First batch bottled...post mortem and some questions

Welp, I bottled my first batch today with the help of my father-in-law, after three and a half weeks in the primary. It was a bit of a gong show...my T-Siphon leaked beer when the clamp I was using didn't; I forgot to add the sugar water, so I had to pour about two litres of beer back and go again (and then I forgot to stir it); I didn't understand the bottle proportions in the yeast washing instructions; and I don't want to think about all the stuff I should probably have sanitized better.

But OTOH, I'd put (nearly) all the bottled in a big utility tub, which not only made filling easy but kept the beer spilled by the leaking siphon from making a huge mess (good trick, BTW, and I recommend it); I've got all that yeast; the beer smells great; I've made a bunch of mistakes I won't have to make next time; and I've got 14.5 litres more beer now than I did before. Now it's just a matter of waiting!

OG was 1.056, FG (measured after the sugar went in...another mistake) was 1.010...so if I'm reading my hydrometer right, that's about 6 - 6.5 % ABV or so. Wow!

A couple questions for all y'all:

I peeked (plastic fermenter, first batch...damn right I was curious!) and was amazed by how good it smelled: malty, yeasty goodness. But when I tried the hydrometer sample, it wasn't nearly so aromatic. By contrast, the yeast I washed out had that smell in spades. Is that always the case? Am I just in love with the smell of yeast? Is that one of the things that changes as the beer matures?

Also, the flavour of the beer was still fairly bitter and a bit thin. (The hops were 1.5oz Cascade/Goldings at 60 mins, and 1 oz Cascade/Goldings at flameout; the rest of the recipe, if it helps, is the Strathcona Pale Ale in my .sig.) I know it's still young and needs to mature, but is sweetness one of the things that's likely to change? My assumption is that the FG is the FG, and that determines sweetness, so it's pretty much set. Is that right, or have I overlooked something?

Thanks for letting me bend your ear. Next batch (Espresso Ale) is happening Saturday, when my wife is out with friends and the kids are asleep. Wish me luck!

Saint Aardvark said:

A couple questions for all y'all:

I peeked (plastic fermenter, first batch...damn right I was curious!) and was amazed by how good it smelled: malty, yeasty goodness. But when I tried the hydrometer sample, it wasn't nearly so aromatic. By contrast, the yeast I washed out had that smell in spades. Is that always the case? Am I just in love with the smell of yeast? Is that one of the things that changes as the beer matures?

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Congrats on the first brew! (From what I understand)Some of the aromatics are in the C02 that was dispersed in fermentation. As you carbonate, you'll get it back. It might not seem as concentrated (12 oz bottle vs 5 gallon batch).

Saint Aardvark said:

Also, the flavour of the beer was still fairly bitter and a bit thin. (The hops were 1.5oz Cascade/Goldings at 60 mins, and 1 oz Cascade/Goldings at flameout; the rest of the recipe, if it helps, is the Strathcona Pale Ale in my .sig.) I know it's still young and needs to mature, but is sweetness one of the things that's likely to change? My assumption is that the FG is the FG, and that determines sweetness, so it's pretty much set. Is that right, or have I overlooked something?

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As the beer ages and gets some carbonation, it should balance out a little bit.

Am I just in love with the smell of yeast?

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On any other post.... ha

but, Yes we are all in line with the yeasties...

Hey, welcome to homebrewing.
Beer can be very forgiving, just take notes and use a checklist when brewing, racking and bottling. I know it sounds a little anal but it is sooo easy to miss something.
Start kicking yourself when you make the same mistake three times, not before. This is suppose to be a fun hobby.

OG of 1.056, that to me is a great magical number, sound like you got a good solid homebrew in the making. Give it a good three weeks to condition in the bottles. When carbonation is done the harsher taste will mellow, and the C02 will bring out the flavor.
BTW, that sounds like a cool father in law. Hopefully you enjoy the final product as much as I do.

Kauai_Kahuna said:

Beer can be very forgiving, just take notes and use a checklist when brewing, racking and bottling. I know it sounds a little anal but it is sooo easy to miss something. Start kicking yourself when you make the same mistake three times, not before. This is suppose to be a fun hobby.

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Checklist -- good idea! I've been depending on howtobrew.com (though I've dropped hints about a printed copy for Xmas), so it's tough to keep it around in the kitchen. And point taken about relaxing...I tend to get stressed about these things.

Kauai_Kahuna said:

BTW, that sounds like a cool father in law.

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Very much so! He makes his own wine every year -- just grapes and natural yeast, nothing else -- and not only is it good, but he shares too. And on top of that, he's a retired millwright, so he's already planning to build an immersion chiller for me. And his daughter likes beer, too. :rockin:

Saint Aardvark said:

And his daughter likes beer, too. :rockin:

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That just means you have to fight for the last bottle

It took me 8 batches to do the perfect brew. SOMETHING was always going wrong. I would spill, add the wrong hops, take to long for a cold break, mash temp problems (mini mashing) or SOME tiny problem every time so I could not say all went as planned. The brews still turned out pretty darn good (except the 1st two) and I kept learning techniques.

I think making great beer is a pretty forgiving thing. (NOTE - I typed that BEFORE i read Kauai_Kahuna's post) Making award winning beer is MUCH harder.