Obligatory "Did I ruin my first batch" post

I just stopped my one hour boil and was about to move my brew pot to the sink to cool down when my wife asked me "What's this bag for?" Aaargh! I was so intent on adding my liquid malt extract that I forgot to add the pound of dried malt. I decided that the beer would need that to have the proper amount of sugars in it so I stirred it in and let it boil for a 15 minutes more.

Did I completely screw this batch up? I know "don't dump it" but I really don't want to wait 6 weeks to start over. Trying to relax and enjoy...

Thanks,

Bill

It'll be just fine.

You'll get a little more bitterness and a little less flavor and aroma from the hops since it was boiled an extra 15 minutes, but it'll be beer, and I bet it'll still be good.

Next time, if you find you've made the same mistake, just boil the forgotten extract in a little water for 10 or 15 minutes and add that to the rest. That'll keep your hops bitterness, flavor, and aroma in line.

It's f*d up, even so, bottle it in a few weeks and send it over to me for proper disposal.

No worries, it should be fine. Deep breath, relax....

Thanks for such fast replies! I'm cooling the wort off now and getting ready to siphon it into the fermentor. Definitely feeling a bit more relaxed now...

Thanks again!

Sounds like it will still be good! Make sure to be sanitary!

So here's the catalog of mistakes that I made tonight:

1.) Forgot to add dried malt extract... see original post and "don't worry replies"
2.) Add too much water to the wort in the fermenting bucket and brought my OG to 50(?) when the intended range was 65 - 61.
3.) When inserting my airlock, I pushed the rubber stopper all the way through the top and into the beer! I sanitized my whole arm before reaching into the buck to fish it out.

As a first time brewer, all I can think about is what a disaster this seems to be. That being said, my beer is now fermenting (hopefully!) in the basement and I'll find out in a month or so.

At least the whole house smells delicious.

There have been worse brew days with beers that turned out just fine.

Have a beer and relax man.

FWIW, next time you push the rubber stopper into your wort just let it be. I once super glued my 3 piece airlock in place because I did the same damn thing.

Cheers!

It'll still be fine.

bsimonssays said:

3.) When inserting my airlock, I pushed the rubber stopper all the way through the top and into the beer! I sanitized my whole arm before reaching into the buck to fish it out.

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Thats funny but hey atleast the beer with have you "personal" touch to it so it will be a special brew lol. Hope it all turns out well for ya bro

I really thought about adding an obligatory did I mess up my first batch. But I read so much on here that I just let it be. Right now it is bottling and if it tastes anywhere close to when I bottled it it will be delicious. Thanks to you guys here I have learned not to worry so much so that I have another two batches going now and one is the banana bread ale deathbrewer came up with

joekerr1 said:

I really thought about adding an obligatory did I mess up my first batch. But I read so much on here that I just let it be. Right now it is bottling and if it tastes anywhere close to when I bottled it it will be delicious. Thanks to you guys here I have learned not to worry so much so that I have another two batches going now and one is the banana bread ale deathbrewer came up with

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What mistakes did you make for that first batch that is turning out so well? I know there is another topic on that in these forums but it's nice to hear from another beginner.

bsimonssays said:

What mistakes did you make for that first batch that is turning out so well? I know there is another topic on that in these forums but it's nice to hear from another beginner.

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I dropped my recipe sheet in the cooled wort reached in with out sanitizing my hand. My lab was so interested in it that she had to dunk her nose in it to smell it. And then above all else I let the room I was fermenting in get way too hot. It got above 80 for three days before I noticed. But really if it tastes anything like it did on bottling day I will be so happy

Well don't feel bad you 2 I dont even have my kit yet so the 3 of us can share our horror stories lol

I've been collecting stories like this for years for whenever one of you freaks out and starts what they think is obligatory...consider this your obligatory RDW you Noob post.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/wh...where-your-beer-still-turned-out-great-96780/

Revvy said:

I've been collecting stories like this for years for whenever one of you freaks out and starts what they think is obligatory...consider this your obligatory RDW you Noob post.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/wh...where-your-beer-still-turned-out-great-96780/

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I wish I had that list Revvy when I started because, yeah, I was one of those guys that thought I messed up everything. The batch I'm drinking now I stuck my arm in the cooled wort to fish out thbe rubber stopper and it tastes great! Thanks for helping out us noobies

Your beers will be fine. Don't worry and take it as a lesson to pay more attention next time round!

I found that checklists (BeerSmith is good for that) and sitting everything side by side when I get started tends to help me remember stuff, especially because I have a rule that Bacchus must be appeased by drinking homebrew when making homebrew.

joekerr1 said:

I dropped my recipe sheet in the cooled wort reached in with out sanitizing my hand. My lab was so interested in it that she had to dunk her nose in it to smell it. And then above all else I let the room I was fermenting in get way too hot. It got above 80 for three days before I noticed. But really if it tastes anything like it did on bottling day I will be so happy

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I hope you're calling it Cold Nose Porter, or whatever.

Quick update... I cracked open the first bottle last night after conditioning it two weeks and I definitely made beer! It was quite good... even great (humbly) considering it was my first one! It is significantly more bitter than a lot of the IPAs that I'm used to but maybe that will change with a few more weeks in the bottle. All in all, I'm very pleased and I'm ready to start on batch two. Hello Hefeweisen!