Muntons Old Conkerwood Black Ale

[anthclarke]

Just put this down with an extra 200g LDM and a Brewferm Lager Yeast. Will be brewed around 12c in the brew fridge. Had read a couple of posts where people had complained about stuck fermentations with the packet yeast so thought I would make a big brewferm starter and pitch slightly warmer (16-18c) than ferment temp.

Will keep you posted on how it turns out.

Cheers

 

[Rowy]

New to brewing and this site but love dark beers and always looking for a good one. Make sure you tell us how it worked out.

 

[anthclarke]

Bottled this last night - tasted really good out of the fermenter but also still really cloudy. Had a leaking bottle at the end so whacked it in the freezer for 10 mins and drank it flat and it was pretty damn acceptable. Final FG was 1.011 which from reading other reviews is in the ballpark ........

Had a few longnecks during the process and then at around 11pm decided it was a good idea to make a kits and bits and pitch directly onto the yeast cake.

So this is what I put down:

Two cans Coopers Dark Ale directly onto the Conkerwood yeast cake (where I used a brewferm dry lager yeast).
300g LDME
400g BE1

Then in addition I added a Thomas Coopers Dry Yeast (from a Sparkling Ale I think?)
Also added the original Muntons dry yeast that came with the Conkerwood.

God only knows what will be the result of using 3 different yeasts ...... pitched at around 22c and will brew around 15c which should give them all a chance to do a little work at some stage?

 

[Rowy]

Bottled this last night - tasted really good out of the fermenter but also still really cloudy. Had a leaking bottle at the end so whacked it in the freezer for 10 mins and drank it flat and it was pretty damn acceptable. Final FG was 1.011 which from reading other reviews is in the ballpark ........

Had a few longnecks during the process and then at around 11pm decided it was a good idea to make a kits and bits and pitch directly onto the yeast cake.

So this is what I put down:

Two cans Coopers Dark Ale directly onto the Conkerwood yeast cake (where I used a brewferm dry lager yeast).
300g LDME
400g BE1

Then in addition I added a Thomas Coopers Dry Yeast (from a Sparkling Ale I think?)
Also added the original Muntons dry yeast that came with the Conkerwood.

I gotta grow some nuts and do this sorta stuff with my leftovers!
God only knows what will be the result of using 3 different yeasts ...... pitched at around 22c and will brew around 15c which should give them all a chance to do a little work at some stage?

 

[anthclarke]

Took off like a rocket ...... had about 8 inches of Krausen in the fermentor. Despite being in the brew fridge 36 hours at 16c the temp has remained closer to 20c ....... going to be a quick ferment.

Guessing the Brewferm lager yeast in the yeast cake was doing most of the work and given the slightly higher than optimal temp. I am a little concerned about the flavours I may get. Luckily it is a dark ale so hopefully this will mask any problems.

Looking forward to drinking it all the same !!!

 

[anthclarke]

Couldn't help myself and tried a long neck last night.

Easily the best kit I have ever put down - and that is after a little over a week in the bottle. Really smooth drinking, nice hop balance and good creamy lacing. Very suprised at how nice it was.

Nursing a huge hangover today as following that long neck wandered over to a mates place for dinner and 3 bottles of red later I stumbled home at 1am much to the wifes displeasure. Should have stuck to the HB and avoided the dreaded red.

 

[anthclarke]

Not bad for a little over a week in the bottle. Nice and smooth with good bittering. Good head retention and good lacing. Guess it will only get better !!!

 

[enuun]

Hey anthclarke,

I also have 1 conditioning now is into its 6th week. It really gets better. One of my mates had a few bottles from 2009. They were sweet nectar! I hope I can keep some that long.