Hi all
Planning to brew another Woodfordes Wherry kit shortly and to improve on this excellent kit want to try out one of the 'brupaks' Flavapaks. Has anyone tried them and if so what were the results?
Brewed a Brewferm Triple yesterday with T-58 yeast - yeast head was 4" thick this morning when I checked.
Regards
Flavapaks
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Bayerd
Re: Flavapaks
I've used them in the past, they work out expensive for what they are. You'd be better off getting crystal or amber malt and hops of your choice and steeping those instead. There's plenty of ideas in the modified kit thread to get you going.
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Uncle Joshua
Re: Flavapaks
I bought a Flavapak after reading this thread....chat at my LHBS says they'll make any kit taste better. i'll report back.
Re: Flavapaks
i used the ale one in a coopers ipa...also added a lash of cascade but the flava really added grainy freshness, i paid 2.45 euro so 2.10 gbp ...if just starting with tweaking its great if you brew a bit better off get 500g crystal and a bag of what ever hop floats your boat.///.............also have a lager one and a coopers pilsner kit to do...maybe with 750 light dme / 500g sugar
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Otters
Re: Flavapaks
I think that I will try a 'Flavapak' for the Wherry and report back on the findings, if it doesn't work, i'll have to go for the addition of crystal and probably goldings! thats for the advice..
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Bayerd
Re: Flavapaks
No sense in wasting a Flavapak if you've already bought itOtters wrote:I think that I will try a 'Flavapak' for the Wherry and report back on the findings, if it doesn't work, i'll have to go for the addition of crystal and probably goldings! thats for the advice..
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Otters
Re: Flavapaks
Hi All, will brew another woodfordes wherry at the weekend - with a few additions.
1, will use us-o5 yeast clean pallete and good attenuation (should help with the sticking problem around 1018 /1016 mark)
2, use a brupaks 'flavapak' to impart some more flavour and aroma to this already teriffic brew
I'm bottling this one and will update you all - periodically on the brews progress.
Regards Otters.
1, will use us-o5 yeast clean pallete and good attenuation (should help with the sticking problem around 1018 /1016 mark)
2, use a brupaks 'flavapak' to impart some more flavour and aroma to this already teriffic brew
I'm bottling this one and will update you all - periodically on the brews progress.
Regards Otters.
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EoinMag
Re: Flavapaks
I found the flavapaks really did a lot to freshen up a kit and are a very non-intimidating way to start with steeping and tweaking, well worth it in my opinion.
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twentyfootwilf
Re: Flavapaks
I have just finished drinking a keg of wherry (not all at once!!!!! 
) I added East kent goldings hops by boiling 25g for 20 mins and 25g for 7 mins and adding the resulting liquor to the fermenter. I didn't bother adding any crystal malt to the boil as I figured that being an all malt kit it wouldn't need any more, but a little fresh grain may be useful. I was very very pleased with the results of adding the EKG hops the extra fresh hop flavour without any extra bitterness made for an excellent pint. The hop aroma from the 7 min boil was very evident too. I will certainly be using this method again (in fact I'm just doing something similar with a coopers English Bitter using fuggles plus 250g of crystal malt) With the wherry I used safale 04 yeast instead of the kit yeast, with good results.
I think the flavour packs have only very small amounts of hops and grain and I would certainly recommend using hops and grain bought separately and placed in muslin bags. Just my opinion though
) I added East kent goldings hops by boiling 25g for 20 mins and 25g for 7 mins and adding the resulting liquor to the fermenter. I didn't bother adding any crystal malt to the boil as I figured that being an all malt kit it wouldn't need any more, but a little fresh grain may be useful. I was very very pleased with the results of adding the EKG hops the extra fresh hop flavour without any extra bitterness made for an excellent pint. The hop aroma from the 7 min boil was very evident too. I will certainly be using this method again (in fact I'm just doing something similar with a coopers English Bitter using fuggles plus 250g of crystal malt) With the wherry I used safale 04 yeast instead of the kit yeast, with good results. I think the flavour packs have only very small amounts of hops and grain and I would certainly recommend using hops and grain bought separately and placed in muslin bags. Just my opinion though
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Otters
Re: Flavapaks
Thanks for the advice twentyfootwilf.
I've been hunting for some sound advice of improving upon Wherry, I think you've hit the nail on the head. I will try your method for the next brew. Note that you have been using S-04,i have been using this as stock yeast for while now. However Iam about to trial US-05 to see if I can improve on crispness and attenuation.
