First Brew Batch - Continental Pilsner

Hey home brew homies - Just completed my first batch of brew. I brewed an extract kit of Continental Pilsner. The OG was supposed to be 1.042 - 1.044. My came out at 1.040. Kit instructions were a little confusing and I think I was supposed to boil bittering hops for 45 mins and finishing hops for 1 min. I ended boiling the bittering hops for 59 mins and finishing hops for 1 min. I'm assuming this affected the OG but will it affect the fermentation and beer overall? Will over boiling affect the brew?

Welcome to the hobby.

I recommend you read John Palmer's book How To Brew - this will help you brew great beers almost immediately.

In response to your specific questions, your OG is just fine - being off by a couple of points is not usually a big deal, and may just have been a result of imperfect mixing.

The longer boil will result in a somewhat darker, possibly "maltier-tasting" beer. It'll also be a little more bitter since you boiled the hops longer, but it's unlikely to be out of balance - most hop utilization occurs fairly quickly. If it turns out a bit bitter, some aging will improve it and bring it back into balance.

The hops have no impact on the gravity. Your different hop schedule will change the beer a little bit, but not so much that it will even be out of style. Continental pilsner is a very challenging style for anyone, let alone your first batch. Just in case it doesn't come out the way you're expecting, don't be discouraged, try something more forgiving like a porter, hefe, APA, or Irish Red.

Thanks for the feedback. I've actually been reading Palmer's book online quite a bit and has been very helpful. Your response also addressed another concern I ahd which was the color of the wort. I guess I boiled it a bit long, but all part of the learning process.