First time Brewer -- Irish Red Ale

So I just bottled my first homebrew. My OG was about 1.04 and my FG was 1.01. Where does that put my alcohol content ? I think its in the range of 3.5 to 4% but not sure. I tasted it before siphoned it into my bottling bucket. I thought it tasted pretty good yet flat as expected. It didn't taste like it was to strong but I am not sure if that is normal or not. any thoughts?

iRISHdRINKER

kennedtj said:

So I just bottled my first homebrew. My OG was about 1.04 and my FG was 1.01. Where does that put my alcohol content ? I think its in the range of 3.5 to 4% but not sure. I tasted it before siphoned it into my bottling bucket. I thought it tasted pretty good yet flat as expected. It didn't taste like it was to strong but I am not sure if that is normal or not. any thoughts?

iRISHdRINKER

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Welcome aboard, your at 3.94% abv

You just entered into a world of ____________.

PUD said:

You just entered into a world of ____________.

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both shadows and substance, of things and ideas?

Signpost ahead? Rod Serling?

what?

thanks all......i know its only been carbonating for about 36 hours but how do you tell if its carbonating right? I used priming sugar and boiled it in with water and put it into my bottling bucket before i siphoned the beer into it. I'm pretty sure thats what i was supposed to do. Just wondering if I should see anything in hte bottles as I wait. I have them in a room right around 69-70 degrees. I'm just getting so anxious to drink it!!!!

iRISHdRINKER

kennedtj said:

thanks all......i know its only been carbonating for about 36 hours but how do you tell if its carbonating right? I used priming sugar and boiled it in with water and put it into my bottling bucket before i siphoned the beer into it. I'm pretty sure thats what i was supposed to do. Just wondering if I should see anything in hte bottles as I wait. I have them in a room right around 69-70 degrees. I'm just getting so anxious to drink it!!!!

iRISHdRINKER

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There's only one trick that I know to determine carbonation (and a second trick that my friend swears by, but I've not had any success).

1: When you bottle, use a single 16oz plastic soda bottle. You'll be able to squeeze it and feel an increase in pressure. I don't do this myself, but I believe it works. DO NOT USE A WATER BOTTLE; MAKE SURE TO USE A CONTAINER THAT NORMALLY CONTAINS CARBONATED DRINKS.

2. My friend tips the bottle a few times and can tell by the bubbles / foam inside the neck of the bottle if it is carbed or not. I've tried this, but I haven't been able to correlate what I see with carbonation.

At your temps, you probably won't get adaquate carbonation for 2 weeks. At 75, mine are moderately carbonated at 1 week, at 2 weeks they are good enough to share with my neighbor, at 3 weeks I can enter them in a comp. Increasing the temps will significantly speed up carbonation.

so should i have my bottles sitting at a temp of say 72-74 degrees instead of 69-70?

no, leave them where they are. Patience! Taste one after 2 weeks, and see if it "hisses" when you pop the cap. If you are REALLY impatient, pop one open after one week, and you should hear a little hiss of carbonation.

But waiting is better!!!

GaryJohn said:

no, leave them where they are. Patience! Taste one after 2 weeks, and see if it "hisses" when you pop the cap. If you are REALLY impatient, pop one open after one week, and you should hear a little hiss of carbonation.

But waiting is better!!!

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Oh man! I agree that waiting is better, no doubt. But, damn if I can hold out. Honestly, I hide the bottles. After a few days, I forget about them.
Out of site, out of mind!!!

Welcome!!