Mixed results

[rodneybellmont]

Ive just made 40 pints of Woodford's and bottled them then left them for 4 weeks before drinking , about a third tasted really nice the rest tasted like HB tangy i'm wondering what I could have done to cause this.

[sdcspeak]

Ive just made 40 pints of Woodford's and bottled them then left them for 4 weeks before drinking , about a third tasted really nice the rest tasted like HB tangy i'm wondering what I could have done to cause this.

The number of reasons for this could be many, if you are sure that you had a good brew initially, then I would look to your bottling procedures.

Did you use a bottling bucket ? What about a bottling stick ? Was everything completely sterile ?
In transfering the beer, either to the bottling bucket or to the bottle, did you create excessive splashing, if so your beer could be oxidised.
If you left the bottles uncovered after filling, air will have settled in the neck of the bottle, which again could cause oxidisation.

There are dozens of other potential problems, however I would look at these first. You can reduce the risk by carefully sterilising everything that could potentially come into contact with the beer and also.

1. Making sure that the transfer hosing is below the level of the beer, as much as possible.
2. A good "squirt" of CO2 in the bottom of the bottling bucket would ensure that the beer is in contact with air for the smallest amount of time.
3. Fill 5/6 bottles at a time and then cap them before going back to fill 5/6 more.
4. You could also try covering the top of the bottle with the cap and leave it for a couple of minutes, allowing the priming sugars to start generating CO2 before fitting the cap properly, the CO2 generated will expel any air in the neck of the bottle.

If you still have problems then move up to all grain brewing

[brysie]

If you still have problems then move up to all grain brewing
[/quote]

are you joking?
if you havn`t mastered the basic art of brewing a kit and capping a bottle, then take the next `obvious` step and start your own brewery?...

priceless.

[sdcspeak]

If you still have problems then move up to all grain brewing

are you joking?
if you havn`t mastered the basic art of brewing a kit and capping a bottle, then take the next `obvious` step and start your own brewery?...

priceless.[/quote]

It was meant "tongue in cheek" hence the laughing smilie. Obviously you will want to sort out the basics before launching into another world.