Hello from California

[beerislife]

Hi everyone!

I did my first batch of homebrew a few weeks ago and bottled it four days ago. I did an American Red Ale extract kit with specialty grains from my LHBS. After 4 long days of bottle conditioning, I decided to give it a try knowing that it may not be fully carbonated. I was shocked at how well it came out! It definitely got me excited about my future with homebrewing and made me glad I chose this hobby.

I want to thank all of you here on HBT for helping me get started. I found a wealth of knowledge here on the HBT forum and look forward to trying some of the recipes that people have posted. For now I plan to continue doing extract recipes a few more times, but I plan to bump (Opps, should I not use this word ) up to mini mashes soon. I live in a small apartment with no backyard or garage so all-grain is out of the question for me. But once I graduate college and move into a new place, one of the things I will want is an area where I can brew all-grain. For now, I am perfectly happy with my setup!

Happy homebrewing to everyone!
Cheers

 

[LabRatBrewer]

Welcome, Good you hear your first batch went well. Give the bottles a couple weeks at room temp, and the a couple weeks of chillin and they'll likely be even better! Have fund, also, all-grain in an apartment can be done, look into the BIAG method if you want to try. Nothing wrong with partial mash however.

 

[beerislife]

Thanks for the advise, I will definitely look into BIAG method. I know that I will want to move to all-grain as soon as I can because I feel like it allows for a lot more creativity and enables the brewer to make their perfect style of beer. Extract kits are quick and easy, and the beer tastes good, sometimes even great, but it doesn't let the creative juices flowing as much as all-grain.

 

[Cyclman]

I would recommend at least a half-dozen extract batches. Master fermentation temperatures, pitching, aeration, sanitation, and all that good stuff first. Then, you have a very solid foundation to get into the high number of variables with all grain brewing. BIAB is a great intermediate step.

I do think AG is ultimately sexier, for the simple reason that once you have a good system, you have the possibility of making any beer, cloning any recipe you want. It may take years to master all the nuances to be a genuine pro, but you have that dream, that carrot hanging out there.

Welcome to the addiction, you'll love the experience of making great brews.