Wherry Bottled, what it supposed to taste like now?

[WishboneBrewery]

Wherry Bottled, what it supposed to taste like at this stage??

its pretty rough, bitter (and not the nice dry hopped bitter!)

3 weeks of waiting now, didn't have time to get the Coopers in today so might have to try find time for that tomorrow evening.

[stevezx7r]

If you've just bottled it, it will taste "green". That is to say it's not ready yet Let it carbonate the bottles and mature for a few weeks, trying one every now and then. By week four it should taste excellent

[WeegieBlue]

I bottled my wherry last weekend and had a taste this weekend. It did taste a bit green but you could tell it was going to be nice as there were slight floral undertones to it, and the light spraymalt I used for priming has given it good head retention and a nice flavour already. Few more weeks and it should be lovely.

HOWEVER..... the sediment in the bottom of the bottles is very fine and loose. It moves as soon as it's poured and when you pick the bottle up and move it slightly, the sediment moves like smoke through the liquid. I popped one in the fridge last night to see whether chilling would help and when I looked this morning it looks like it has a complete chill haze through the bottle.

Will time fix this, and allow the sediment to pack down a little, or am I stuck with a batch of beer that is going to be cloudy? Would fining have helped this or is it just a yeast issue? I used s-04 which I've read a lot about it compacting well.

[mshergold]

HOWEVER..... the sediment in the bottom of the bottles is very fine and loose. It moves as soon as it's poured and when you pick the bottle up and move it slightly, the sediment moves like smoke through the liquid. I popped one in the fridge last night to see whether chilling would help and when I looked this morning it looks like it has a complete chill haze through the bottle.

Will time fix this, and allow the sediment to pack down a little, or am I stuck with a batch of beer that is going to be cloudy? Would fining have helped this or is it just a yeast issue? I used s-04 which I've read a lot about it compacting well.

I made up a Woodforde's Wherry on 31 October last year and it was very cloudy. Ususally, I ferment in the cellar which means that beer takes longer to ferment as it's cooler, so put a brewbelt on to keep the temperature up at night as I'd read that Woodforde's kits can be a bit temperamental but forgot about it for a couple of days solid, so put the cloudiness down to that (rightly or wrongly).

After bottling, the beer stayed in the kitchen for about five days, then back in the cellar for a few weeks and then half an hour in the fridge before drinking. By the time I'd finished the last few bottles a couple of weeks ago it was clear.

My advice would be to leave it for as long as possible.

[WeegieBlue]

I made up a Woodforde's Wherry on 31 October last year and it was very cloudy. Ususally, I ferment in the cellar which means that beer takes longer to ferment as it's cooler, so put a brewbelt on to keep the temperature up at night as I'd read that Woodforde's kits can be a bit temperamental but forgot about it for a couple of days solid, so put the cloudiness down to that (rightly or wrongly).

After bottling, the beer stayed in the kitchen for about five days, then back in the cellar for a few weeks and then half an hour in the fridge before drinking. By the time I'd finished the last few bottles a couple of weeks ago it was clear.

My advice would be to leave it for as long as possible.

My ferment temp is pretty regular at 22-23 degrees as its in a cupboard that backs on to the boiler. I bottled it and it's gone back into that same cupboard for the week. I'm not in any hurry to drink it just yet so I think I'll leave it a few more days and then move it up into the loft where it's probs going to sit for at least 4 weeks in a much cooler environment. My target drink date is April 1st as it's my mates birthday so if it's up there it's out of the way, and hopefully by then it'll have settled nicely. I'll just pull a bottle down every now and then to check its progress.

Cheers for the help.

[WishboneBrewery]

cheers guys
It'll be ready in time for a week off we have in March 'Home brew & Holiday Cottage' sounds like a good combo

[WeegieBlue]

My wherry is as clean as a whistle now! Sediment seems to have stabilised too. I'm moving it to the loft tonight as I need the room for my lager to condition.

[WishboneBrewery]

let me know how it tastes when you are fully conditioned

[WeegieBlue]

let me know how it tastes when you are fully conditioned

Will do. I've had two quick tasters and so far I'm not overly keen, although I feel I can taste potential so I'm hoping time removes the greeness and improves the flavour. It got moved to the loft last night so I'll give it a few weeks before I crack one. It better be good as it was a pain in the neck getting 38 bottles up my wobbly loft ladder!!

[WishboneBrewery]

I just took a sneaky little taste of the half bottle I left in the kitchen (bottled on last Sunday) and its improved... less bitter but obviously needs more time.
I'll take it out of the warm tomorrow and have it at about 12-13 deg C in the cellar, which I hope is cool enough, over this week I'd say the secondary ferment in went well as the PET coke bottles I filled have pressurised well
Will be leaving in the cool for a good three weeks.

[faeyd]

I've done Wherry a lot and it changes a lot over a few weeks. It's the only one my misses steals from me when I'm not looking - very smooth when it's ready.

[WishboneBrewery]

That sounds promising....
I know its probably too early to tell, but I'd normally go for something a bit more hoppy...Do the hops come out better with maturing?

[faeyd]

The Wherry for me doesn't come out too hoppy to be honest... Admiral's Reserve is the one I brew when I want some strong aromas.

If you like the Wherry as a base ale you could try dry hopping it next time to add some flavours... or just try the Admirals I've brewed all the Woodeforde's kits and tend to brew the Wherry for guests, Admirals for quiet alone moments and Great Eastern Ale for lager nuts

[WishboneBrewery]

I think whatever I decide to brew next its going to have extra hops, probably some hopping to the spray malt with a little boil and maybe dry hop in the FV... I just have to drink some of what I've brewed first

[WeegieBlue]

Rather than start a new wherry thread I'll just hijack this one!

I brewed a wherry and its rubbish! I'm not sure what I've done exactly - I may have used litre or two too much water, and my fermenting stopped so I added some yeast vit.

Basically, it tastes quite weak, and very dry. It's carbonated like a dream (I used spraymalt in a 2ndry FV) and it had an ok aftertaste, but the first sip is as dry as a bone. The colour is ok - it's a nice orangey brown colour, and it doesn't look all watery and horrid. I'm not sure of gravities as I did this thing "sans hydrometer" so it may be something to do with this. It's been bottled and conditioning for 2 and a bit weeks now, and I'm wondering whether I should let this mature, or whether I should just cut my losses, bin it, and start afresh? Has anyone had similar problems or is it just my poor brewing skills??