question on my Wherry mod

[pcrofts27]

Hi everyone,

just finihsed bottling a Wherry i've done. Tasted the last few dregs and they seem very sweet. I know the priming sugar will still be there, and not in the finished bottles, but I ususlaly taste the dregs when i bottle and i've not noticed anything that sweet before.
Here's what I did.
Wherry kit done to 23L. Steeped 250gm cracked Amber malt in 2 pints water, then removed bag added 25gm bramling cross hops and boiled the liquid for 10 mins. Then turned off heat, removed hops, added 25gm extra hops to steep for 30 mins before adding to the kit. SG was 1036. Left in FV for 3 weeks, FG now 1008, so should be 4.4% Primed with 95gm dextrose and bottled.
Anyone see anything wrong with the method that might cause it to be too sweet, or is just me noticing the priming sugar this time?
cheers
paul

[pcrofts27]

one other thing - when i primed it i boiled the sugar in 1/2 pint water for 5 mins and put that in my keg. I then syphoned the beer out of the fv into the keg, with the end of the siphon at the bottom of the keg to avoid splashing. This should also ensure the sugar is well mixed with the beer. Bottling done with a wand fitted to the keg tap. I've always down it this way (this was brew no. 16) and not had a problem before, but i thought i ought to post as much info as poss in case there's an obvious mistake i hadn't spotted.
cheers
paul.

[Fil]

Hi Paul

if your confident the priming solution was well mixed in, and it sounds like it should be the FG reading indicates its fermented out ok, so im guessing its probably a combination of the priming solution and perhaps some more complex sugars from the steeping of the grains which the yeast couldn't metabolise. especially if it was a sweet biscuity taste as thats what amber malt is known for.

unless your using a very small bore low flow syphon tube, i have seen tiny stuff (1/4") sold in brewshops, and even seen smaller stuff like aquarium air hose used in utubes, the syphoning in should have mixed the priming solution in. if you have any doubt and think its possible the last few bottles got a higher dose of priming sugar drape an old towel over the conditioning bottles and pop em in a waterproof box.. just in case, and its not a bad practice for all conditioning bottles anyway, especially if conditioning in the corner of a room with carpet down.

[pcrofts27]

Hi Fil,

Thanks for that. I wasn't sure how the amber malt affected things as that's the first time I've used it.
The syphon looks around 8mm diameter and the beer was all swirling round in the keg as I siphoned it, so I think it was mixed in ok.
I'll just put it down to me being unfamiliar with the malt I think.
Good advice on the waterproof box though. I'll go and do that now
Cheers
Paul