sgsbrew

Recipes 

Well I have all my supply's for my first brew any kit suggestions for my first time?? Thanks !!

JeffoC6

Recipes 

Sanitize Santize Santize. Then when you're done, Sanitize some more.

Actually, one of the things that has helped me the most is having absolutely everything ready to go. I put all of my hops in different bowls and label each bowl with a post-it as to when they're supposed to be added. I have all of my equipment in a StarSan, waiting to be used. I also prepare my process beforehand and have a large bowl for my brew in a bag, etc. Going through the process before you start will help you after you get underway. That way you don't have to scramble around looking for this, or that, or how much of this to add, etc.

Good luck!

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Pap Don Brewers

Planned: DFH 60 Minute IPA Clone
Primary #1: Bowling Ball Stout
Primary #2: Empty
Primary #3: Empty
Primary #4: Belgian Blonde
Primary #5: Ed Wort's Apfelwein
Primary #6: C&C Hop Factory
Bottled: Raspberry Wheat, Red Rye Ale, Cottage House Saison, Simcoe IPA, Bavarian Hefeweizen
Drinking: Honey & Chamomile Wheat, Yooper's House Pale Ale, Lefthand Milk Stout Clone, Vanilla Bourbon Stout, Lakefront IPA Clone
Batches Made: 18

RM-MN

Recipes 

Look at the yeast you have for the fermentation. It has a recommended range of temperature for the best results. Try to put your fermenter where you can keep it near the cooler end of that range. Let it ferment at least 5 days or a few more, then let it warm up a few degrees to encourage the yeast to complete the job. That has been the single most important thing to make my beer better.

The second thing that has helped my beer taste better is to leave it in the fermenter longer. Lots of kits will suggest your beer is done in a week. Not so. Give it 3 weeks and you will have much better beer.

kurtism

Recipes 

oh, i thought the OP was looking for kit recommendations.

if so, a couple of days ago, I had a Brewers Best smoked porter that was pretty good.

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Planned: Mango Wine (~15%) - 2/19/12
Planned: Grapefruit Wine (~15%) - 2/19/12
Planned: Vino Italiano Merlot Kit (~15%) - 2/19/12 don't judge me!
Primary: Apple Cider (~18.6%): started 2/6/12
Secondary: Pineapple Apertif (~18.5%): racked 2/6/12
Secondary: Cookie Dough Porter (~9.5%): racked 2/7/12
Tertiary: Diaginjo Sake (~20%): racked 2/7/12
Bottled: Hard Tea (9.5%) 11/20/11
Bottled: Lemonale (11.5%) 12/17/11
Bottled: Chocoberry Stout (Chocoloate and Cranberry) (11.1%) 1/21/12

Homercidal

Recipes 

What beer do you like to drink? Just find a kit that makes something like that.

Oh, and while you are at the store, pick up another fermenter because you are going to want to brew another batch well before the first one is done. Trust me.

unionrdr

Recipes 

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Everything works if ya let it-Roady(meatloaf)

BamaRooster

Recipes 

Yep +1 on unionrdr's comment. Also it helps if you get your kit from a store that has high turnover to ensure freshness of ingredients. Online stores like Austin and midwest seem to have very fresh ingredients in there kits....well at least the ones that I have tried.

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wait....what do you mean all the beer is gone!

Home Brew Beer Guy

Jayhem

Recipes 

+1. waiting on your first batch is hard to do!

Brown Ale is a good starting beer. It's hard to find someone who likes beer who does not like a brown ale. I brewed a Brewer's Best Brown Ale as my first beer; 10 days in fermenter, 2 weeks in bottles and it was good in under 4 weeks! It got better after 6 weeks in bottles but that was a quick beer!

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Next up: Vanilla-Bourbon-Oak Stout
Primary #1: Harvest Cream Ale
Primary #2: Empty
Secondary: Empty
Bottle Conditioning: Aximus Brown Ale
Drinking: Bradford IPA, Diesel Chocolate Porter, Honeybee Wheat