OkieTrappist
Active Member
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2016
- Messages
- 35
- Reaction score
- 7
Brand new brewer.
It's been 10 days since I brewed my first batch - a Brewer's Best extract kit Belgium Dark Strong. I subbed D-90 for the included soft sugar. And subbed the dry yeast with white labs monastery 500 (double-pitched, 24 hours apart). Orig Gravity 1.08 Today I transferred to a secondary. Gravity 1.018.
I can't believe how good it tasted/smelled/looked. This is why I started brewing. To try to brew something close to the Westmalles, Rocheforts, St. Bernarduses, and Chimays I enjoy so much - at hopefully a lower price per bottle. Is it possible I struck gold on try #1? I think I may have, because it reminded me of every great dubbel (and some quads) I've tasted in my life!
I tried everything I could to screw up the batch. I rushed the pitching, skipped stirring/shaking bucket to mix and oxygenate before pitching, spilled some yeast, and only filled the fermenting bucket to 4.5 gallons. Then I shook bucket and re-pitched 24 hours after initial pitching.
Then, during the peak of airlock activity, I allowed the temp to drop from 70-61 overnight!
I'm sure there are still a few ways to mess it up, but the loss would be much bigger now. Before I opened the bucket today, it was just a $70 kit with hopes the beer would be drinkable enough to keep me interested in my new "hobby". Opening the bucket changed the whole ball game.
Up next, a Westy 12 extract kit clone. Can't imagine how good it might be if I actually do things correctly.
It's been 10 days since I brewed my first batch - a Brewer's Best extract kit Belgium Dark Strong. I subbed D-90 for the included soft sugar. And subbed the dry yeast with white labs monastery 500 (double-pitched, 24 hours apart). Orig Gravity 1.08 Today I transferred to a secondary. Gravity 1.018.
I can't believe how good it tasted/smelled/looked. This is why I started brewing. To try to brew something close to the Westmalles, Rocheforts, St. Bernarduses, and Chimays I enjoy so much - at hopefully a lower price per bottle. Is it possible I struck gold on try #1? I think I may have, because it reminded me of every great dubbel (and some quads) I've tasted in my life!
I tried everything I could to screw up the batch. I rushed the pitching, skipped stirring/shaking bucket to mix and oxygenate before pitching, spilled some yeast, and only filled the fermenting bucket to 4.5 gallons. Then I shook bucket and re-pitched 24 hours after initial pitching.
Then, during the peak of airlock activity, I allowed the temp to drop from 70-61 overnight!
I'm sure there are still a few ways to mess it up, but the loss would be much bigger now. Before I opened the bucket today, it was just a $70 kit with hopes the beer would be drinkable enough to keep me interested in my new "hobby". Opening the bucket changed the whole ball game.
Up next, a Westy 12 extract kit clone. Can't imagine how good it might be if I actually do things correctly.
