Brew UK Forum | Beer Kits
Wherry's been a week in FV, are these symptoms normal?
I have started a Wherry using the microbrewery starter kit.
The yeast seems to have settled on the foam produced when filling the FV with water. Should it have dropped into the liquid rather than remaining on the surface.?
I have not heard any "bubbling" as described on other posts. This may be due to the fact I sat the air lock device in the hole in the top without the rubber washer (hence not airtight).
It does smell beerlike though.
I feel tempted to stir in the yeast, would this be a mistake?
Fermenting; Golden Lager, St Peters Golden
Conditioning; Diabolo, TTL
Planning; SNPA
Drinking; Headcracker, Pinot Grigio, WTA
Conditioning; Diabolo, TTL
Planning; SNPA
Drinking; Headcracker, Pinot Grigio, WTA
Responses
Posted 1 year ago by Member
When you say the yeast has settled on the top - do you mean the grains of yeast as they came in the packet? If so, then yes stir it in.
Yeast will ferment on top and then fall to the bottom when it's finished.
You won't hear the airlock going if the container isn't airtight - the path of least resistance will be around rather than through the airlock. If you open it up and breath in is it like air or carbon-dioxide? (CO2 will make you choke, all things being well!)
Give it a go if there is no CO2 being given off. If you have a hydrometer then take a reading, if it's pretty close to 1.000 then chances are the fermentation is finished and you're ready to keg or bottle.
Fermenting: Damson pale
Conditioning: Morello Cherry Lambic 2
Drinking: Schneider Weisse Tap 7 clone, Morello Cherry Lambic 1, Rauchbier
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Thanks Steve
The yeast grains are sitting on top of the suds.
I will re-sterilise the air-vent, fit it properly and give the surface a bit of a stir.
Cheers
Conditioning; Diabolo, TTL
Planning; SNPA
Drinking; Headcracker, Pinot Grigio, WTA
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Sounds completely normal to me. You usually get a foamy white head with brown flecks in it. This will disappear when the fermentation has finished.
Starts off like this:
This is not the foam you created before you pitched the yeast. It's been created by the yeast.
Gets a bit like this:
Ends up like this:
When it's at that final stage start taking hydrometer readings and when you get two the same in consecutive days you're good to go.
You won't get bubbles in the airlock if it's the cylinder type only the, "s-bend" type. Don't know which one you have.
Fermenting:
Condtioning:
Drinking: Twibute Clone, PJ Clone
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Sounds normal here too... my first Wherry is in the barrel, has been for about three-four weeks now. I think I may have rushed things a little, I'm not overly happy with it tbh.
It smells a bit yeasty and doesn't have a great flavour, mouthfeel not particularly rich either...its clear now though.
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Thanks guys, fantastic info. I don't think my brew has got as far as the first picture stage.
The surface still contains the powdery yeast I dropped in a week ago so I suspect nothing has happened.
Will stir tonight and keep you all posted.
What an excellent forum!!
Conditioning; Diabolo, TTL
Planning; SNPA
Drinking; Headcracker, Pinot Grigio, WTA
Posted 1 year ago by Member
It seems very odd that no yeast has made it into the liquid, does your tap water usually have a head?
Fermenting: Damson pale
Conditioning: Morello Cherry Lambic 2
Drinking: Schneider Weisse Tap 7 clone, Morello Cherry Lambic 1, Rauchbier
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Do you have a hydrometer? The only way that you're going to get a definitive answer (as others have said above), is to take hydrometer readings. If it is below 1015 (ish) then it's fermented. Take another reading tomorrow and if it is the same - it's done
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
What temp is it at?
I've thrown yeast straight onto a foamy head and left without stirring before and its fermented fine. The foamy head created from splashing should die down after a bit, sounds to me like its fermenting and you are mistaking the yeast head for the head which was there before.
Posted 1 year ago by Member
So... the question is: Are you getting good head?
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Right!!
On second thoughts, the bucket does actually resemble the third photo above so have resisted the temptation to stir. I may not have noticed it going through the first two photo-stages as I was reluctant to tamper.
I have taken a hydrometer reading this morning and it shows 1019.
I will check again tomorrow... if it is the same am I ready to barrel up or is this too high and should I wait till 1015-ish as suggested?
Despite the confusion, I am very excited (saddo) and have just ordered up some Headcracker!
Thanks again chaps.
Conditioning; Diabolo, TTL
Planning; SNPA
Drinking; Headcracker, Pinot Grigio, WTA
Posted 1 year ago by Member
heh heh, nothing sad about that! We're all the same. Obsessed is the word I believe.
