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[Review] Bulldog Brews Pennine Peak Yorkshire Bitter 3.3 Kg kit review

Started by DrowningManatee, March 26, 2013, 01:24:42 PM

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DrowningManatee

The fine folks at homebrewwest.ie gave me a box o this yesterday as part of the humbleton bard giveaway on saturday, and I assured them i'd write up a review on the site when im done, so I thought I'd stick it up here while im at it...

The beer comes in a plastic sack filled with wort. I've never seen a more straightforward beer. No sugar, no malt, all inclusive in the bag o wort.
I heated the plastic sack in hot water, added it to the fermenter, dissolved with more hot water, brought up to 23L with cold water, and added the yeast....
DONE.

Pretty simple, oh, and it came with a hop pellet t-bag of fuggles/goldings (does this mean its half of one and half the other, or is it saying that fuggles is a goldings type?). The instructions give the option to add the tbag straightaway or to add oince fermentation finishes for more aroma.
I'd read that you should only dry hop after fermentation is finished as the yeasts can take the hop flavour away so im going to wait until secondary (ill transfer to a carboy) to add the hops, then wait 5 days, and bottle.

I have a few vodka tinctures readying so ill try puttin some o them into the bottles:
lemon - rind and fruit
Lime - rind and fruit
Orange - rind and fruit
Grapefruit - fruit only.
I've half a notion now that rind isnt going to be as fruity as I'd intitially thought, more bitter?

Any advice greatly appreciated :)
Primary :
Grapefruit mead

Secondary:
Orange Blossom Mead
Blackberry Mead
             
Bottled:

DrowningManatee

and the OG is 1.043 (exactly as stated on the pack)
Primary :
Grapefruit mead

Secondary:
Orange Blossom Mead
Blackberry Mead
             
Bottled:

DrowningManatee

ok, 6 days later, gravity's 1.023 (should be lower), temperature changed a bit from night to day where i had the fermenter so I think i cold crashed the yeast. Gonna add another sachet I have leftover from a coopers real ale kit if there's no activity by tomorrow, and change the room I have the fermenter in so it's more consisitant.

Added fuggles/golding hop tbag, and transfered to secondary.
Primary :
Grapefruit mead

Secondary:
Orange Blossom Mead
Blackberry Mead
             
Bottled:

LordEoin

what were the temperature highs and lows?

DrowningManatee

the highs were about 20 and the lows about 11 im thinkin? had my extract hack beside but that was with nottingham ale yeast which is more tolerant and experienced no problems...

re pitched yesterday with coopers yeast from real ale kit, went for a bit but seems to be doin nothin now, will check gravity in two days, take it form there
Primary :
Grapefruit mead

Secondary:
Orange Blossom Mead
Blackberry Mead
             
Bottled:

LordEoin

ouch, I hope the new room helps to keep the temperatures up and stable.

DrowningManatee

im only changing the position/insulating a bit, ill have to invest in a brew belt methinks....
Primary :
Grapefruit mead

Secondary:
Orange Blossom Mead
Blackberry Mead
             
Bottled:

LordEoin


DrowningManatee

its been bubbling, very rarely now, dropped to 1.02, so im gonna wait about a week and see, dropped 3 points since but really slowed down now...
Primary :
Grapefruit mead

Secondary:
Orange Blossom Mead
Blackberry Mead
             
Bottled:

DrowningManatee

1.02 still, it came out at 1.016 and then raised up to 1.02 with the bubbling. This always happens and im assuming you take the later reading?
Primary :
Grapefruit mead

Secondary:
Orange Blossom Mead
Blackberry Mead
             
Bottled:

LordEoin

Remove the gas from your sample by giving it a shake or transferring it between pintglasses for a while.
Remember to spin the hydrometer to stop bubbles messing with the reading.
1.016 seems a bit high, but i've no experience with the Bulldog Kits.

HomeBrewWest

Hmmm, I'm not sure about adding a different yeast strain. Anybody got any info on this, and what it might do to the beer?

The instructions say to "leave it to ferment for 10 days at 18°C - 24°C". See: http://www.bulldogbrews.co.uk/assets/docs/23090-bulldog-brews-instruction.pdf

There have been tremendous advances in recent years in yeast technology in terms of fusels / temperature tolerance etc. So we tend to advise brewers to simply follow modern kit instructions these days. We figure the manufacturers know more about their modern yeast strains than we do (for the most part, but there are exceptions).

Also says:
"check that your hydrometer shows a reading of 1008 or below before proceeding to bottling/kegging. If your reading is a little higher (up to 1015), leave for a few more days and then proceed if gravity no longer drops (even if gravity is still a little high)."

The starting gravity seems to have been OK at 1043, and the kit is 4.7% ABV so it should be possible to figure out the FG (don't forget to account for carbonating sugars). I don't have a calculator to hand but I'm sure somebody can work it out.
"I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts, and beer." Abraham Lincoln. www.homebrewwest.ie

DrowningManatee

ill be pretty happy to get a beer out of it at this stage... bubbling a small bit though, down to 1.019 now, its like a really big rocket ship the way its taking off here :)
taught me a lesson about gettin the brewbelt, next thing im savin up for now, and about using yeast strains to suit yer environment... still delighted gettin the kit though, cheers homebrewwest again :)
Primary :
Grapefruit mead

Secondary:
Orange Blossom Mead
Blackberry Mead
             
Bottled:

DrowningManatee

any ideas what you could use this beer for? would it be suitable for cooking as i used to use alot o me homebrews in stews/sauces/marinades etc? just hoping to get something out of it, sorry brewwest, dont think id be of use to ye stickin up a review now :(
Primary :
Grapefruit mead

Secondary:
Orange Blossom Mead
Blackberry Mead
             
Bottled:

LordEoin

stews/sauces/marinades would be fine, but have you considered drinking it?    :D