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shamukaiser

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So I bottled my first batch last Friday... I couldn't help but try a little tonight... it is a holiday Spiced Ale; of course it was flat.... not enough time to carbonate. It smelled great and tasted fairly good... somewhat bitter and maybe a hint of "hard alcohol'ish" on the tongue..... after taste was awesome.

What do you guys think, will it "settle down" an become less bitter/harsh with more time. Recipe stated to let it sit for 2-3 weeks in bottles; I will do that, but for now, I had to taste.

Will the carbonation actually be strong enough to create a head? I know its hard to answer that one, but I can't beleive it could be possible.

 
It's a good idea to check a brew's progress. You can read and read, but after you've tracked the flavor changes, week to week, a couple times, you'll know when a batch is just green and when it is going weird.

if you followed the priming instructions, you should get good carbonation. Carbonation can easily be strong enough to explode bottles. Do a search on "bottle bomb".
 
if its carbed, it'll create a head. but it may not retain the head for very long. depends on the recipe, and on your beer glass. regular dish soap/dishwasher detergent have rinse aids that'll kill your beer's head.

as for the taste, there have been guys here that say their brew is undrinkable after tasting it at 1 week. 6 months later they say its aged into the nectar of the gods.
 
I havent had a beer yet that is decent after only a week. AFter 3 weeks it becomes drinkable, better than bud or coors, but not quite micro brew quality. The more time you allow it to bottle condition, the better it will get in general.
 
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The beer in the middle is mine. If you carb correctly, you should have plenty of staying head.
 
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