Good quick first brews

Hope this topic hasn't been beaten to death.. I didn't search very hard, but been reading here for a couple weeks or so and haven't seen much about it..

Just made another thread about how I just brewed my first brew - a Brewer's Best IPA kit. As soon as I bottle that, my carboy will be available again and I can't wait soon enough to brew another batch! My question is, I know some beers take longer to ferment/condition ect.. such as a Belgian Triple I just saw someone created a thread about and there were suggestions to let it sit for up to 6 months. From what I have read on here and in books, most people ferment in primarys/secondaries for 2-4 weeks, bottle for another 2-3 and so on. What types of beer take the least amount of time to condition and what types take longer? Many suggest to brew something that wont take as long to get that 'itch' out of your system to taste your first brews and develop that thing called patience

I am a patient person, but just curious which types of beers take less time and which ones can take longer to get to their ideal state. I am aware of the golden rule that the longer you leave it the better it will taste. I am specifically referring to the general times you can expect from a lager, an IPA, a stout, ect.. Which ones are quicker and which can I expect to wait longer for?

Thanks for the help, and if this subject has been beaten to a bloody pulp, tell my noobie ass to learn how to search!

The general rule of thumb is the lower the gravity of the beer, the less time it will take. Of course there are always some exceptions to the rule, but that will be a good guide to start with. That means if you're looking for beers that can turn around quickly you'll probably want to focus on beers such as bitters, pale ales, wheat beers, and so on. Once you start getting into big beers or ones with a lot of complex flavors going on you need that extra time for everything to come together.

IPA and Hefeweizen would be quick turn arounds.... Lagers and stouts will take alot more time. I can have my IPA grain to glass in about 2 weeks (kegging) and a Hefeweizen in about 10 days... My stouts usually stay on the primary for about 2 months and Lagers vary, I brew my Octoberfest in March and drink it it Sept/Oct. Disclaimer: Even though I can get IPA's and Hefeweizeins to turn around quick I still like to give them about 3 weeks on the yeast cake.

Do kits make any difference on turn around time vs. an all grain, or partial mash?

No love for mild around here?

You can get a mild to turn around very quickly. It won't pack too much of a punch, but we all need a good school night beer, right?

Nope

Grain or Extract doesn't matter on the time before good. It depends on the strength, unless you like drinking one dimensional beers.

I have my beers for every occasion. I can enjoy a casual lager and hit the high gravity IPAs and Porters in times of duress, with everything inbetween. Thankfully I am a lover of beer and have a hard time throwing away anything that might not tickle my taste buds; even if I don't like it I'll still finish it.

My roommate and brewed the IPA together, we were trying to decide on the next brew so I made this thread to give us some direction. Prior to starting the thread, we were leaning towards a German Oktoberfest or Rauchbier, but Brewer's Best no longer sells their Rauchbier kit. Anyone have any kit recommendations on a good Rauchbier? Too bad I live in a smaller town, BB is the only kit brand at the one home brew shop around here.

paarman said:

Just made another thread about how I just brewed my first brew - a Brewer's Best IPA kit. As soon as I bottle that, my carboy will be available again and I can't wait soon enough to brew another batch!

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A plastic bucket fermenter with lid and airlock is only about $15 at my homebrew store. Why are you waiting to start your next batch?

I have some extra plastic buckets and lids but I haven't decided if I want to ferment in buckets rather than glass... I know I will get all kinds of opinions from that response but I've done some research and im about 50/50 on yes and no. Sometimes it comes down to personal preference. Ill take it into consideration though, I realize they are inexpensive if I need new ones (the ones I have now are from a coworker who brewed years ago.. id have to check them over for abrasions that could have harnessed bacteria over the years)

RM-MN said:

A plastic bucket fermenter with lid and airlock is only about $15 at my homebrew store. Why are you waiting to start your next batch?

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this.^ waiting sucks.

i can usually get my american pale ales to turn around pretty quick if i'm not dry hopping.

RM-MN said:

A plastic bucket fermenter with lid and airlock is only about $15 at my homebrew store. Why are you waiting to start your next batch?

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+1 on this. Even glass or plastic carboys are relatively inexpensive. $30-40 range at my LHBS. Of course, its easy for me to spend your money for you