1st Batch

Last Friday I brewed up my first batch using a Brewer's Best ingredient kit (Red ALE to be exact). Things seemed to go pretty well but of course I have a few things I need to iron out.

Today, one week later, I transfered from the primary to the secondary and took a taste to see how it was. I course it's only a week old so I was not expecting too much. It did seem pretty bitter but I guess that's what I should have expected.

I plan on leaving the brew in the secondary for two weeks between 60-70 degrees (or my basement temperature). Then I will bottle it and leave it for another 3 weeks before chilling and celebrating.

So, should a week old brew taste bitter or what should it taste like?
Is two weeks in the secondary good?
Is three weeks in the bottles OK?

Thanks

Congratulations and welcome. This hobby will suck you in.

Before others say it, the general rule is 1-2-3...1 week in primary, 2 in secondary, and 3 in the bottles. Keeping that in mind, the taste will continue to improve for a few more weeks so be patient. Its hard to do. I have been trying to keep 3 beers in rotation to make me slow down and allow the taste to mature (currently have a stout ready, IPA just about ready, and hefewiezen getting bottled within the next few days).

The taste you had in your week old beer was probably spot on...or at least what it should be. If it tasted like beer, you did good.

You will learn with more experience how good a beer may be at at young age. They are a bit more bitter or green tasting but it more than likely will continue to meld the flavors and take some of the sharpness out of it.

Your bottled beer should be at 70 degrees or so to ensure carbonation within 2-3 weeks. I never could lay my hands off them for 3 weeks though.

I like the taste of wort straight out of the kettle (in very small amounts). Once you pitch the yeast, the flavor goes rapidly downhill for a few weeks, and starts to improve again one or two weeks after it is bottled. I think three weeks in the bottle is the minimum time you should wait. The flavor continues to improve slowly for a long time after that, but waiting is hard.

-a.

The first batch is always the hardest to wait. Your plan sounds good. For the first batch go ahead and drink one at the end of each week after bottling so you can experience how the carbonation works. The first week will be nearly flat, second slightly better and the third week will be pretty good.

I'd bet you'll still need several more weeks until your beer is at it's best. I've found that about bottling time, go ahead and brew another batch to give you something to focus on while letting the first batch mellow out.

Cheers!