Just bottled first batch

Brewed a Brewer's Best Micro-Style Pale Ale and bottled yesterday. Question, how much will the flavor improve in the bottle? I took a hygrometer sample and drank it afterwords, and the result was not particularly tasty.

And whoever it was on these boards who suggested bottling in the dishwasher, you're a genius. No mess, bottles were handily on the racks, an overall excellent idea.

Hygrometers measure humidity and moisture content. Hydrometers measure specific gravity. You want to use a hydrometer, not a hygrometer. I'm sure you used a hydrometer but there is a difference.

Flavor will improve in the bottle as the beer melds together with time. A very young beer often has a rather harsh acidic or grassy bite from the hops and a buttery note that is produced by the yeast. Aging allows these characteristics to mellow out as the compounds degrade or are consumed by the bottling yeast. This is no substitute for bulk aging or for a diacetyl rest though.

Welcome to the obsession!
My Friend Revvy has done some great work on writing what seem to be nearly articles on bottle aging and conditioning.

The latest is my favorite: http://blogs.homebrewtalk.com/Revvy/Of_Patience_and_Bottle_Conditioning/
Give that a read, and go from there. Mostly, you'll never even be able to believe that your beer 6 weeks from now and your beer today are the same thing. It changes SO MUCH that until you've seen it....a few times...you'll never believe it.

Don't be a beer pedophile....Well said bigK

hooligansteve said:

Brewed a Brewer's Best Micro-Style Pale Ale and bottled yesterday. Question, how much will the flavor improve in the bottle? I took a hygrometer sample and drank it afterwords, and the result was particularly tasty.

And whoever it was on these boards who suggested bottling in the dishwasher, you're a genius. No mess, bottles were handily on the racks, an overall excellent idea.

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Brewers Best micro style pale ale was my first batch also. I just cracked my first one last week,It turned out better than I anticipated. Excellent as a matter of fact. You will be very happy if you followed good sanitization and brewing practices. I saved a bottle of Serria nevada pale ale to compare and contrast. My batch was a little darker and a little more malty but over all excellent. You'll notice the serria nevada taste really quick. It has great head retention and excellent carbonation. If I had a digital camera I'd take a picture and post it, it would make for really good beer porn. I tried a dogfish head 60 minute IPA, the other day and I'll tell you what, if you havent tried one get going. It was my first IPA and It made me immediately go get the Brewers Best IPA kit, I hope it tastes just like the glass of "beautiful" as I called it. If you are interested to see what I think of the IPA kit let me know and I'll get back to you and let you know how it turned out. I just brewed it yesterday so it will be 5 weeks till I try first bottle.

Indeed I did use a hyDrometer and not a hyGrometer.

Papinquack, I'm pretty sure I followed good sanitation procedures. Was pretty careful with everything I used and touched. I also went and bought a Brewer's Best hopnog IPA kit. I'll let you know how it goes if you return the favor

And thanks to those on these boards who provide advice and assistance.

Hey, gratz! I've recently brewed my second batch of this exact kit. The first was my 3rd overall batch and I was extremely impressed, especially after the first two just weren't that great.

Just one piece of advice, be patient and give it the full amount of time it needs to properly age. I know my first and last bottles were the best, the first because it was and the last having aged longer, and knowing I was out!

hooligansteve said:

Indeed I did use a hyDrometer and not a hyGrometer.

Papinquack, I'm pretty sure I followed good sanitation procedures. Was pretty careful with everything I used and touched. I also went and bought a Brewer's Best hopnog IPA kit. I'll let you know how it goes if you return the favor

And thanks to those on these boards who provide advice and assistance.

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I'll let you know in 5 weeks.

Here's a bet I will make: I bet that it is SO freaking good that you will never want to drink anything but home brewed beer again.

I've been at this for a while (but I claim no special prowess), and I've finally found a beer that I thought I liked as much as my own - DFH 60. Last night, while watching the Eagles spit the bit against the Bears, we tried some of each and the three beer drinkers in the room all agreed that there was no comparison, even with a great beer like DFH.

Your first sip will blow you away if you can wait the full five weeks - and they will get better over time after that.

MikeG said:

Hey, gratz! I've recently brewed my second batch of this exact kit. The first was my 3rd overall batch and I was extremely impressed, especially after the first two just weren't that great.

Just one piece of advice, be patient and give it the full amount of time it needs to properly age. I know my first and last bottles were the best, the first because it was and the last having aged longer, and knowing I was out!

Click to expand...

Hey Mike G, How did that HopNog turn out? I've got a batch of it in the fermenter as I type. I'm curious as to just how hoppy it really is. I went the extra mile and dry-hopped as well, so I won't know exactly how the kit itself did.

Oh, I brewed the Brewer's Best Micro-Style Pale Ale, not the HopNog. I've gone through some experimenting and done with that for a while, I'm going to brew my 3rd Micro-Style Pale again as soon as I get some time.