Woodforde Wherry Question (I think it might be ruined)

[mshergold]

I made up a Woodfordes Wherry kit on the morning of Friday 31/10 following the instructions to the letter. Because it was a little chilly in our cellar, I put a Brew-Belt around the base of the fermenting bin to give it a good start and turned it off later in the day.

I've just opened the bin to see if fermentation had finished and got a really chemically and alcoholic whiff.

I think that the OG was 1.042 and now it's at 1.017 (these are temperature adjusted readings. See my attached drawing for where the hydrometer sat).

Can anyone tell me if they think that I've got a problem? Oh, one other thing, I switched the Brew-Belt back on on Saturday for a while, but forgot to turn it off until today! Any help/comments/criticism (constructive or otherwise) is gratefully appreciated.

Mark

[Ditch]

Living in an unheated place myself, I'd suggest an externally settable aquarium heater / stat would be a better bet than a belt. Set it to 19 degrees. Test it in a half bucket of water till it's reading right. Relax.

Belts just sit there, giving out the same heat, regardless. People talk of moving them up and down? Why do that? It's what a thermostat's for.

[Marts]

Doesn't sound like a problem so far. Woodforde's kits have a tendency to stick at anywhere from 1012-1020. I can't be sure without smelling it but your describing the smell as a

chemically and alcoholic whiff

doesn't sound like a problem. Fermenting beer often gives off weird smells, which disappear after conditioning. Yeast does funny things while its working.

I would just leave it for a few days and check the gravity reading. You might want to give the yeast a little stir back into suspension - check on the forum for a clear explanation of what to do if beers stick. I'd leave the brewbelt on it if it's likely to get cold where the fv is kept.

If it doesn't shift at all once you've stirred or over the next four or five days i'd just bottle / keg it. 1017 or thereabouts isn't bad - i've kegged a Woodforde's Nog Porter that stuck at 1018 and I have high hopes for it. Your abv if the wherry stays put at 1017 will be about 3.8% which isn't rocket fuel, but will make a nice session beer once it's had a chance to condition.

[Marts]

And what Ditch said about thermostatically controlled aqaurium heaters - I swear by them as I don't have central heating in my place and it can drop to largering temperature - which my ales don't like.

I use Electrim75 heaters,but you may be able to pick up something similar in an aqaurium shop

[mshergold]

Thanks guys. Someone needs to invent sratch and sniff for the internet! My only worry now is that I might have had the lid off for too long and it'll be infected! Oh well. By the way, I obviously wasn't successful in uploading my drawing. I'll try again tonight.

[arturobandini]

Hey mshergold,

I see you're drinking Pelforth Brune. Are you buying that in the U.K? If so where did you get it? I used to run a bar in the south west of France and I stocked that but hardly anyone ever drank any so I used to knock it back whenever I was having a beverage in the warm afternoons. It's quite a delicious beer in my opinion. Sorry to move off topic but that's what signatures can do to a man!

[mshergold]

Hi Arturo. I bought the Pelforth in France last month. I've just Googled it and come up with this supplier:

http://www.onlyfinebeer.co.uk/beer/44/

It's pretty pricey though!

[arturobandini]

Yeah, a fair bit more expensive than what I used to sell it , or not as the case was, for. Still might worth a nostalgia sup if I can get a few more beers off there to make it worth the postage. That site's got quite an extensive selection of beers on it; my girlfriend isn't going to thank you for passing that info on!

[Pav]

I did similar to a kit. If you search my posts I had a similar panic!! And the cause was a heated pet Pad that I placed uder my bucket. I think I may set mine on a timer if I use it again to come on for an hour or so when the heating switches off. Mine got up to about 28C.

When I barreled it I had a quick taste. Seemed fine to me, if anything a bit sweet. I think mine stoped at 1.01? if I remember correctly. Its in my post if you find it.

Anyway its barreled and fogotton for now.

I cheked this post as I have the Wherry kit ready to go as it comes well recommended. I am bottling this next brew as I don't have a 3rd barrel ready.... UNLESS I can sort out the old rotokeg I picked up. Thing is that means driving to Exeter if I want any proper advice re. lid size / correct seals etc.

I am keen to bottle but when I look at all the bottles for sterlizing I can't face it!!

Cheers for now.

[mshergold]

Hi guys. I had a thought when making up a John Bull Master Class Executive Bitter kit last night. Nowhere in the instructions of any of the kits I've made so far (with the exception of this JB kit) has there been any mention of waiting for the wort to cool before pitching the yeast. Now, I been hanging out here for quite a while and am well aware of the need to cool wort before pitching and have even bought the majority of the parts for my wort chiller. But, following the instructions on the kits to the letter I've purged all other thoughts from my head. Could pitching yeast onto hot wort cause fermentation to stick and could this be a reason why people have trouble with Woodforde's Wherry kits? Or am I just stupid?

[Ditch]

Could pitching yeast onto hot wort cause fermentation to stick and could this be a reason why people have trouble with Woodforde's Wherry kits? Or am I just stupid?

Yes. No. No.

Pitching yeast into hot wort is likely going to kill that yeast. 30 up and the yeast is good as finished.

Most of the people on here stating they've had shit with Muntons (who make Wherry) have a pretty damn good idea what they're doing. Even those without a clue, due to complete lack of experience, generally appear to read up on this place before kicking off. In short; Perhaps one or two poor souls have religiously followed Only the kits bit of paper. But, if that's the level they're operating on? God help their sanitation efforts!

So ye see? A total novice is more likely to produce five gallons of high alcohol TCP or Sarsons than he is to boil his yeast. Whilst, right across the spectrum of experience; People get shit with Muntons kits sticking like STAB.

Ye not in the least bit stupid.