Just opened my very first bottle of homebrew! some concerns...

Hey all,
I opened and poured my first bottle of homebrew which is an English Pale Ale (extract). There was hardly any head, and the beer is very lightly carbonated. I used 5oz of corn sugar when I bottled 2 weeks ago. Is it too early to see maximum carbonation? Does a better head come as a result of more carbonation?

As far as the flavor is concerned, it's pretty good. I certainly wouldn't call it exciting by any means, but I think that's because it's still a little young.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks everyone!

Let it carb for another week at 70-75 degrees. Give the bottles a twist stir things up too. After another week, put a bottle in the fridge for at least 3 days before popping the cap. Let us know how to goes.

I'd have to agree with EdWort... If you've have lower temperatures lately, or beers stored on the floor carbonation can be delayed.

As for the flavor, I would account that to still being green. Wait it out, and in the meantime pick up some good store bought beers to drink. Also you can make more beer to keep your mind off the beer your dying to drink... That's what I have to do... brew every week or 2.

Was this a extract recipe? or a pre-packaged kit?

EdWort said:

Let it carb for another week at 70-75 degrees. Give the bottles a twist stir things up too. After another week, put a bottle in the fridge for at least 3 days before popping the cap. Let us know how to goes.

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Thanks for the tip! I'll give it a shot and get back to you!!

Yeah, give it a little more time. I've always heard three weeks quoted as the time it takes to carbonate (I've found it to be better after four), so it would benefit from a little longer. Try not to test too many bottles while you're waiting - it'd be a shame to have drunk it before it hits its prime

sittingturbo said:

I'd have to agree with EdWort... If you've have lower temperatures lately, or beers stored on the floor carbonation can be delayed.

As for the flavor, I would account that to still being green. Wait it out, and in the meantime pick up some good store bought beers to drink. Also you can make more beer to keep your mind off the beer your dying to drink... That's what I have to do... brew every week or 2.

Was this a extract recipe? or a pre-packaged kit?

Click to expand...

I actually used 22oz bottles and ended up with 28 total. I had just enough to fill a 12oz and thought that it would make a great sample bottle. So, that's what I opened tonight.

This particular batch is a Brewer's Best English Pale Ale. Definitely an extract with some steeping grains. My apartment is around 68F typically so I'm guessing that it's a little cool. I'll wait a couple more weeks.

As for beer to drink... I recently fell in love with a Belgian beer called Duchesse De Bourgogne and a Bornem Double Abbey Ale.

In the primary fermentors, I have my first two A.G. brews. A Hoegaarden clone and a Fat Tire clone. In my secondaries I have a Weizenbier, and Sam Adams Summer Ale clone. I'm really excited to try them all. Time permitting, I'm going to brew either a Trappist Dubbel or a Dunkelweizen tomorrow!! I absolutely love doing All Grain.

I definately let my brews age at least 4 weeks... don't have carbination problems with that time frame, except for some of the Grolsh type bottles ... for some reason I have problems with them from time to time but I think it's more about air space in the bottle (1 liter Grolsh style) and not the bottle type itself... good luck.

slyngshot said:

I actually used 22oz bottles and ended up with 28 total. I had just enough to fill a 12oz and thought that it would make a great sample bottle. So, that's what I opened tonight.

This particular batch is a Brewer's Best English Pale Ale. Definitely an extract with some steeping grains. My apartment is around 68F typically so I'm guessing that it's a little cool. I'll wait a couple more weeks.

As for beer to drink... I recently fell in love with a Belgian beer called Duchesse De Bourgogne and a Bornem Double Abbey Ale.

In the primary fermentors, I have my first two A.G. brews. A Hoegaarden clone and a Fat Tire clone. In my secondaries I have a Weizenbier, and Sam Adams Summer Ale clone. I'm really excited to try them all. Time permitting, I'm going to brew either a Trappist Dubbel or a Dunkelweizen tomorrow!! I absolutely love doing All Grain.

Click to expand...

Thats the way to do it..jump right into all grain..also to have a bunch of baches going..It gets to the point if you keep up that you bottle a batch and totally just forget about it for a month and then you remember you made it..give it a try..and its perfect . Eventually you keg your beer and than you can't keep up..its a cycle...

Jay

discgolfin said:

Thats the way to do it..jump right into all grain..also to have a bunch of baches going..It gets to the point if you keep up that you bottle a batch and totally just forget about it for a month and then you remember you made it..give it a try..and its perfect . Eventually you keg your beer and than you can't keep up..its a cycle...

Jay

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My girlfriend is moving in and she was concerned that I have too much beer, I explained that 40 gallons really isn't that much. She'll understand when she starts drinking it.

As for my Pale Ale, It's been 5 weeks since bottling, and I'm very happy with the flavor and carbonation. The aroma is good, but I'd like a little more. It's amazing to see that green flavor go away. All of a sudden, it went from something hopeful, to something great! The bitterness is nice, and not too strong which I think is right on the money for the style. I'm so excited to start drinking my higher gravity brews!! Thanks for all of the help everyone!

Patience is a virtue, but who doesn't sample their low carbonation brew? I love to taste the green beer just to see how it changes. Even my more bitter beers are so much better a few months later. Keep in mind, it's hard to screw things up if you play by the rules.