Not big on kits I'm afraid - did you take a reading just before pitching the yeast? If you did you should be able to work out alcohol content. I'd say that if it is the same tomorrow (and probably Saturday too .. as if you're anything like me, you'll not have a chance to do much on a school night!), then your finished and can bottle/barrel etc.
Have fun!
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
1019 is a little high so hopefully it will be a bit lower tomorrow but saying that Wherry can have a habit of finishing high.
Let us know where you at tomorrow.
Don't worry we are all obsessed with brewing round here
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Based upon my first attempt, I'll most likely move straight onto extract brewing now. It may well be something I did wrong, but I'm not very pleased with my Wherry result. A friend of mine had the same kit and made his up just before I did, he told me last night that he wasn't overly chuffed with his either. Maybe others' reviews raised our expectations too high!
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
Hi all. This business of Wherry kits not being very good comes up a lot. For myself, I brew all grain, but I brew Wherry from a kit for a friend who is too ham-fisted to do it himself. We have come up with a way of improving Wherry no end.
1) Make the 40 pt kit to 37 pints.
2) Add 250 gms of Dried Malt Extract to the boiling water.
3) When you have topped up the fermenter to 37 pints and added the yeast, throw in 5 or 6gms of Goldings hops.
Makes a real difference.
Planning: - To get some more brews on now the weather's a bit cooler
Fermenting: - Ginger Beer experiment
Conditioning: - A normal bitter with Styrians
Drinking: - All of it!!
E-mail: arnyfris@gmail.com
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Saracen -
Are you talking about making up a boil using a pot, like an extract kind of method? Then pouring that into the FV along with the hops and topping up with water?
Sorry to go on... just would be good to have the method nailed for my next Wherry kit (I already have one here, shame to waste it).
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
Hi PMA. Sorry. I should have been a bit more careful and not left a couple of words out of the post. I've edited it now. Put the 6 pints of boiling water into the FV. Add 250 gms of DME which dissolves easily in the hot water. Stir thoroughly and add the Malt Extract from the cans and then top up to 37 pints. Stir again then chuck in the hops. Any aroma hop will do. We use Golding because it's such a traditional flavour. You could do it all in a pot if you prefer. It really doesn't make any difference as long as the DME is dissolved. It really does lift the final brew.
Planning: - To get some more brews on now the weather's a bit cooler
Fermenting: - Ginger Beer experiment
Conditioning: - A normal bitter with Styrians
Drinking: - All of it!!
E-mail: arnyfris@gmail.com
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Intrigued by the discussion above.
Would reducing the amount of water added, say to 34 pints, achieve the same result as adding DME? And would the result be more body and higher ABV? Excuse ignorance.
Anyway back to the original Wherry situation, I know you're all losing sleep with worry over it!
I am now at 1010 and ready to rumble. Does anyone else begrudge the wastage when testing this???
I may invest in goldings and DME for my next batch.
Conditioning; Diabolo, TTL
Planning; SNPA
Drinking; Headcracker, Pinot Grigio, WTA
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
Hi Kilconlea. Firstly, we all try to produce as much beer as possible from the brew, that's why I add DME rather than reduce the amount, but reducing the final amount would have the same effect. Exactly how much you reduce it I wouldn't like to be exact, but 34 pints would be about right. It works out at roughly 70 gm DME per pint to give a starting gravity of 1040, so reducing 3 pints to 34 would be about the same. It will be slightly darker and with more body. As far increasing the ABV, yes it will, but it's unlikely you will reach the ABV stated in the instructions with the kit, so it will make it about right.
Put some of your Wherry into a bottle. I use wine bottles with half a teaspoon of sugar, no more, so the pressure doesn't go too high and explode the bottle. When you do the modified brew you can compare the result.
Adding DME and Goldings is definitely worthwhile, but remember that all people have different tastes. You might not think it goes far enough so experiment. It's the best way to learn and provided you don't go silly and drop the volume to 20 pints you'll always be able to drink it.
Answer. Yes. How to cut out waste? Drink it.
Planning: - To get some more brews on now the weather's a bit cooler
Fermenting: - Ginger Beer experiment
Conditioning: - A normal bitter with Styrians
Drinking: - All of it!!
E-mail: arnyfris@gmail.com
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Thanks Saracen
Will definitely have an experiment with the second batch of Wherry.
Hopefully there'll be some of the first batch left to compare with the second.....
K
Conditioning; Diabolo, TTL
Planning; SNPA
Drinking; Headcracker, Pinot Grigio, WTA
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