First brew complete

I cracked open a bottle of my first succesful batch. It's an LME brew based off an amber ale recipe. It is beer, and it is drinkable, but not exactly an award winner.

The pros: The color and body came out right. The beer properly carbonated after spending two weeks in the bottle, and the OG and FG were within .01 of what I had anticipated.

The cons: It has a yeasty flavor, and doesn't taste as anticipated. I left it in the primary for about 15 days.

The greatest I have learned thus far from this form is let it sit. Time is what it needs. It has only been in the bottles for 2 weeks. Your beer is still green. I bottled a batch on January 4th and it did not start to taste right until it had sat in the bottle for 2 months. Just cracked another and it seems even better this time around.

Great clarity. Nice head and color. Its green still. I'll be it'll taste even better in a few more weeks.

This may be a stupid question, but did you pour in one motion and leave some beer behind so you don't pour the yeast sediment in?

Nope, poured the whole bottle with a tilted glass.

I noticed on the bottles that I put upside down as a test to see if it enhanced anything that there is a ring of sediment around the part where the bottle narrows.

I hope that my first batch will look this great in the glass!

NorCalAngler said:

This may be a stupid question, but did you pour in one motion and leave some beer behind so you don't pour the yeast sediment in?

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Blackfoot26 said:

Nope, poured the whole bottle with a tilted glass.

I noticed on the bottles that I put upside down as a test to see if it enhanced anything that there is a ring of sediment around the part where the bottle narrows.

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Besides being young, it will probably get better, the way you poured is probably the source of your "yeasty" taste. Turn the bottles upright, wait another week or longer. Pour the beer carefully leaving the last 1/4 inch, give or take, in the bottle. Most of the yeast will be in this sediment.

Don't decide it is not good yet. You may be surprised with a little more age and careful pouring. This is not a filtered commercial beer.

Enjoy.

A 5 year old Amber better be ready or I'm quitting this stupid hobby.

I second all the suggestions to let it ride before making a final judgment. In 6-8 weeks it should be more mature/complex, clearer, tastier, headier. Time is your best friend in brewing. Congrats on what appears to be a super first brew!

1977Brewer said:

A 5 year old Amber better be ready or I'm quitting this stupid hobby.

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Man freddy you dug up a mighty old thread. :smack:

1977Brewer said:

A 5 year old Amber better be ready or I'm quitting this stupid hobby.

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ready!! it has peaked and gone by now