1st taste after bottling

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Mycoe

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Right people I know I'm being impatient, but....
I bottled my first ever batch of coopers home brew lager last Thursday. It says leave for at least 2 weeks in the bottles, better still up to 3 months, what's the earliest I can crack one open to see what it tastes like?? I don't want to arrange an unveiling night in a few weeks and this stuff not have worked properly or taste funny??
 
The short answer is you can open one immediately after you cap it :D

I usually open one at one week just to see how its doing. Then again in another week. Then i put some in the fridge. Then (depending on style) they are usually ready to go. I like to do that so I can learn how beers change with age.
 
Thanks Dave, do you put the first couple you try in the fridge or just open and drink at room temp??
 
I always refrigerate them at least overnight. The longer they are chilled the better the carbonation is. Once they are carbed to the level that I like, I will begin putting 6packs in the fridge for normal consumption!
 
Best practice is 3 weeks for full carbonation, minimum. And that's assuming you're storing at 70 degrees. If you store cooler than that, it will take longer, and some beers will take longer regardless. That said, I usually crack one open at a week, then let the rest go at least 3 weeks.
 
For your first brew go ahead and taste one at 2 weeks. Always give them, at least 24 hours in the fridge, 48 hours is better. This helps get the carbonation into the brew. You will quickly learn that the beers are much better at 3 weeks and even better at 4.

Learning the art of patience is the hardest part of brewing.


Brew more and get a good pipeline going and you will find it easy to let them sit. I have a big pipeline and often forget about a beer for a long time, since I have plenty to drink. Some styles I like to drink when they are fresh. IPA's for example taste best when the hop flavor and aroma is fresh. Belgians benefit from some long term aging.

Congrats on your first brew and welcome to the forum. This place is a great wealth of information about brewing.
 
I like this idea , just bottled my first beer a week ago and i am very impatient about it. There is a fine layer of yeast at the bottom of the bottles so i know they're carbing up. I think i'll take this advice and run with it, can't wait to taste my first homebrew!
 
If you are going to be impatient, do yourselves a favor. Take really good notes on what you taste, mouthfeel, head retention, etc. Then stash a few bottles away until May, put in the fridge until June, then try one and read your old notes. You'll see why time is your friend. Doesn't apply to styles best consumed young, like IPA or hefes.

By this time, hopefully you have brewed three more batches.
 
Right people, I put a bottle in the fridge this morning, I've just opened one now... DISAPPOINTMENT!!
its completely flat, is this normal as its only 1 week?? I put in 1 carbination drop as cooper recommended...
 
Right people, I put a bottle in the fridge this morning, I've just opened one now... DISAPPOINTMENT!!
its completely flat, is this normal as its only 1 week?? I put in 1 carbination drop as cooper recommended...

I opened up my first brew after one week and it gushed out of the top and the beer was flat. Took notes on that, waited another week and it was carbed up pretty good! I think its just about ready but I am going to wait until at least week 3 to start drinking it.


My advice would be open one each week and take some notes, its been an interesting experience seeing how it changes each week for me.
 
sseseeseems a little cloudy to me too... and doesn't taste the best to be honest???
 
What does it taste like?

Its only been a week. Let it sit for another 2 at least and try it again imo. (Unless you want to take notes like I said in my last post, then try one a week)
 
I'm only on my third brew but the first lesson I learned was to let them bottle for at least two weeks before trying one. The huge difference even two days can make is remarkable. Also do let it chill overnight.
 
Fingers crossed it will be ok in a few weeks... is it too hot to put them in the airing cupboard??
 
Ive never understood why people use carbonation drops over priming sugar....IMO priming sugar dissolved in boiling water just seems easier, and more effective.


Then again, I could be completely offbase...
 
For you experienced early testers, how carbed do you expect the beer to be at one week, two weeks, etc? I just tried a beer that I bottled 11 days ago, and while there's a little carbonation, it's nearly flat. So I'm wondering if it's likely to continue developing carbonation, or if at nearly 2 weeks in the bottle, not much is going to change.

I used this calculator to determine how much corn sugar to add:

http://tastybrew.mobify.me/calculators/priming.html

Edit: this is my 3rd batch and my first 2 batches turned out well-carbed, the 2nd even over-carbed following the BBS formula of 3 tablespoons honey per gallon. This was my first try using corn sugar and a calculator.
 
Well,the Cooper's Original Series Lager comes with ale yeast,so it's really a light pale ale. If you used 12oz bottles,then 1 drop per bottle is correct. If you used the Cooper's kit PET bottles,then 2 drops per bottle is the correct doseage. My first brew was the same one with my Cooper's micro brew kit. 3 weeks was ok,but 4 weeks was better. and at least 1 week fridge time to settle out chill haze like a fog & get co2 into solution more fully. And decent head. 2 weeks gives thicker head & longer lasting,fine bubbled carbonation.
 
I've only finished one batch but I tasted one bottle after 1 week, then started drinking them every couple days after 2 weeks, and it's now been 3 weeks since bottling. The carbonation level hasn't changed noticeably since that first bottle I opened after a week.
 
Right people I know I'm being impatient, but....
I bottled my first ever batch of coopers home brew lager last Thursday. It says leave for at least 2 weeks in the bottles, better still up to 3 months, what's the earliest I can crack one open to see what it tastes like?? I don't want to arrange an unveiling night in a few weeks and this stuff not have worked properly or taste funny??

Like someone else already said I always pop one open at one or two weeks to see if there's any CO2 developing. You should hear a "hiss" after popping the cap but just because it hisses doesn't mean that your beer is or should be carbonated. And then you might have some beers that take weeks before you hear that tell-tale hiss so don't be alarmed if you don't hear it after one or two weeks.

Your average ale though should start hitting it's stride about 2-3 months of bottle conditioning at least.
 
Thanks for the replies. I didn't refrigerate for very long before trying mine, so maybe that's part of it. Gonna let em sit another week before I bother them again!
 
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