Geordie Bitter

[Jimothy_Bobbins]

Hi all, my wife came home on Saturday with a kit for me to do, Geordie Bitter.



She said it was just a cheapy in Wilkinsons so she got it for me to try. I started it on Sunday with a OG of 1.040 and after a very slow start it is now bubbling away nicely. Its now at 1.020 and still going strong. It doesn't say what SG I should be looking for roughly to finish though so I wonder if anyone here has done this kit and knows what the reading should be at the end? Room temperature is 20 degrees and the brew itself is somehow slightly higher at 23 degrees.

Also, I am going to be putting this in my pressure barrel when its finished - how should I prime it? With my Wherry I just put the sugar in the bottom of the barrel and then syphoned the beer on top but have read of people disolving the sugar first in some of the beer or a small amount of warm water? What do people generally do?

Final question, is this pint any good? Never really drink bitter but the wife bought it so I'm going to try it but would be nice to know what you guys think of it if you've done this kit before..

Cheers.

[Hoodlum]

Hi Jimmothy

Regarding the priming of your keg, best bet is to dissolve the requisite amount of sugar into beer or a little boiling water and get that into the bottom of the barrel. You will want to avoid sloshing the beer around at all as this will cause it to oxidise somewhat more quickly than would otherwise be the case when you're transfering it. For FG, you should be aiming at a stable figure over a few days - not sure what it would be, but less than 1020 it should be. I would just leave the brew in the FV for around 10 days before putting into your pressure barrel.

As to whether it's any good, I don't know. Like most things it's down to "you get what you pay for" and a matter of personal taste. I'm particularly partial to the brewbuddy bitter which most folk would say is utter garbage and it's practically free anyway at a tenner for 40 pints!

[Barm]

FG will depend on what fermentables you made it up with, and to what volume. If using plain sugar to 23L, then it might go down to maybe 1008 ish. Using spraymalt and shortening the length to say 20L will give a 'thicker' pint - maybe reaching around 1010-1012. Rule of thumb- three days' steady readings around the 1010 mark should mean you're about there.

Personally I can't be bothered with pre-dissolving the priming sugars!! The "beer" is about 96% water, and the added amount of plain sugar will easily dissolve in no time without encouragement... Just weigh it out (about 80-85g should do; only plain sugar needed) and chuck it in the bottom of your sanitised PB, then run in the beer from the FV.

[cwrw gwent]

Hi Jimothy,

I often make Geordie Bitter and have 40 pints fermenting in a vessel right now.

It makes an easy going session ale with nice flavour, good body and head retention. It always goes down well with my friends, as does the Geordie Mild, Yorkshire Bitter and Scottish Export. Not so keen on the Geordie Lager though, which I considered somewhat weak and watery.

Don't usually measure the final gravity but I have got it down to 1006 using my normal 500 grams light hopped spraymalt and 500 grams of sugar (various types from Tate & Lyle to golden syrup). I ferment it for 7/8 days at 18 to 21C and then put it in bottles.

Let us know how it turns out.

[Jimothy_Bobbins]

Hi guys, thanks for the replies.. Its still fermenting away so and down to 1.016 now so will keep an eye on it and let you know how it turns out when it comes to drinking.. How long would you leave it in the barell before drinking? Was thinking 4-5 weeks?

[fractureman]

yep 4/5 weeks sounds good

[Jimothy_Bobbins]

Great, thanks!

[Hoodlum]

although seeing as this is your first brew, you will be genetically unable to leave it for that length of time before tucking in to it!