supernovasky
New Member
Alright guys, I made my first batch of beer and finally sampled it yesterday. I'll go through all the steps and show the equipment that I used. I would like to SLOWLY learn more and more how to refine the process and become a better brewer. I would like to refine whatever it is I just produced, because people seem to LOVE it...
I started with a generic "Mr. Beer" kit with the 2 gallon fermentor.
I sterilized everything.
As advised, I added one can of Hopped Malt Extract. I also added the recommended amount of "booster" (which, when I read the ingredients, is pretty much just straight fructose). To give the beer extra flavor and alcohol content, I added a 1 cup of grade A maple syrup, and poured some cinnamon in it (not measured, just kind of guestimated). Lastly, of course, I added the yeast, stirred with sterile equipment, and let it set.
The book said to let ferment between 67-75 degrees (basically, room temperature for my house) for 2 weeks. They said longer is better, but 2 weeks minimum. I let it ferment for 3 and a half weeks.
They said to sample the taste to see if there is any sweetness. There was not.
I then bottled the beer in each of the bottles provided, and added enough sugar to each bottle to carbonate. They said let it set for at least 7 days, although for more complex flavors and ingredients, you could let it set for much longer. I decided on 14 days.
I opened up my first beer hot... It was WAAAAY too fizzy. I researched on google and learned that I might have some sort of "gusher" bug. I quickly refridgerated it to 34 degrees and let it set.
The next day, I opened it and allowed everyone to sample... and I have to say, DAMN this stuff tastes good! Everyone commented on how smooth it was, how tasty, how they wanted to buy some from me then and there.
I can't stop drinking it.
I want to know where I should go from here. What is my next small step to perfecting this process? I realize I am using a stock kit, and I am a little bit of a slow learner sometimes, but I would like to slowly but surely build the maple-cinnamon combination that results in this flavor into a more refined masterpiece.
Any ideas?
I started with a generic "Mr. Beer" kit with the 2 gallon fermentor.
I sterilized everything.
As advised, I added one can of Hopped Malt Extract. I also added the recommended amount of "booster" (which, when I read the ingredients, is pretty much just straight fructose). To give the beer extra flavor and alcohol content, I added a 1 cup of grade A maple syrup, and poured some cinnamon in it (not measured, just kind of guestimated). Lastly, of course, I added the yeast, stirred with sterile equipment, and let it set.
The book said to let ferment between 67-75 degrees (basically, room temperature for my house) for 2 weeks. They said longer is better, but 2 weeks minimum. I let it ferment for 3 and a half weeks.
They said to sample the taste to see if there is any sweetness. There was not.
I then bottled the beer in each of the bottles provided, and added enough sugar to each bottle to carbonate. They said let it set for at least 7 days, although for more complex flavors and ingredients, you could let it set for much longer. I decided on 14 days.
I opened up my first beer hot... It was WAAAAY too fizzy. I researched on google and learned that I might have some sort of "gusher" bug. I quickly refridgerated it to 34 degrees and let it set.
The next day, I opened it and allowed everyone to sample... and I have to say, DAMN this stuff tastes good! Everyone commented on how smooth it was, how tasty, how they wanted to buy some from me then and there.
I can't stop drinking it.
I want to know where I should go from here. What is my next small step to perfecting this process? I realize I am using a stock kit, and I am a little bit of a slow learner sometimes, but I would like to slowly but surely build the maple-cinnamon combination that results in this flavor into a more refined masterpiece.
Any ideas?