I thought my beer was crappy when..

So I have been brewing beer since last April, and I have to say that this forum has been invaluable.

So I decided to give Papazian's Holiday Cheer Ale a go (extract). It is essentially an amber ale with honey, fruit and spices added. Being a new brewer I decided to go with the Wyest Belgian Abbey since I thought it would add good flavor. However, I was surprised that not only did it add flavor, it virtually wiped out any flavor from the spice and fruit additions. I was disappointed after bottling the brew. The beer was pretty crappy a month after bottling, and tasted fairly bitter.

After about 2 months in the bottle, neglected in the basement, I decided to give the brew another taste. Not only did the yeast flavor mellow, but now the spices are coming through well. This beer has turned from overpowering and undrinkable to outstanding. I can't wait another month or two when it really hits its prime!

Moral of the story, wait and you never know what you will get. I guess this a common mistake that home brewers will make when they first get going.

My first batch, I gave away 12, 22oz bottles because it tasted horrible....because it was 1 week old. I still regret that....

The key is waiting, which can be hard. Thats why you just build up your pipeline so by the time you get around to drinking a batch it is def good