First batch

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Welcome to brewing...for Ales, I would strongly recommend 2 weeks in the primary, 1 week conditioning...make sure your fermentation temperatures are in line...and you will have great beer!
 
Yeah, I was able to be patient so far. 2 weeks in the primary, 1 in a secondary (so I could fill the primary again), and I'm going to try and make it three weeks before I crack the first one. No promises though :) I'm lucky on the fermentation temp front, my basement stays about 63-65 even when it's 90 outside.

I already have another brew going and ingredients for two more. I think the brewing bug bit me. :D
 
bjl110 said:
Yeah, I was able to be patient so far. 2 weeks in the primary, 1 in a secondary (so I could fill the primary again), and I'm going to try and make it three weeks before I crack the first one. No promises though :) I'm lucky on the fermentation temp front, my basement stays about 63-65 even when it's 90 outside.

I already have another brew going and ingredients for two more. I think the brewing bug bit me. :D
Click to expand...

I think you should open up a bottle, one per week, so you can see how it changes. Plus you'll want to anyway
 
I was thinking about that. I couldn't decide if it was a good idea or a justification and a waste of beer.

Btw - is the beer supposed to taste "finished" by the time you bottle it? This one (Irish stout) still tastes pretty off especially compared to my IPA, which tastes like a flat IPA. The taste is ok-ish, but it smells a bit alcoholic and just....off. Not even close to a Guiness or Murphy's.
 
No, it will morph and change significantly after a month in the bottles at room temp (which is my personal preference before putting them into the fridge, they just seem to taste better that way-except wits and IPAs which get 3 weeks before the fridge). Stouts especially I find benefit from a little extra aging because of the roasted malts. Don't rush your beer. You will be significantly rewarded for your patience. Btw, what was your recipe?
 
Don't have it in front of me, and I'm on my phone so linking is a pain, but it was the Midwest Irish Stout kit. I used the Irish ale wyeast option. I'll probably be brewing several stouts as they are a favorite around here (and swmbo approval is clutch :D ), so I figured I'd just wash it and use it in the next several batches. I'd also like to get experience making starters anyway as BDSA is my favorite style (and one of my first major goals to brew).
 
I also say go ahead and sample your brew early. I like to wait 2 weeks, throw one in the fridge for 2 days and give it a shot then weekly after that.

For me, it's like watching your kids grow up. At 2 weeks they are young and raw but you can get a good feel for who they will be, at 3 they are more mature but still lack the expierence of age, at 4 they are grown and ready to go out into the world. Come to think of it, sampling maybe be my favorite part of the whole proccess.

If your worried about beer loss consider bottling some 7oz ponies specificly for testers.
 
bjl110 said:
Btw - is the beer supposed to taste "finished" by the time you bottle it? This one (Irish stout) still tastes pretty off especially compared to my IPA, which tastes like a flat IPA. The taste is ok-ish, but it smells a bit alcoholic and just....off. Not even close to a Guiness or Murphy's.
Click to expand...

No worries...stouts and porters are notorious for smelling "wrong" before they're mature. Many a-brewer has fretted over an off smelling stout or porter, as they keg or bottle, only to find a wonderfully aromatic and tasty beverage weeks later.
 
my irish stout i brewed didnt really taste like a stout until about month 4. and now at month 7 they are fantastic.
 
Good call on the smaller bottles. Didn't even think of that. Duh. Thanks all for the reassurance. I know that just about every thread has some of the same advice 'wait it out noob!', but evidently I still need to hear it. :)

Another question: why two or three days in the fridge? I wouldn't chill a commercial brew that long, even an unfiltered one. Maybe the yeast still needs to drop out or something? I thought that already happened though. I ask because I'm taking most of my IPA to Chicago (I live in Ohio) for my dude's bachelor party. Should I chill some of them a couple days before and then stick them in a cooler for the trip so they don't skunk on the way and are ready to go when I get there?
 
bjl110 said:
Good call on the smaller bottles. Didn't even think of that. Duh. Thanks all for the reassurance. I know that just about every thread has some of the same advice 'wait it out noob!', but evidently I still need to hear it. :)

Another question: why two or three days in the fridge? I wouldn't chill a commercial brew that long, even an unfiltered one. Maybe the yeast still needs to drop out or something? I thought that already happened though. I ask because I'm taking most of my IPA to Chicago (I live in Ohio) for my dude's bachelor party. Should I chill some of them a couple days before and then stick them in a cooler for the trip so they don't skunk on the way and are ready to go when I get there?
Click to expand...

Not really sure why you need to chill them as long as you do, but it certainly makes a difference. I would chill them for a few days and then travel with them. If you can't get the cooler, being in the car for a few hours wont do any damage. Just toss them back in the fridge when you arrive.
 
Most commercial beer is setting on a refrigerated shelf when you buy it. The reason for chilling 2-3 days is for proper absorption of co2 into solution. Also, it helps the beer drop clear--especially in a young beer.
 
Cool. Good to know. Sometimes I have six-year-old syndrome sometimes (whywhywhy?). I figured it had to do with the yeast but was unaware of the CO2 factor. They only refrigerate the BMC/other stuff I won't touch (read: Heinekin, Sam Adams) so maybe I should be chilling the commercial brews I buy down longer. Gives me a good reason to buy a sixer and do an experiment anyway! :D
 
It also has to do with the proteins that cause chill haze to precipitate out of suspension and clear your beer. This also aids in having a better beer. About the smaller bottles, they will age faster because of the volume so they may not give you a true sense of what your 12 oz bottles are doing.
 
Just to follow up I split a beer with one of my dudes last night. Light carbonation (I was kinda surprised there was any) and it tasted and smelled significantly more like beer. Not there yet, but coming along!
 
bjl110 said:
Yeah, I was able to be patient so far. 2 weeks in the primary, 1 in a secondary (so I could fill the primary again), and I'm going to try and make it three weeks before I crack the first one.
Click to expand...

Good on ya. You've passed Brewology 101 with flying colors. Now get a kegerator, an all-grain setup, & start working on your own recipes. Pop quiz next Thursday. :mug:
 

Similar threads

A
Sweet First Sip, but after???
Replies
0
Views
245
Armynian
A
Tomas Ramirez
On second batch
Replies
15
Views
574
wdavis2003
W
M
Is this normal?
Replies
3
Views
526
bushpilot
B
H
What is this white powder inside bottles?
Replies
8
Views
726
IslandLizard
IslandLizard
bradford0113
Beer to Use for Experimenting
Replies
1
Views
361
Rish
R

Latest posts

Back
Top