Recipe jazz-up suggestions

**Blackhawkbrew** · 02-05-2008, 02:00 AM

Hey all,
I just got a Brewer's Best American Amber kit for my birthday and I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to how to do something different with it. I'm very new to brewing (still waiting to bottle my first batch) so I have no idea what would work. Any ingredient additions would be helpful.

Thanks for all the great infromation.

Keith

**Revvy** · 02-05-2008, 02:05 AM

For your first time, I would just do the beer as-is...Follow the instructions. Work on your sanitation and brewing process. Then you can start messing around with the kits, and formulating your own recipes after you get the hangs on things.

BB kits make good beer....I use them, and the recipes myself sometimes.

A good first step is to read Palmer's How To Brew Which you can read here http://www.howtobrew.com/intro.html

Welcome to our obsession!

**Bobby_M** · 02-05-2008, 03:10 AM

I don't understand why new brewers feel the need to screw around with a tried and true recipe. Maybe it's the perception that you're making something cookie cutter like everyone else who bought the kit, but it's a time to get your process down. It's like adding a cup of flour to the Nestle Tollhouse recipe before you taste it as is.

**Blackhawkbrew** · 02-05-2008, 09:29 PM

I see what you're saying. Maybe I was jumping the gun a bit. It's just like anything though, you want to move ten feet without taking the first steps. Thanks for the reality check!

Keith

**Revvy** · 02-05-2008, 09:31 PM

oops...I already gave you the link to How to brew.

Again, welcome.

Second best piece of advice I can give you is to pick out your next recipe or kit, and brew it one week after the first. That way you'll be less tempted to stress out about your first brew, and also not let it sit the whole 3 weeks in the bottle. Then you won't start a thread like "My beer Taste Funny" after you cracked a bottle after only the first week.