Third Batch - Hey, I'd pay money for this!

I just tapped my third batch and man, is it tasty! My first two batches were made from kits with hopped extract, and were drinkable, but not great. This batch is an american pale from Papazian's CJOHB. Light LME + Centennial, Spalt, and Wilamette hops. It's a medium bodied, copper colored pale with pleasant hop bitterness and flavor without being overbearing (I'm a hop-head, SWMBO is not). Best of all, this batch doesn't have that "homebrew funk" flavor. This is the first batch I'll be proud to share with my buddies.

Never again will I use a hopped extract. Thanks to everyone here on HBT for being a great source of info!

:rockin:

Congratulations!

I'm on my third batch now. My first batch definitely had that "funk". It was an unpleasant bitter (not from hops) that I believe happened when I accidently swirled the beer in the carboy when I went to pick it up to rack to secondary. All of the krausen gunk got into the beer. It was drinkable, but far from spectacular.

My second batch though, man is that puppy good. I was very suprised that it turned out like it did. It's an imperial stout and despite not using coffee or chocolate, it has a really nice roasted dark chocolate and a little tiny bit of a coffee taste. Quite complex and delicious!

Now my third batch I'm a little worried again. I'm brewing a hefe and after a week in the primary it's got a rather strong juicy fruit gum smell to it. I think it may have released too many esters when I accidently let it get up to 76 degrees on the second day of fermentation. It's been under 70 degrees since, but it still has that smell. Hopefully it turns out okay (luckly my wife really likes how it smells... she's into fruity beers)