How long did it take for you to brew a batch you REALLY liked?

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dsaavedra

dsaavedra

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I'm a new brewer (started in December after Christmas), and so far I have brewed 4 batches. My first was a honey brown ale extract kit from Jaspers, my second was an Irish stout extract kit from Brewer's Best, my third was a Newcastle clone from Midwest, and my fourth was an all grain SMaSH recipe I came up with using Munton's pale ale malt and Cascade hops.

So far I haven't brewed a batch that I really truly liked. They have all been drinkable (with the exception of the SMaSH, I don't know what I did wrong but I really have to choke that one down, I don't think I used enough hops in it or something), but I haven't brewed one where I was like "damn this is good, this is something I would order at a bar".

On the bright side, I think I have figured out why all of my beers have been not to my satisfaction. All of my extract brews have been partial boils, and because of this, the hop utilization suffered greatly. Each of these brews had the same characteristic off flavor that didn't quite seem to match up with any of the well documented off flavors. I think it was just overly malty with not enough hops to balance it. The SMaSH was my first attempt at all grain (BIAB) and also my first attempt at creating a recipe, so no surprise there that it turned out ****ty. However, lessons have been learned, I recently upgraded my setup so I can do full boils and I think my next brews (two extract IPA kits, after that I may give BIAB another shot, but with a trusted recipe) will greatly benefit from this.

TLDR: This whole post was my backstory but my question is this, how long did it take you to brew a batch that you really truly enjoyed, and what did it take to get you there?
 
My brother got a Mr. Beer kit about 15 years ago and he and I made a batch together. It was freaking terrible and that's all I remember about it. Since then, I had avoided homebrew like the plague.

A few years ago a friend of mine started brewing and we got to talking about it. I decided to give it another go. Things had changed a bunch since that Mr. Beer kit. In Portland, there are 10+ homebrew stores.

My first brew on my own was an extract brown ale. I had told myself that if this batch was terrible I would never brew again. Luckily it was great and here I am 3+ years later still brewing.
 
For me I have sampled 4 batches so far and my first two were drinkable to say the least. My third batch was a Scottish 80 and it was very good. My fourth was BM cream of three crops and it was ok. The biggest difference I noticed was between my second and third batch I switched to using RO water rather than my softened water. I found that my first two batches were out of balance being way to bitter.

I have not made a batch yet that I have sat back and said damn that's a good brew.. I made that. But my Scottish 80 was close.

Also BM's cream of three crops was my first AG recipe so I'm just getting my feet wet with that. I'll have an American Pilsner and Apple Pie Wheat that I'll be able to try in a week or so. Both were AG

Also I second that fermentation temp is by far the best thing to keep control of when starting the hobby. It has the best effects for minimal effort and cost. I use a cooler filled with water that I put my bucket in. In the basement my wort can stay between 65-67 degrees
 
Yeah my first brew back in December had no fermentation control whatsoever (I was actually scared that the low 70's it was fermenting at were too low!). My second brew (using Notty, which likes it cool) I kept next to an open window in a frigid-ass January so that counts for something. My third and fourth brew I used a swamp cooler and was able to keep fermentation temps in the mid to low 60's. I think that is an improvement.
 
Out of 6 batches that are ready for consumption Ive only wanted to re brew one. It was the Le Petite Orange kit from N. brewer. Only one was bad which was an Irish Red from NB (I did something to make it very grainy, Im assuming tannins) all so far have had imperfections that I'm working on.
 
First batches were smash's and I drank them too young, next I did my rendition of Bee Cave Haus Pale Ale (all grain) still drank it young but loved it. I want to say everything I brewed from 0 to now was spot on. I REALLY like Jai Alai, how long will that take?
 
About 3 batches in. I switched to full volume boils and did my first mash (a partial mash) and made a Samuel Smith oatmeal stout clone. Even oven toasted the oats. It was a watershed moment.
 
My second was a Northern Brewer Patersbier kit. The first was the Irish Red Ale kit, also from NB. I fermented a bit warm so I left it in primary longer then secondary longer. The Patersbier finished first and was excellent. The Irish Red Ale was also very good.

In 65 plus batches, I have yet to do a beer that I didn't like. Some more than others, but all of them have been very good.
 
As others have stated, temp control is very important, and I personally can't stress that enough.

The first batch I ever brewed was fantastic, the 2nd, I had to dump. It took me a while before I could consistently brew batches that were great. You can't give up, keep trying and messing up, that's how most of us learn to brew great beer. The only way I know you WON'T ever brew a great beer, is if you stop brewing. Don't get frustrated, when you have problems, this forum is here for you.
 
Hmmmmm.... well, I started brewing a long time ago - 17-18 years or so. I would say I brewed several beers "I really liked" at the time. But, in hindsight, I don't think they were probably very good. Mediocre at best. To be honest - I don't think I brewed consistently good beer until the last 4-5 years probably.

Lots of reading. Lots of listening to others. Lots of asking questions. Always keep learning.

Sanitation (pbw and starsan),Yeast starters, Fermentation temperatures, and paying attention to water were some of the real key things that helped me turn the corner.
 
