1st Brew

[seckert]

I have just been thinking about this. How many people when they did their first brew had it turn out? I mean we all are going to tweak this and that. I just think that most people talk about their first batch as "drinkable" but not good...so let me know as i am curious.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

my first batch was a Diamond Knot IPA clone kit that came with my equipment. despite screwing up just about everything possible, the beer turned out better than 'drinkable'. i'm not saying it was great, but it was good. i'd say considering all the things i didn't know back then (i primaried at 70 degrees for 5 days then to secondary for ten like the kit said), among several other mistakes, the beer turned out very well.

 

[frazier]

My first was a MrBeer kit. Drinkable.

Of course, while it was fermenting I was reading, studying, reading, researching, reading. Second batch was a recipe from the HBT database, turned out great.

 

[BigCypress]

My first beer was good with no off flavors. A friend and homebrewer (and beer snob) gave it a legit thumbs-up.

Now, my second try was a grease fire. I still have some of it, but I don't let it leave the house. I choke one down every now and again, mainly because I refuse to toss it (and I need to clear out those bottles for something else).

I bottled my third attempt a week ago and I have a bottle in the fridge chilling for an early taste test (I know, I know).

Failure can be a good teacher. But I don't really want to learn too many more lessons that involve choking down five gallons of bitter dreck. Cheers!

 

[daksin]

Yea, my first batch was a disaster. Fermented in the 75-85F range, before I knew any better. Now I'm like a Revvy for fermentation temps.

 

[beeramateur]

I've made two batches so far, and both have been "drinkable", but with the same off taste. One was a Belgian Golden Ale, and the next was an Ommegang clone. I've had good feedback from other people, but I know there is an off taste. Pretty sure it's from high fermentation temps. Very hard to control in my apartment.

 

[badhabit]

Interestingly I have been thinking about the same thing. I think my first batch, many, many years ago was the best beer I ever had.....at the time. The second batch was better and the third better than the second. I pretty much believe that each batch gets better, and that is the case 99.9% of the time. I wish now that I could go back and taste that first batch again and see what I think of it at this point. May well have been pond scum, I know I am a lot more critical of my beer than I was before and that the beer I make now is far, far better than what I made 5 or 10 or however many years ago.

 

[jonmohno]

I fermented higher than i should have,and maybe overflavored it with hops and bottled @10 days,needed long mellow time, it was ok.Just fruitier than i thought it would have in an almost not beer-like way. I remember my bucket smelling like a big bowl of fruit.Esters along with hop aroma probably. Ive learned a ton since that brew.

 

[jmprdood]

My first batch was straight from, The Complete Joy of Homebrewing (printed in 1984), pg 148-9, Brown Ale (b) 5.5lb amber DME, 8 oz crystal malt, 4 oz black patent, 2oz Cascade @60 and .5oz Cascade @ 10min w/ Whitbread ale yeast (now S-05). Ferment for a week, secondary for a week, then bottle for 10 days w/ 2/3 cup corn sugar. My lbhs hooked me up w/ the book, brewing equiment, the exact recipe kit and instructions for about $60.

Back then I thought it was the nectar of the gods...