Woodfordes Nelsons Revenge: Low OG & slow fermentation start

[FiercelyFuzzy]

Hi Guys

I wonder if anyone has had the same experience I'm having with the Woodfordes Nelsons Revenge kit?
I made up the kit as per the instructions (final volume of 36pints/20.5L) except I added an extra 250g of brewing sugar to pep the alcohol up a bit. However the OG is 1046 which, if my calculations are correct, would give me 4.8% (1046-1010/7.5). The pack states an ABV of 5%. I was hoping I'd get 5.5% given I'd added extra sugar. Has anyone else had a low OG with this kit?
Also, after 24hrs, the fermentation hasn't started. I rehydrated the yeast, pitched it at 20degC, & the vessel has been in a 19-20degC room since then. I've done the Brewferm Diabalo & Grand Cru kits before & they took off like a rocket after a couple of hours.
Can anyone offer any advice? Or should I order up some SafeAle04 & re-pitch?

Many Thanks
FF

[Benson_JV]

You rarely ever get the ABV that is advertised on the tins apparently.

[cougarking]

Hi,
I am having problems with woodforde Nog. Have waited 3/4 days now and still not fermenting. Will try with repitching today.

I will let you know how i get on.


Cheers

[FiercelyFuzzy]

Thanks for the reply Chris! I'll order some safeale04 today.
This my first foray into Woodefordes kits and is likely to be my last!

[RichardG]

FierceFuzzy this seems to be an 'issue' with some all malt kits that has come to light. If you look at the 'Hints & Tips' section at the top right, you'll find 'recipe formulation'. In there you can find out how to calculate the expected OG of any kit/recipe. That states that malt extract should give you 300 gravity points per kg, and the same for brewing sugar. So, to calculate the OG you should expect you'd take;

Malt extract 300 x 3kg = 900pts
Sugar 300 x 0.25kg = 75pts - total 975pts

So you have 975pts which you divide by the brew length of 20.5 ltrs which gives an expected total of 47.6, or an OG of, say, 1048. The other aspect to this is that you have quoted an FG of 1010. All the Muntons/Woodfordes kits I've done quote a target FG of 1014, and there's plenty of cases on the forum where their kits have failed to get even to that (though both my recent ones have). If we generously allow for an FG of 1014 you can calculate your expected ABV. See also the HMRC site here, http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPort ... 379_146310, specifically section 30.3. This gives ABV as OG - FG x F = ABV. In your case 1048 - 1014 x 0.129 = 4.4%. The only way you'll get an ABV of 5.5% is if you hit an FG of 1006, which with an all malt kit (especially Muntons/Woodfordes!) isn't going to happen.

As far as I can see what we have here is a marketing scam. The kits are doing exactly what you should expect (excepting the 'sticking' issues reported elsewhere), but the manufactures are making claims that the kits simply can't match. If you hadn't added the brewing sugar there's no way your Nelsons Revenge would get any higher than an ABV of 4%! I suspect that's why Trading Standards are interested.

[FiercelyFuzzy]

Grand! Thanks for that. This is my 3rd brew & it seems there is still a lot more for me to learn in the dark world of homebrewing! Though I definitely have learnt to avoid Woodfordes…

[StrangeBrew]

Hi Guys

I wonder if anyone has had the same experience I'm having with the Woodfordes Nelsons Revenge kit?
I made up the kit as per the instructions (final volume of 36pints/20.5L) except I added an extra 250g of brewing sugar to pep the alcohol up a bit. However the OG is 1046 which, if my calculations are correct, would give me 4.8% (1046-1010/7.5). The pack states an ABV of 5%. I was hoping I'd get 5.5% given I'd added extra sugar. Has anyone else had a low OG with this kit?
Also, after 24hrs, the fermentation hasn't started. I rehydrated the yeast, pitched it at 20degC, & the vessel has been in a 19-20degC room since then. I've done the Brewferm Diabalo & Grand Cru kits before & they took off like a rocket after a couple of hours.
Can anyone offer any advice? Or should I order up some SafeAle04 & re-pitch?

Many Thanks
FF

Just to add my expirence with this kit...

Brew length 36 pints
OG 1.047
Re-hydrated Safale04 yeast
10 days fermentation @ average of 20c
FG 1.016
Turned out to be an enjoyable pint but not to the desired or stated ABV.

[RichardG]

I think that makes my case! Assuming StrangeBrew is talking about Nelson's Revenge he got an ABV of 4%, which again is nowhere near 5%. To have got to 5% he'd have needed a FG of 1007! It's not gonna happen!

[FiercelyFuzzy]

Hi Guys,

Me again! The fermentation finally got going on my Nelsons Revenge & after 8 days it seems to have stuck at 1020 (same readings yesterday & today). I've roused the yeast at the bottom & put it closer to the radiator.
I'm thinking of re-pitching tomorrow. Would it be better to simply scatter the yeast on top, or make a starter again? (using the method kindly given at the start of this thread).
I'm going to add my experience to the "other" thread about sticking Woodfordes/Muntons kits...
FF