My first batch was from a dusty, shelf-worn Mr. Beer kit for half-off at Kmart. I fermented it too cold, didn't let it ferment long enough, and it was yeasty as heck.

My second batch was a 2-gallon Mr. Beer seasonal with Belle Saison yeast and a can of HME, combined with a 2-gallon all-grain batch. Unfortunately, when I asked my LHBS owner for a guesstimate on hops, he misunderstood and thought the kit wasn't hopped. It turned out to be drinkable, but it was like tackling a very dry wine with lot of tannins: I had to swish the first sip or two around in my mouth to adjust my taste buds, so they could reach past the bitterness for the flavor.

My third batch was probably the best I've ever made. I followed channel66's Shipwrecked Saison recipe exactly, except for using Belle Saison yeast and fermenting it cooler than he recommends.

I've made four more batches since then. None of them have been spectacular, but they've all been better than I could buy without paying an arm and a leg...

But I haven't been jumping around in styles, either. I like saisons, so I've been concentrating on establishing a pipeline to keep me supplied with them.

I'm pretty much there, I think. One more saison, and then I'll start experimenting. Nothing drastic to begin with though; maybe a nut brown ale. And then an Irish red for my wife... before we get too far into summer, I'd like to try my hand at an imperial stout and lay it away for the New Year.
 
Mine would be my first all grain, which was Edwort's Bee Cave Haus Pale Ale. Granted it was someone else's recipe but I was excited about it nonetheless.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
 
About 6 batches to get the wow one. 20 or so to be able to really get consistently great beers. As with most anything, brewing gets better with practice. Some might get there faster than others but anyone can make beer they will enjoy if they practice and learn.
 
I think a good approach is to avoid getting too crazy too early. Do something fairly simple; repeat it enough times to see the results of mistakes or changes in procedure, and then start branching out from there.

One kid (a coworker I don't normally admit to knowing) has decided he and his buddy are going to start brewing. And their first effort isn't going to be an extract, a SMaSH, or anything simple. Nope, they're going for the gusto right off the bat: an all-grain smoked porter.


I suggested he start with something simple, and even offered to let him brew with me a time or two to get a feel for what he's doing. But it's hard to teach someone when they already know it all... Maybe I can cut a deal on some of their shiny, used-one-time equipment, when they get disgusted and move on. :)
 
2 batches.

First was a Mr. Beer kit. It ended up mildly alcoholic Sprite. Second was Deception Cream Stout from the forums. Freaking. Amazing. I'd order it over just about every stout I've ever been served. Just re-brewed it all-grain.

There've been a few brews in between that weren't exactly homeruns though.
 
I've brewed plenty that I've drank, plenty that need work/something is not quite right, plenty that fall into that "free beer, COOL!" catagory, but you NOTICE when it disappears quickly. I'm sure we are all our own worst critic.
 
Yeah I think I really am my own worst critic.

On my first beer, my two friends and my dad all gave me their seal of approval (all of whom primarily drink BMC beer but definitely know the joys of some good craft beer when they feel like it/have the cash for it (in the case of my friends)). On my second beer (a stout), I think only one of my friends and my dad got to try it, and my dad isn't a big fan of stouts but said it was alright, my friend said it tasted just like Guinness Draught which I took as a compliment. My third beer both my friends and my dad tried and my one friend said it tasted like Newcastle but less sweet, which I took positively, my dad said it tasted soapy, which I didn't quite taste but I kind of knew where he was coming from because the hops in the kit had a kind of weird flavor, and my other friend said he just did not enjoy it, which I totally appreciated because that told me that he wasn't just being nice when he said he liked my other two beers.

My fourth brew, my first all grain BIAB batch, well when I drank the first one I was utterly disappointed and I don't really want to share this one with anyone. I have drank a good half-dozen, but they have all been "end of the night" beers, after I've already had a few good brews to numb my palette. I will probably invite my friends to help me crush these beers (they are not very discriminating when it comes to beer, especially of the free variety) so I can free up some space to keep my pipeline moving.

I am not anywhere near giving up. For some reason this is a hobby that I just want to stick with until I get it right. As a relatively new brewer, it really is encouraging to hear both your success stories and your failure stories.
 
I have been brewing 2+ years and still have a lot to learn. My batches have been more consistent, and my process is better controlled than it used to be. I recently made a Strong Scottish Ale, I made sure I had enough yeast, didn't over sparge, etc., etc., etc.,
I failed to pay attention to my bottling volume, and over primed. And the only ones that weren't gushers, were bottle bombs. What really sucks is, this ale tastes great after all the foam settles down. So, I am back in anal control mode again. I did make a Brown Porter that was the same in two consecutive batches, and SWMBO said for the second time, " Honey you need to enter this in the next contest..." I am glad I followed her advice, as I won Best of Category. Am I stoked?, you bet, but the thing that is the most important to me is, someone said my methods, recipes, and brewing controls were repeatable, and I am making good beer .
 
