[Review] St Peter's Cream Stout 3.0kg Kit

[Garry]

After 2 weeks of children and visiters, I got the whole day off to do "beer stuff". Great start to 2014

I did an AG beer, bottled a beer which was in the FV for too long and transferred another to secondary, while dry hopping the shíte out of it.

And I got to do this kit, a 3.0kg St Peter's Cream Stout Kit generously given to the club compliments of GetErBrewed to review.

The kit contains 2 no 1.5kg tins of hopped extract. Both tins appear the same to me; the extract was black in both and both tasted bitter as woodworm

The kit also includes a hop sachet which I've only seen in St Peter's kits. It's a powdered hop extract which looks like a sachet of dry yeast, but it smells like hops

You also get a sachet of dry yeast.

This is going to be easy





I put the two tins in a spare FV and poured a kettle of boiling water over them. Let them sit there for 10 - 15 minutes to soften the extract and boil the kettle again.



I sanitise all my gear. FV, jug, scissors, paddle, tin opener, air lock...



I add the kettle of boiling water to the FV, then drain the two tins into it. Boil the kettle again and give the extract/water a good stir to dissolve all the extract.



I split the next kettle of water between the two tins to get the last of that precious goo into the FV.





Now stir like fúck to aerate the wort while adding cold water up the 20.5L mark.



At 20.5L the temperature is 22°C. Perfect for pitching the yeast. Look at the foamy head, it's like a massive 5 gallon glass of stout



I draw off a sample to check the gravity. It was 1.048°, which sounds right. The kit says it will ferment to 5.0% ABV.





I sprinkle the hop sachet onto the foam head. Then pitch the yeast.





I put the FV in the corner with the STC/heat-belt set to 19.5°C.



The taste at the moment is like a flat sweet stout. Most of the sweetness will ferment out but I'm looking forward to it.

Easy peasy! The hardest part was opening the tins, I need a new tin opener   Only 358 days to Christmas!

[Will_D]

Errm!, There is quite a difference between Woodworm and Wormwood!

I think the Pastis industry in .fr would have got nowhere by adding the liitle grubs to spirits!

The pastis industry was so lucrative one of the companys(Ricard) built a F1 racing circuit!

[Dunkel]

The kit contains 2 no 1.5kg tins of hopped extract. Both tins appear the same to me; the extract was black in both and both tasted bitter as woodworm

So were you the fellow with the beard on "I'm a Celebrity"?

[LordEoin]

nice one garry!
i wonder if you can get those sachets of hop powder anywhere separately...

[Garry]

Wormwood, that's what I meant

I didn't really watch "I'm a celeb..." Was he the lad who couldn't read an analog clock?

[Garry]

nice one garry!
i wonder if you can get those sachets of hop powder anywhere separately...

I just asked my old buddy Google, and he tells me that HBW have hop sachets. They don't give much info though.

http://www.homebrewwest.ie/hop-extract-sachet-40-pints-487-p.asp

[LordEoin]

There are gems hidden behind more gems on that site...
That's isomerized, so probably just for bittering.
Did the sachet provided taste very bitter or full of hop flavour?

[Garry]

I didn't taste the powder in the hop pack. But it smelled like sticking your nose into a bag of hops. It's probably a bit late to go licking the foam head now?

I'd guess that they are for aroma though. The bitterness would come from the hoped extract. Did I mention the woodworm 

[Garry]

I went out to check progress this evening. No activity yet. The STC was reading 16d C. So it's too cold.

Don't fear. I wrapped a duvet around the FV and gave it a little cuddle. Whispered a few reassurances into the air lock and told the yeasties to stay away from the light. It was at 17.5d when I left It'll be forgotten about by the morning

[Ciderhead]

Wot no bedtime story, phone the NSPCK(Kits)

[Garry]

A healthy 19.9°C this morning and the air lock is popping away nicely 

@CH; You're only trying to make me feel worse! It's not working 

[LordEoin]

Probably because you spooned the FV all night...

[Garry]

Probably because you spooned the FV all night...

Did you ever wake up in the morning and see a hand next to your face

And you're thinking, "who's dirty hairy hand is that?..... Oh wait, it's mine  "

Well that's how bad the pins-and-needles were   

[@geterbrewed]

Garry, Smashing review so far, everyone loves pictures, thanks for taking the time to write it up so well!

[CB_Phil]

think Ill have to take a look into these kits, was after another Porter, but this sounds interesting

Am I the only one who cant get onto HBW?