First batch o' homebrew!

**vanmartin74** · 01-18-2012, 07:19 AM

I just got my first batch put away in the primary. It's an Autumn Amber recipe and from the first taste/sample it looks to be awesome.

One question. I took my hydrometer reading before I topped off(after boil I ended up with a little more than 2.5G and added another 2.5G after pitching). My OG was 1.1%...seems high. From reading other posts it seems that taking the reading after topping off would have brought down the OG.

I may open it up tomorrow and get a true reading just to have a solid starting point to reference.

I haven't been done with my first batch for more than an hour and I'm already planning the next one.

Cheers!

beerman0001 · 01-18-2012, 08:30 AM

So you took it before you toped off? then it will be high. Do not look at the % it starts at 1.000 then goes to 1.020 and so on. What was to og on the kit supose to be at?

**vanmartin74** · 01-19-2012, 03:23 AM

The OG specified on the recipe was between 1.042-1.046. I had good bubbling through the airlock after eight hours in primary. I'll take my next reading in two weeks.

Now if I could figure out what to make next. Maybe a Belgian Fat Tire style to start and then a Meyer Lemon Wit to have ready by the time summer rolls around.

**vanmartin74** · 01-24-2012, 10:40 PM

So, being impatient and eager to peek in the bucket, I opened her up and took a hydrometer reading.

It's sitting at 1.018 vs a FG of 1.010-1.012 on the recipe. Still a slight bit of fermentation left. My only concern is that the weather has been unseasonably warm. Last week my closet had an ambient temp of 67 degrees. Now it's up to 72 degrees. Guess I'm going to have to build a fermenting cooler before the summer gets here.

I expected to see more of a ring around the bucket than was present. Does this look normal?

It tasted great! I'm seriously considering siphoning into the carboy next week so I can get another batch into primary.

Cheers!

**lowtones84** · 01-24-2012, 10:56 PM

I often have a more prominent krausen ring, but it certainly doesn't look like anything is wrong. I'm sure you're fine.

Congratulations, by the way!

**vanmartin74** · 02-08-2012, 05:51 AM

Tonight was bottle night. I took a ton of mental and physical notes for next time. Stupid mistakes and just not as organized as I thought I'd be. Oh well, three weeks to see what kind of brewer I am. Now, time for sleep...getting up early to go catch some redfish!

Cheers!

AdamPag · 02-08-2012, 07:01 AM

sounds like you didnt blow it terribly lol. Gravity is taken after you top off and before you pitch, and will never be accutate. Take very detailed written notes. only your hydrometer tells the truth about being done. taste your bottled beer at 5-7 day increments (yes, taste ONE beer at 7 days), buy a lot of crappy beer, so when you get to 18-21 days, when you drink one of your homebrews, you'll never go back.

**vanmartin74** · 02-08-2012, 07:19 PM

Yeah, my hydrometer readings hit their mark consistently for several days in a row. Although the clarity seemed to have gotten a little cloudier during it's last week in primary. When I checked it last week the hydro readings were coming down normally and the clarity was beautiful. Maybe I missed the sweet spot for bottling.

All in all, I feel pretty good about this first batch. Although while bottling by myself last night I do recall thinking that it's a hell of a lot easier to just run to the store.

"What is easy is seldom excellent." - Samuel Johnson