Woodforde's Admirals Reserve

Buona Fortuna

Hi I've just bottled my first brew, Cooper's Real Ale. Right from the get go it tasted like flat beer, not great but not unpleasant. So I have high hopes for the beer in a few weeks. I tasted it everytime I took a sample for the SG.

Now inspired by this success I've started a new brew from Woodforde's. This is two cans of extract with a hop enhancement sachet too.

I tasted this when I took the OG - not pleasant at all.

Is the brew doomed?

BeerNut

Probably not.

Ferment it, bottle it, mature it, and if you decide at that point that you're not going to ever drink it and you need the bottles back, then it's doomed.

Buona Fortuna

Thanks Beer, I wasn't going to get rid just yet - just expected it to be not as unpleasant.

poitinstill

what do you mean unpleasent.. the hop sachet that comes with those kits can be very bitter some only use half... as TBN says leave it go till bottled ..if in major doubt bottle in 2l water bottles ( less effort and disposable). If its just a roughly beer / bittery taste it will most likely turn around but if its chemically or real eye watering vinegeary then maybe not

Buona Fortuna

poitinstill wrote: »

what do you mean unpleasent.. the hop sachet that comes with those kits can be very bitter some only use half... as TBN says leave it go till bottled ..if in major doubt bottle in 2l water bottles ( less effort and disposable). If its just a roughly beer / bittery taste it will most likely turn around but if its chemically or real eye watering vinegeary then maybe not

Thanks for getting back. Its difficult to discribe the smell. Its not vinagery and its not chemically.

There's a bit of the usual beer smell and almost a coffeeish after smell.

Hopefully it will come right in the end.

Ronan|Raven

A few weeks in the bottle will make all the difference!

poitinstill

the admirals reserve is a lovely , much more powerful tasting ( malty , fruity etc) than the coopers, so id say you will be happy with it in a few weeks

Buona Fortuna

poitinstill wrote: »

the admirals reserve is a lovely , much more powerful tasting ( malty , fruity etc) than the coopers, so id say you will be happy with it in a few weeks

Ronan|Raven wrote: »

A few weeks in the bottle will make all the difference!

Thanks guys. I suppose after the Coopers Real Ale which has tasted and smelt pretty much like beer from the start, I was expecting similar.

I was looking at CraigTube earlier he said that there's no such thing as bad beer just chill it right down and stick some ice in and you'll be grand.

Ronan|Raven

Buona Fortuna wrote: »

Thanks guys. I suppose after the Coopers Real Ale which has tasted and smelt pretty much like beer from the start, I was expecting similar.

I was looking at CraigTube earlier he said that there's no such thing as bad beer just chill it right down and stick some ice in and you'll be grand.

Not at all, there are brews you will make that smell woeful form the start. Fermentation and conditioning takes care of an awful lot.

A beer you drink after 4 weeks in the bottle will often taste much better after 8 etc..

Buona Fortuna

Thank you everyone for the support and wise words. I bottled the Admiral's Reserve on Thursday. It smelt and tasted pretty good then.

I've just sampled - I know no patience - the yeasty end of the barrel. Yes I bottle everything that's not sludge. It was pretty good, yeasty obviously, but I'm very pleased with it.

Now my darling wife is saying "We'll have to give a bottle to ... and , and" :mad:

Anyway thanks again folks.

poitinstill

[QUOTE=

Now my darling wife is saying "We'll have to give a bottle to ... and , and" :mad:

Anyway thanks again folks.[/QUOTE]

to which you reply sure ... let me just get my net brew on now so..

Buona Fortuna

What have I done wrong now.

I sampled the Admirals Reserve after a couple of days. Now the first one I tried was the beginning of the sludge and filled half a screw top wine bottle. Two carb tablets - very pleasant. The next one, also from a screw top wine bottle (I'm a cheapskate) nice but no fizz. Thinks nust have forgotten the carb tabs .

A few days latter from screw top wine bottle no fizz. Thinks wine bottles are no good for this job.

Today a screw top wine bottle and a 500ml PET bottle - nice but no fizz whatsoever.

The odd one I can miss but I used near a packet of carb tabs.

So whats gone wrong

Ronan|Raven

Buona Fortuna wrote: »

What have I done wrong now.

I sampled the Admirals Reserve after a couple of days. Now the first one I tried was the beginning of the sludge and filled half a screw top wine bottle. Two carb tablets - very pleasant. The next one, also from a screw top wine bottle (I'm a cheapskate) nice but no fizz. Thinks nust have forgotten the carb tabs .

A few days latter from screw top wine bottle no fizz. Thinks wine bottles are no good for this job.

Today a screw top wine bottle and a 500ml PET bottle - nice but no fizz whatsoever.

The odd one I can miss but I used near a packet of carb tabs.

So whats gone wrong

The screw top lids could be the issue. Out of interest how long are they bottled?

Edit.. I just read the rest of the posts. Around 2 weeks? What temp were they stored at? 2 carb drops per 500ml pet and wine bottle?

Buona Fortuna

Ronan|Raven wrote: »

The screw top lids could be the issue. Out of interest how long are they bottled?

Only a week

1 carb in the 500 ml PET
2 carbs in the 750ml wine bottles

Kept at room temp about 16-18C

um7y1h83ge06nx

Maybe give them more time, I usually give mine at least 2 weeks.

Buona Fortuna

Jaxen Lively Hallway wrote: »

Maybe give them more time, I usually give mine at least 2 weeks.

Too eager then

Ronan|Raven

Give them another few days, it is still early enough. Ensure the lids on the PET bottles are fully tightened. From experience they sometimes need a little extra twist. When you squeeze the bottles do they feel soft?

The glass screw top. I'm not sure how airtight the seals would be so can't really comment.

One other thing to do even if in a few weeks they still are not as carved as you like is to get a small plastic syringe.. Stuck up a small amount of beer and spray back into the glass.. Et voila.. Ghetto beer sparkler.. Will put a head on the pint anyway..

Buona Fortuna

Ronan|Raven wrote: »

Give them another few days, it is still early enough. Ensure the lids on the PET bottles are fully tightened. From experience they sometimes need a little extra twist. When you squeeze the bottles do they feel soft?

OK thanks will do. I also have a few "keepers" in Grolsch bottles.

They're not "bulging" like the bottle of turbo cider I have going with a Pat Mack cap.

The glass screw top. I'm not sure how airtight the seals would be so can't really comment.

Yeah I'm starting to wonder too. I did tape up the tops with insulation tape but that probaly hasn't helped much.


Its not so much the head as whilst its nice, I can live without it, more that bit of fizz on the tongue

Buona Fortuna

Thanks again guys

The Admiral's Reserve is now a real beaut.

The caps on the PET bottles were not quite tight but I think the main thing was time.

I also think the screw top wine bottles were OK, not ideal but good enough for 4/6 weeks.

If I wasn't such a greedy pig

Wonder if I can order a Kg or two of patience.

KAGY

Buona Fortuna wrote: »

Thanks again guys

The Admiral's Reserve is now a real beaut.

The caps on the PET bottles were not quite tight but I think the main thing was time.

I also think the screw top wine bottles were OK, not ideal but good enough for 4/6 weeks.

If I wasn't such a greedy pig

Wonder if I can order a Kg or two of patience.

Be carefull with those wine bottles of you are doing a fizzy brew like a german beer. They aren't designed to hold pressurised liquids. Ive been told never to use them for any beer. Champagne bottles are fine though as are fizzy drinks bottles (if they're stored in the dark as light can spoil a beer)

If you can find patience let me know so we can do a bulk buy, id also settle for some forward planning :-)