Six brews in. Tons of research. I've learned a few important lessons with each. All have been flawed, but all have been drinkable. If smell is a good indicator, my sixth may be excellent if I don't screw up the bottling process. I can see it taking 15-20 brews to really dial it in and get consistently good beer.
 
I'm on my fifth brew (Scottish 90 from NB) currently bubbling away. The previous four have all been really good. My first was a Blood Orange Hefe, which was really something special. Everything since has been really good. I think I've gotten lucky so far.
 
Fermentation temp control, sanitation, and patience are the three most important factors for good beer IMO. Oh, a solid, tested recipe also helps.
 
I liked my 3 extracts (one partial mash) but really like my first AG. Probably a little mind of a mind game, but . . .
 
Last summer when I made BierMunchers Nierra Sevada because all the LHBS recipes I tried were lacking in flavor. I made that to see if it was an ingredient issue with the LHBS and was happily rewarded with great beer.
 
I loved my very first batch but before i started brewing i bought a freezer & a temp control & a wort chiller though, also i never did extract with the exception of Mr. beer.. I went straight from Mr. beer to AG BIAB and I have yet to have a batch I did not like. (Mr. Beer those wasn't that great.) I have made roughly 15 batches so far all very good! :mug:
 
I'm 6 months and 6 batches in after a 20-year hiatus. I brewed back in the early 90's, when the only resources for information were Charlie Pappazian and the LHBS. I did about 20 batches back then and had a couple successes. But looking back, my process was heavily flawed. Now, six batches in, I'm still fighting the good fight against HB twang, and so far it's winning. I think I've finally gotten my head around fermentation temperature control. I'm realizing now that where I'm failing is right after pitching yeast, when the temp self-rises out of control. That's where things need to be actively cooled down. Hoping my next batch I'll finally have that under control.
 
First batch was the Caribou Slobber from NB, I have had great reviews and zero negative as of yet. Someone who actually drinks Moose Drool chose mine over the original in a blind taste test.

The second is the Vanilla Orange Cream Ale from Jasper's. It tastes good but is not carbing up , and it seems as though I am not the only person having this issue.

My third is a Single hop APA (Citra) I will be bottling it this weekend but the samples that I have drawn are very tasty.

My next will be an Apricot blonde just waiting on the ingredients from Brewmasters Warehouse, it seems the cascade was out of stock so I guess this weekend brew session will not happen.
 
I really enjoyed my first solo batch. I started with AG and went straight for a wee heavy. I hit all gravity marks within .002 and the batch turned out great. Subsequent batches weren't all stellar... some of that is because I try to brew a batch now and then for my friends who aren't big craft beer people, so it's more the style than the execution. Everything thus far is at the very least drinkable.
 
samuryan said:
...I'm sure we are all our own worst critic.
Click to expand...

I have a wife, so believe me, I am NOT my own worst critic :cross:

In my experience: my first 1 or 2 brews were bad. Then I got ferm temp control, and the 2 or 3 I made after that ranged from alright to OK. Then I really got to studying (this forum, blogs, books, etc.), started mashing (first PM, then AG--all BIAB), and keeping very detailed notes (incredibly important!). The next 2 or 3 batches were a comedy of errors, but I steadily improved until by about brew #20 or so I was finally at the point where everything (efficiencies, gravities, malt/hops balance, flavor notes, etc.) turns out more or less the way I expect it to, even on new and/or untested recipes and even on technique tweaks.

My wife even likes my beer now :mug:
 
Even my first batch was pleasing. But, I started with full volume boils, partial mashing and using yeast starters. I did a lot of homework before my first brew.
 
Answer: 3rd brew.
Reasons: Fermentation chamber to control temperatures and it was also the first time I did a yeast starter. The beer is awesome, or at least I'm very happy with it.

I can't imagine trying to brew without a ferm chamber and a yeast starter
 
I thoroughly enjoyed the first beer I ever brewed. Of course the following 98 batches have almost all been better, but I still remember and enjoyed the first, English Bitter.

Tomorrow I'm brewing batch #100 and going back to the beginning by brewing an ESB.
 
I've brewed 5 batches and the only one that was good (actually it was amazing) was batch #3 which was a brewers best pale ale that I added more hops to. Batch one had to mature 6 months before it was drinkable, batch 2 wasn't too bad but had a bottle bomb problem, batch 4 was not drinkable, and 5 was drinkable. My problem was temp control. I fermented in an upstairs bathroom closet so it was just too warm, except the pale ale which was fermenting during winter. Now I have a new house with a nice cool basement and two batches currently fermenting. Hoping these turn out better.


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Took me my 3rd brew before i had something i was proud of. The first one i under pitched and didnt control the temp, got a ton of estery off flavors (banana and clove). The second one i didnt under pitch but i didnt control the temp. got same off flavors but not as much. the 3rd one i pitched the correct amount and by then i had a fermentation chamber setup.
 
I'm impressed with the folks who had a drinkable beer on their first batch. My first batch (in 1996) was drinkable for the first two weeks, but due to a acetobactyr infection, became too sour to drink after that. Only one other infected batch since then, but that was one too many!
 

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