I'm learning from my mistakes

[fdexclpl]

I've only done two batches but I've learned so much. I read The Complete Joy of Homebrewing and visited a couple LHBS for my gear and some advice. I wanted to jump right in the deep end, so I went AG right from the start. I got everything ready for my first batch, a hefeweizen. I was a little nervous but I thought it went fairly well. Six hours start to finish and no burns, no blood, and no trips to the ER.
I was stoked that everything went well, so I went online to look for a recipe for my next batch. That's when I stumbled on this forum. I spent a few hours reading and realized that I made a couple of dumb mistakes. Oh well. I guess I chalk it up to being a noob and hope that something drinkable comes out of the bottles in a few weeks.
This weekend I'm ready for my next batch, an oatmeal stout. Everything goes well and I sample a bit of wort out of the kettle.It actually tastes good! My OG is 1.060, right where it should be. Chill the wort, pitch the yeast, and set the carboy off in the corner for a few weeks. I even made dog biscuits with the spent grains!
I just wanted to say thanks to all the people on this forum. I really learned so much, and all the info helped me get my second batch in much better shape than my first.

 

[coryforsenate]

Hey, you're like me. I've never used extract either and I've been pretty happy with every beer I've made.

A "trick" I do to speed my mash along is add some amylase enzyme powder. It's also nice to have around in case the temperature accidentally gets too high.

 

[fdexclpl]

...A "trick" I do to speed my mash along is add some amylase enzyme powder. It's also nice to have around in case the temperature accidentally gets too high.

Good to know in case the temps get out of control. I enjoy the time I spend brewing. I'm not sure I want to speed it up.

 

[shutupjojo]

You sound like me when I started. That book was it 20 years ago. Brewing is trial and error. Learn from your mistakes and make good beer. Never give up. Sounds like your of to a great start. Its not rocket science. Making great beer is simple . The more you let others influence your procedure, the more likely your beer ends up theirs and not yours.
A good understanding of the process and ingredients is all you need to make great beer.

 

[joeybeer]

Never used extract either ! Used amylase in my second recipe, no idea what it did ...

 

[fdexclpl]

I already have a second carboy ready to go. I'd like to pick up a bucket or two also. I'm hoping to always have a couple of them full. I don't want to run out of beer!