scrapes

Recipes 

I'm sitting here on Christmas morning waiting for the family to get up, so why not visit the HBT.

I have to say the more I read, the more intimidating brewing beer becomes. There is so much info to digest. I have my kit in the Fed Ex pipeline, an Amber brew kit will be the first. Looking forward to cracking the first HB.

I know half my problem is inexperience, ok, all my problems.

I know its just brewin'.

I'd love to hear the basic of tips, perhaps things you guys take for granted that a noob should know.

Merry Christmas brewers!

jsmoon888

Recipes 

Sanitize

Sanitize
Sanitize
Fermentation temp

Glynn

Recipes 

best thing you can do is not to fret about, it's just beer and will taste good. read the instructions a few time before starting and if there something you don't understand post a question. make sure your fementer and anything coming in contact with your cooled wort is clean and sanitized. pitch yeast when it cooled to about 68 and try to ferment at around 65 +/- degrees. but most of all take your time and have fun.

__________________
Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson
Duct tape. The handyman's secret weapon - Red Green

Naughty Kitty Brewing EST 1993
Primary 1 - Bobtail Pale Ale
Primary 2 -
Primary 3 -
Secondary 1 -
Secondary 2 -
Bottled - Alley Cat Amber, Fat Cat Imperial IPA, Bobtail Pale Ale, Citridian Wheat IPA

Hammy71

Recipes 

This, we all over analyzed our first brew. It isn't rocket science. Relax, read the destructions and have fun.

Atonk

Recipes 

+1 to all responses, but especially the "take your time and have fun" line. Give yourself plenty of time and do it when you're in a good mood, because it should be fun.

jtkratzer

Recipes 

It's simple...assuming you're starting with extract. Heat water, stir in extract, boil, add hops, chill, pitch yeast, don't post about not seeing airlock activity...then do the bottling process when it's done fermenting.

It's easy. Sanitation is probably the most important thing. You can screw up a lot and still make good beer. If things aren't clean and sanitized, you'll get frustrated.

I found a few pale ales from Nov 2010 recently, my second batch ever, and a Brewer's Best kit, and surprisingly, they're good and people like them. As much as I can remember or see in my notes things ill never do again that did on that beer, it still worked out just fine.

Enjoy the process and have fun, you're making beer for crying out loud.

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Dual Stage Fermentation Chamber Build

My e-Brew Magic HERMS build

jtkratzer

Recipes 

Yes, it is absolute imperative that you follow the destructions.

__________________
Lifetime NRA Membership for $300 - 888-678-7894

Dual Stage Fermentation Chamber Build

My e-Brew Magic HERMS build

mccumath

Recipes 

This for sure, plus patience and having fun! It is an enjoyable hobby!

My first timer brewing advice-Ferment in a 62ish degree area for a couple weeks. My first beer blew the lid off the bucket and tasted like rocket fuel after it fermented at ~80 degrees.

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Put it all in the primary, and let the BeerGods sort it out

GeorgiaTiger

Recipes 

Its boiling water and adding ingredients. You have instructions right there. It isnt going to be difficult and when you finish you are going to say "Huh? That's IT? I worried over THAT?" Seriously...just make sure you sanitize everything and you WILL make beer!

Merry Christmas and RDWHAHB!

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Allen
"Im an airlock sniffer...I sniff airlocks"
Primary 1: Empty
Primary 2 (LBK): Empty
On Deck - IPA of some sort
Bottled - Irish Red Ale
Wicked Gnome HomeBrewing

cdubbaya

Recipes 

The HBT Forums are filled with people of all levels of brewing experience. There are people who have never brewed, people who are just getting started, and plenty of folks who have brewed hundreds of batches.

The way I see it:

1. You can brew a really bad beer, which is likely a result of doing something very wrong
2. You can brew a solid beer, and even with a few mistakes you will have a nice drinkable brew
3. You can brew an awesome beer, doing everything correctly and maybe even trying a more advanced technique.

You will likely brew all 3 scenarios many times in this hobby! Don't worry about it, we all do it. Use this forum to brew better beer, but stick to the basics until you feel comfortable moving on to more advanced techniques.

For me, I read everything I could find. John Palmer's How to Brew was first, but now I have 8-10 books that I reference often. Enjoy!

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"To Thine Own Self Be Brew" -Shakesbeer

Honey Double IPA