having trouble with the simple instructions either I am too simple to understand them or the instructions are too simple for me. (I’ll let you decide that one…answers on a postcard please).

Step 1. Clean and sterilise all beer making equipment. Stand cans in hot water for 5 minutes. Pour can contents into the sterilized fermenter

Ok. I’m happy with that. Seems very straight forward

Step 2. Add 3.5 litres (6 Pints) boiling water, top up with cold water to 23 Litres (40Pints) and thoroughly mix to ensure all contents are fully dissolved.

Yes I think I should be able to cope with that

Step 3. Add the yeast, cover the fermenter and leave it to stand for 4-6 days in a warm place (between 18-20°C, 65-70°F) Fermentation will be complete when bubbles cease to rise. (If you use a hydrometer, when the gravity remains constant below 1014°)

Now here is where I have a few questions

Add the yeast.
Do I just sprinkle the yeast on top of the thoroughly mixed liquid and just leave sprinkled on top and cover the fermenter?
Or

Do I sprinkle the yeast on top of the thoroughly mixed liquid and give another through mixing then cover?
Or

Do I sprinkle the yeast on top of the thoroughly mixed liquid and just give a quick stir and then cover?

Now I am sure I read in one of the postings that their kit also came with a leaflet in the box instructing another way (probably rehydrating the yeast) but my kit didn’t have this leaflet in so if anyone could also advise me about this leaflet I would be very grateful.

Also is it advisable to use a different yeast to the on that came with the kit?

I look forward to reading all your comments and would like to thank you all in advance for any help offered.

May I also just add what a great site and forum this is

[Totem]

What you might want to do is rehydrate the yeast before pitching. Just add it to half a pint of pre cooled boiled water with a tea spoon of sugar for a few hours before needing it. It's prob best to stick with the kit yeast on your first atempt but there are a few other good choices to use. Make sure you take a hydrometer reading before you start too. Good luck.

[kenny850]

Hi Dill, like yourself i am new to home brew and this forum and am also making a batch of wherry- its been in the bucket for 5 days now. I had a lot of useful advice off this site and you might want to visit the posts, about 5 down under "1st brew" i certainly couldnt offer you any advice myself but the guys on here are first class. My s.g. was 1050 and after 4 days @ 18c it had fallen to 1022, hope this helps

[Aleman]

What you might want to do is rehydrate the yeast before pitching. Just add it to half a pint of pre cooled boiled water with a tea spoon of sugar for a few hours before needing it.

Do NOT do this!!!

You get a better survival rate by using plain cooled pre boiled water (with nothing added). The optimum temperature to do this, as crazy as it sounds, is 30C . . . although yeast varieties do vary. put 100ml of the cooled boiled water in a pyrex jug (cleaned and sanitised . . . boil water in it in the microwave ), sprinkle the yeast on the top and leave it alone for 15 minutes. then swirl it around to suspend the yeast and pitch within 15 minutes . . . you can always add it to the can rinisings (ONCE COOLED) and pitch when its working you will get a better fermentation this way.

Never, ever , ever use a sugar solution to rehydrate yeast, you are wasting your time

[5thelement]

First kit i did i just sprinkled it on top as per the instructions then stirred it in well.

[JohnJeye]

As long as yeast and wort are combined within a temp range of about 14oC - 35oC then your heading in the right direction for beer.


Of course there is alot of learning to do and refinements to try from this basic method so better stock up on kits and clean some pint glasses

[Totem]

What you might want to do is rehydrate the yeast before pitching. Just add it to half a pint of pre cooled boiled water with a tea spoon of sugar for a few hours before needing it.

Do NOT do this!!!

You get a better survival rate by using plain cooled pre boiled water (with nothing added). The optimum temperature to do this, as crazy as it sounds, is 30C . . . although yeast varieties do vary. put 100ml of the cooled boiled water in a pyrex jug (cleaned and sanitised . . . boil water in it in the microwave ), sprinkle the yeast on the top and leave it alone for 15 minutes. then swirl it around to suspend the yeast and pitch within 15 minutes . . . you can always add it to the can rinisings ([ONCE COOLED[/b]) and pitch when its working you will get a better fermentation this way.

Never, ever , ever use a sugar solution to rehydrate yeast, you are wasting your time

Maybe thats where im going wrong! - although no bad results yet *fingers crossed for current brew*

[toshlad]

I'm also completely new to this and purchased the same kit although the instructions on mine said 6pts boiling and 29pts cold. I just did exactly what it said on the tin and still have at least another 10 days before I find out if this was the right thing to do!!!

Good luck with it