My first batch ever almost ready

[pedroims]

This is my first batch ever, American Pale Ale a kit from BB, 10 days in primary, 10 days on secondary where added dry hop and has been 12 days in bottles, I openend one bottle yesterday and I am happy so far with the results but I think I have some off flavors, I am going to let them sit on bottles for another 2 weeks. My second batch , a dunkelweizen (BB kit) is on primary right now, I added cardomom and planning to do my first not kit brew next Saturday, a robust Porter that I am planning to add cognac and vanilla beans

 

[goodgodilovebeer]

Don't dwell too much on the off flavours for your first few batches. Just focus on the important things; sanitation, cleanliness, and fermentation temperature control. Those are the things that will make ok beer into the stuff that your buddies will be willing to pay you for.

 

[smalliewader]

Post the fg you come up with on that bb Dunkelweizen....... I'm curious to see where yours ends compared to mine.

 

[Golddiggie]

Also read up on not racking to a secondary vessel for every batch. More than a few of us even dry hop in primary. Another thing you can do (with little effort, and only a few dollars) is use a pure O2 setup instead of aerating/oxygenating via the shake method.

Something else you can do is use StarSan instead of the 'one step' cleaner/sanitizer products. Anything with bleach or chlorine needs to be rinsed really well. StarSan is a no-rinse sanitizer... Read up on that too.

Depending on what 'off flavors' you have in the brew, they can age out. Time will cure most flavor issues with batches, with a few exceptions. Oxidizing the batch (introducing oxygen post fermentation), chlorine and infections are the three big ones.

Just remember, keep brewing... I would also advise going with more 'simple' recipes for the first few batches. Get your processes down/nailed as well as figure out what the different ingredients bring to the recipe first. Then go nuts. Oh, and before you do anything to a brew once you've pitched the yeast, taste it (in addition to any other tests you may perform). Let the taste tell you when it's ready for the next step. Your brews will thank you for this.

 

[pedroims]

Thanks everybody. This is what I am doing.

- After brew and prior brew I wash everything with B-Brite cleanser.
- During brewing, I sanitized everything with IODOPHOR, I wet some papaer towels on the solution to cover all instruments when I am not using them.
- I also have a moap that I soak in the solution to clean the floor, I use a spray to clean counter tops

I even ask my wife and kids to leave the house while I am doing my thing so there is not people around.

- I am planning to keep the dunkelweizen in the primary around 20 days then bottling.
- For the porter I have 6 vanillas beans on 8 ounces of cognac, have been there for one month, I am planning to add 2.5 ounces of it but I still do not know when, if in primary after fermentation is done or rack it to secondary or at time of bottling.