Have you tried US-05 before?
Once again thanks for the advice.
Regards Otters.
I've been hunting for some sound advice of improving upon Wherry, I think you've hit the nail on the head. I will try your method for the next brew. Note that you have been using S-04,i have been using this as stock yeast for while now. However Iam about to trial US-05 to see if I can improve on crispness and attenuation.
Have you tried US-05 before?
Once again thanks for the advice.
Regards Otters.
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twentyfootwilf
Re: Flavapaks
I have used us05 on a few occasions, mainly when making a lager using an ale yeast, most recently Coopers Canadian Blonde, purely because of it's ability to attenuate to a low FG and the crispness. I haven't used it for ales as such but I would imagine it will achieve what you're after if it is a crisp finish. I would imagine it would work quite well with wherry as if I have any critisism of it is it's tendency to be a little cloying on the palette, which is why the extra hops sharpen it up (if you like hops that is).
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Otters
Re: Flavapaks
Brewed the Wherry yesterday and used the Flavapak - which incidently was very easy - if you've brewed one of the Brupaks microbrewery range of kits then this is basically it.
Once i'd dumped the wort into the FV I refilled the tins with boiling water rinsed in the normal way, refilled and dropped the hop teabag in one and the two packs of grain in the other. covered and left for the perscribed 30mins. removed the bags and dumped the contents into the FV. Then filled up to 20L with an SG of 1048. so assuming fermentation gets to 1014 thats about 4.5% ish maybe even 4.7%?
The FV smells gorgeous this morning, it tasted good yesterday lots of 'hops and grains', so i'm expecting a more enhanced wherry in the weeks to come.
I'll let you know of course. but for now Flavapaks look good for the money.
Kind regards Otters
Once i'd dumped the wort into the FV I refilled the tins with boiling water rinsed in the normal way, refilled and dropped the hop teabag in one and the two packs of grain in the other. covered and left for the perscribed 30mins. removed the bags and dumped the contents into the FV. Then filled up to 20L with an SG of 1048. so assuming fermentation gets to 1014 thats about 4.5% ish maybe even 4.7%?
The FV smells gorgeous this morning, it tasted good yesterday lots of 'hops and grains', so i'm expecting a more enhanced wherry in the weeks to come.
I'll let you know of course. but for now Flavapaks look good for the money.
Kind regards Otters
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Otters
Re: Flavapaks
Hi All
It's been a while since I wrote the last post about Flavapaks.
Since that time the Wherry has come into condition and the Nog (also flavapak'd - hence it's inclusion here) is not far behind.
Both brews have without a doubt been improved by the addition of, a hop and grain tea bag, details of my findings follow:
1) Aroma, there is a detectable light hop aroma present on the wherry, which is pleasing and not out of balance for the style of beer, very impressive and brings this brew up to commercial level products.
2) greater hop flavour and grain (crystal malt) is evident when sampling this beer, interestingly the hop and malt character, is blanced and therefore does not alter the beers flavour - but in my opinion enhances it.
In summary:
Flavapaks add a subtle enhancement - that's worth the time, cost and effort to improve your brews - the hop and grains are balanced and meld well with the original premise of the beer style without altering it.
They've got my thumbs up and i'll be using them again for future brews. In fact i'll have a wherry going on at the start of next month which will be flavapak'd.
Regards Otters.
It's been a while since I wrote the last post about Flavapaks.
Since that time the Wherry has come into condition and the Nog (also flavapak'd - hence it's inclusion here) is not far behind.
Both brews have without a doubt been improved by the addition of, a hop and grain tea bag, details of my findings follow:
1) Aroma, there is a detectable light hop aroma present on the wherry, which is pleasing and not out of balance for the style of beer, very impressive and brings this brew up to commercial level products.
2) greater hop flavour and grain (crystal malt) is evident when sampling this beer, interestingly the hop and malt character, is blanced and therefore does not alter the beers flavour - but in my opinion enhances it.
In summary:
Flavapaks add a subtle enhancement - that's worth the time, cost and effort to improve your brews - the hop and grains are balanced and meld well with the original premise of the beer style without altering it.
They've got my thumbs up and i'll be using them again for future brews. In fact i'll have a wherry going on at the start of next month which will be flavapak'd.
Regards Otters.