woodfordes real ale kits

[critch]

if you can get hold of them try woodfordes kits very good value for money made by muntons(whose kits ive also found excellent)
my personal favourite is the great eastern a light fruity brew ready to perfection in under 5 weeks! appologies if this little gem of wisdom has been posted earlier

[Derekt2]

I made one of them as well, Nelson's Revenge, and it was very good. Interestingly, I made another such kit by another company a few weeks later and it sucked. Just goes to show you, some of those kits have gone a long way over the years, and some have not.

[Wilson]

Can you find this stuff in the US?

[Derekt2]

Yup. I got it at AHS but I imagine just about any shop can get it for you. They are the no-boil variety but in this case actually good ones. I've also found Munton's Nut Brown to be good and I ocassionally make Bruce's Dogbolter. Other than that I haven't tried many since I usually brew from grain unless I'm practicing being a sloth. I have heard good things about the EDME kits too, btw, but I don't know if they still import them.

[Wilson]

Never tried a no boil. But I can see where it might be good for lazy days, which I tend to get often. I'm guessing that they are a bit worse than boiling extract kits? Or would this Woodfordes be comparable to a boiled kit?

[Derekt2]

Bug me tomorrow (I have to deliver a job to someone in a second) and I will tell you how I make them. They turn out very well.

[stronk]

They're equivalent to a boil kit, as they have (obviously) already been boiled at the brewery to what the brewer thinks is the right point. Boiling a no-boil kit would only slightly alter the taste and colour (it would darken and taste very slightly more caramely). Personally, I would boil it, as I'm paranoid about infection.

I liked the Wherry kit, but not the Nelson's Revenge kit (or was it the other way around? Helpful, aren't I?). Dry-hopping does wonders for these kits (as long as you use the right hops, of course; I used fuggles), but they are decent in their own right.

[Derekt2]

Originally posted by stronk
They're equivalent to a boil kit, as they have (obviously) already been boiled at the brewery to what the brewer thinks is the right point. Boiling a no-boil kit would only slightly alter the taste and colour (it would darken and taste very slightly more caramely). Personally, I would boil it, as I'm paranoid about infection.

Here is what I do and it works every time:

1. I fill my 7.5 gallon brewpot with one gallon of water. If I am making a "lager" I add 1/2 tsp. of calcium chloride, or the same of gypsum if an ale. In some cases I will add the calcium chloride to ale styles that are meant to be malty.

2. I then vigorously boil the water for 15 min. with the lid on which serves to steam sterilize the kettle.

3. At this point, I stir in the kit and add 1/2 - 1 oz. of pellets and let it sit for 15 min. all covered up (to "re-sterilize" the canned wort.)

4. After 15 mins. I add another 1/2 - 1 oz. of pellets and immediately reconstitute the wort with 5 gallons of pre-chilled water (at 40F from the fridge). This serves to bring the entire volume to pitching temperature so I then add a single pack of dry yeast. I typically use SAF S-04 (Whitbread) for ales and their lager yeast (SAF S-23?) for pseudo-lagers.

5. After a week the beer has fermented out and cleared so it's off to the keg for carbonation.

I did this 3 times last winter when it was too cold to brew outside and it worked every time. And, btw, since the wort isn't boiled any further there is very little trub and the hop pellets settle out quite nicely. Racked carefully the beer is very clear and free of all but the smallest amount of debris.

[Wilson]

I may give something like this a try, but for the opposite reasons as you. Its too damned hot right now! Thanks for the tips.

[chazwicke]

I have an unused kit at home that I got off of Ebay. I collect Virginia Breweriana and was searching "Norfolk beer*" and made the hit. I guess that is the vicinity where the brewery is located in the UK. I have had Woodfordes beers on cask in England before and adore the Wherry.

[stronk]

Derekt2, I would personally be worried that the chilled water would be harboring some sort of infection-potential bacterium with your method (and it wouldn't be boiled). I do actually do roughly the same thing, but I use only sealed bottled water (as that's irradiated and hence sterile). You probably do the same, but I didn't see it in your post.

[critch]

Originally posted by stronk
Derekt2, I would personally be worried that the chilled water would be harboring some sort of infection-potential bacterium with your method (and it wouldn't be boiled). I do actually do roughly the same thing, but I use only sealed bottled water (as that's irradiated and hence sterile). You probably do the same, but I didn't see it in your post.

i have made well over 50 of these kits and ive never had a problem using tap water lets face it the water was rarely boiled hundreds of years ago.....

[kinjar]

I've also never had problems using water straight from the tap. However, I did notice a better tasting end product when I attached a Brita water filter to my kitchen sink tap.

[critch]

cant fault your logic there!

if your looking for these kits or other british kits try

www.art-of-brewing.co.uk

www.easybrew.co.uk

www.brew-it-yourself.co.uk

although they could well be available to you lads in the us at sites there;)

[stronk]

lets face it the water was rarely boiled hundreds of years ago
I know what you mean, we've all become too paranoid! In fact, it was less than 40 years ago that the homebrewers never seemed to boil the liquor; I've got an old homebrewing manual with some pretty suspect techniques.

[toneyc]

Hey, Stronk,

Check your PMs.

:)
Toney.