Festival Pilgrims Hope

[Monkeybrew]

Out of interest, how long are you guys leaving the keg in the warm for secondary fermentation to happen? Mine's been in for 6 days and has built up loads of pressure so I'm tempted to move it to the garage tomorrow but the instructions suggest leaving it for 2 weeks...

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I haven't bottled and kegged mine yet, but I normally just keep my brews in the warm for 1 week and they always seem fine.

[Underscore]

Well, I decided to stick with putting it into the garage after a week - which was last night - so we'll see how it works out. Had a little sip and, while the yeast has a particularly unpleasant flavour, the beer itself tastes amazing. Provided it keeps most of the hop flavour and aroma while the yeast drops out, this is going to be the best kit I've done yet - though I've only done Wherry and Nog before. Already getting impatient...

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[Chardf]

I've just tried mine. Very nice very bitter good head. Going to top my glass up
Which Festival kit next (rats too late for an xmas Festival brew)

[Monkeybrew]

I've just tried mine. Very nice very bitter good head. Going to top my glass up
Which Festival kit next (rats too late for an xmas Festival brew)

Surely there is just enough time if you get one on today

Finally kegged and bottled mine last night on day 21, just need to keep my mitts off of it for a few weeks!

MB

[Chardf]

I've just tried mine. Very nice very bitter good head. Going to top my glass up
Which Festival kit next (rats too late for an xmas Festival brew)

Surely there is just enough time if you get one on today

Finally kegged and bottled mine last night on day 21, just need to keep my mitts off of it for a few weeks!

MB

Yes your right, except I've only two kegs just kegged a wherry and just started a festival. The sharpe money would say start another festival and drink current one PDQ freeing up a keg:mrgreen: (or just buy another keg tight-wad) but I just don't drink that quickly

[Monkeybrew]

I've just tried mine. Very nice very bitter good head. Going to top my glass up
Which Festival kit next (rats too late for an xmas Festival brew)

Surely there is just enough time if you get one on today

Finally kegged and bottled mine last night on day 21, just need to keep my mitts off of it for a few weeks!

MB

Yes your right, except I've only two kegs just kegged a wherry and just started a festival. The sharpe money would say start another festival and drink current one PDQ freeing up a keg:mrgreen: (or just buy another keg tight-wad) but I just don't drink that quickly

No probs, you could wait until Jan 2013 and then perhaps brew the Festival Porter to warm you up whilst waiting for the Spring

[Chardf]

Sounds like a plan I quite fancy a go at Old Suffolk next

[barry44]

As this is a 3.5kg kit with an estimated strength of 5% ABV, it comes with 2 x 1.5kg pouches of hopped LME, 500g of dextrose, another 100g of dextrose for priming, 50g of hop pellets for dry hopping, 10g of 'dark bitter' ale yeast and a well made fine mesh drawstring bag that acts as a hop filter for the end of the syphon tube when racking.

MB, could the mesh bag be used to put the hops in when dry hopping?

I have the coopers FV and am concerned about the tap getting blocked up!

[Monkeybrew]

Yeah, don't see why not.

[Monkeybrew]

Looking nice and clear after 6 days in the bottle

[Monkeybrew]

I have had a couple of pints from my keg tonight exactly 4 weeks after kegging this brew.

It is a dark plum colour with a nice tight creamy head. The hop aroma has died down bit over the last 4 weeks but is still good for a kit.

The flavour is fruity hop that is quickly cut short by the high bitterness.

This brew reminds me of St Peter's IPA, but without any caramel malt flavour and a much fresher hop aroma/flavour.

I think that this brew probably needs maybe another 3-4 weeks to mellow and meld some more, but certainly stands out from other kit brews that I have done.

Just need to keep my mitts off of it for a little while longer

MB

[Monkeybrew]

Well another 4 weeks have past and my Pilgrims Hope is just over 8 weeks old.

It is certainly worth the wait, that overpowering bitterness has faded and allowed the great hoppiness to stay on your tastebuds

Don't get me wrong, this is certainly a bitter brew of proper IPA standards (still don't understand why they didn't call it Pilgrims Hope IPA?), but it is now starting to taste like a complete package







Without a doubt, the best standard premium kit that I've brewed!

MB

[Monkeybrew]

I had the first of my bottled Pilgrims tonight that is just over 3 months old, and it was very good. The first mouthful was hops and a bang of bitterness, but then each following mouthful was just nice and hoppy, and didn't last many minutes

Definately a brew for the bottle IMO.

MB

[Greatcthulhu]

Not tried the Pilgrims yet, but have done a Father Hooks and a Suffolk Strong Ale, which I'm drinking right now. Imo these kits really are very good indeed and there's no need to do anything to them apart from follow the instructions.