First ever homebrew

To quote Tom Hanks (sort of), I have made beer!!!

Fighting the impatience isn't easy with your first ever batch of homebrew. I bottled it only a week ago, but had to try a bottle anyway. I stuck one in the fridge for a few hours and cracked it open a little while ago. I wasn't expecting much if any carbonation since it's only been in the bottle for a week. Happily I was wrong, there was a fair amount of carbonation with a good head and decent retention.



The best news of all is, it tasted like beer! I brewed a Pale Ale kit, it was a little green, but with a good hoppy flavor. The carbonation bled out pretty quickly but the head hung on for a while.



All in all it was a good beer. I can't wait for next weekend to try it at two weeks! :rockin:

Congrats and welcome to the obsession. I remember my first batch. It was a porter made from the Iron Master Porter kit. I enjoyed it very much and still brew. Anyway the experience of tasting your first brew is something you will never forget.

Decent head for only 1 week. What did you brew?

It was a True Brew Pale Ale kit. I followed the directions except I let it sit in the primary for two weeks rather than only the one they recommended. Which, I assume, wouldn't affect the bottle carbonation.

Welcome to the addiction.....ERRRRRR hobby looks great if it tastes ur great screwed now!!!

As is often the case, the ingredients and recipe in a kit are good, but the instructions are missing something. I love my LHBS, but the directions to brew dont vary beyond the boil. They basically say: primary one week, rack to secondary for one week, bottle. I guess these are basic mr. beer type instructions.

Keep reading and keep brewing and you will learn a ton.

First beer will do that to you!! Gratz! That looks awesome!!

Contrary to what I tend to hear on HBT, I usually get great carbonation in a week. Make sure you include at least a day for the bottle to sit cold in the fridge. It's hard to carbonate warm beer, and it will escape very fast.
And I highly recommend you start another batch ASAP!!! Congrats on your victory and stick with the hobby. It's fun, and it's even more fun if you can get your friends to start.

Thanks all. Without a doubt, I am hooked. I already have a Nut Brown Ale that's been sitting in Primary for a week. I bought another primary yesterday along with the stuff to make a Red Ale. I may brew that up later today. To quote Homer this time, "Mmmmm... beer!"

congrats!!! wait until your wife ( or GF) says " WHERE IN THE HELL ARE WE GONNA PUT ANOTHER BUCKET?" Then you know you are obsessed.....don't ask how I know this!

Nice work my friend!

I enjoyed my first brew, I took pride in all my brews after that!

Keep it up!

OHIOSTEVE said:

congrats!!! wait until your wife ( or GF) says " WHERE IN THE HELL ARE WE GONNA PUT ANOTHER BUCKET?" Then you know you are obsessed.....don't ask how I know this!

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LOL...my wife just rolls her eyes when I tell her that I "need" another keg.

Welcome aboard, and I remember how stoked I was when I cracked my first bottle on a mild ale - fabulous!