Newbie - thrown away my instructions

[Ian the skinflint]

Hi there,

I wonder if anyone can help - I've started on my first batch of Woodfordes Wherry after getting a starter kit for Christmas. Everything seems to be going ok, and I've taken the option of being pretty patient and have left the brew in the fermenting vat for 10 days now (it says 4-6 on the instructions, but it looked like it was still bubbling away, so I thought I'd best leave it be). It seems to have calmed down now, and so I'm thinking of moving it to my keg, so I took a reading with the hydrometer - this comes out as 1.014 - the thing is, I've thrown away my instructions, and can't remember what kind of reading I'm meant to be getting to before I move everything to the keg - does anyone have any clues?

By the way, I added a bit of sugar when I was brewing it up to try to make it a bit stronger, which probably affects things.

Also, I prefer beers without a head on them really, so do I need to add sugar when I'm transferring the brew to the keg?

Cheers

Ian

[coatesg]

and can't remember what kind of reading I'm meant to be getting to before I move everything to the keg - does anyone have any clues?

Until it's stable for three days - 1.014 sounds fine as long as it's the same for three days. (And since you're kegging, if it drops another couple of points, then that'll be fine too).

By the way, I added a bit of sugar when I was brewing it up to try to make it a bit stronger, which probably affects things.

How much is "a bit".....? (If you want to make a stronger beer, you're better off using more extract rather than sugar alone, or, use a different kit that's designed to be stronger... adding sugar will thin things out, and muck around with the balance of the beer.)

Also, I prefer beers without a head on them really, so do I need to add sugar when I'm transferring the brew to the keg?

Prime the keg when you transfer with about 2oz sugar. This will ferment and create pressure in the keg and enable you to serve it. (Jim's guide here: http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/finishing.htm) You will need pressure in the keg to serve the beer, so you need a cap with a valve in really, or you run the risk of air being drawn up through the tap and causing the beer to stale. Don't be tempted to uncap and run the beer out, unless you plan on finishing the barrel in the next 24 hours!

Cheers

Ian[/quote]

[Ian the skinflint]

Thanks for this.

I think I'm doing ok then - I'll leave the brew now until Sunday and see if the FG has stayed constant.

I can see what you mean now about adding pressure to force the beer out of the keg, so I'll follow the instructions on the link.

Other than that I think I've been one of the lucky ones - I had a sip of the beer when I was drawing some out for the Hydrometer, and it tastes fine, so I must have avoided any infections or anything.

Fingers crossed anyway.

Thanks

[EoinMag]

80g of sugar is better for the wherry, so just over 3 oz.

[Lillywhite]

Prime the keg when you transfer with about 2oz sugar.

85 grams which equates to 3 ozs is the recommended amount when kegging.

[coatesg]

85 grams which equates to 3 ozs is the recommended amount when kegging.

I always tend to shoot lower when ever I have kegged in plastic and use about 60g - the kegs I have used (2" plastic caps) have had a massive tendancy to split the lid - probably slow continued fermentation (even with a stable FG) and secondary ferment from the sugar. I find I always need a bit of extra gas to push the beer out as the pressure from priming sugars never seems to be enough, and so I prefer to add the CO2 as required using a cylinder.

Either way, as long as you don't over pressurise and split the lid, it'll be fine

[scottmoss]

I always keg with 3.5oz and find it perfect for my beers. Whery turned out fantastic with this amount.

Also if you want a stonger beer just reduce the volme (the amount of water added)

[Ian the skinflint]

Just wanted to say cheers fellas.

After all your help last week (and reading the can I drink it to soon post tonight) I've just pulled my first ever home brewed pint, and it's great.

Cheers.

[EoinMag]

6 days old? Bog roll ahoy....

[jimny14]

My first ever brew was the ubiquitous (sp?) Wherry, and am happy to report that it was fantastic. Much better than my Grandad's homebrews that he used to try n push on us. I suffered from the newbie problem of no patience, n drank my first bottle 5 days after starting it to condition. Never got any bog roll related problems, n I was very happy with it. It very happily got much better over the next few weeks. If you could possibly try n wait for 8 weeks plus I promise it'll get much better. I was happy when I had my first pint, when I had the last one a few weeks later I was very impressed. As a newbie I would say it was very interesting to see how the beer conditioned over the weeks and how it improved with age. Definately spurred me on to try and be patient in the future with my beer.