Cracked open my first bottle...

[codefox]

I'm sure I probably did it a little too early but its been 3 weeks since I bottled which was the minimum time to wait and I just couldn't wait anymore. So before I went to dinner I put one bottle in the fridge. I just had to see what I had created.

I cracked open the bottle and was rewarded with a very satisfying hiss. The beer had cleared up very nicely since I brewed it and when I poured it into the bottle it had a nice looking head and I could tell that it carbonated well.

Overall, I'm very happy with the flavor. There's some strong maltiness which I like and its a little hoppier than I normally would go for but I knew that going in. I won't call it the best beer I've ever tasted because I've had many incredible craft beers but its definitely better than any of the mass market stuff out there! I'm very pleased. Now I just need to start planning my next batch. I'll probably start it in a couple weeks.

 

[dgr]

Congratulations on the beer and waiting three weeks. What did you brew and why didn't you plan your next brew three weeks ago

 

[Pratzie]

Congrats!

 

[lowtones84]

Nice, congratulations! Very rewarding, isn't it?

 

[aeviaanah]

Congratulations!

 

[Channel66]

You waited the three weeks with your first beer?

The force is strong with this one.

Open it early I did. Disappointed slightly I was.

 

[unionrdr]

Sounds like it needed more fridge time to me. Depending on the beer style,tasting more malty signifies that it needed more time in the fridge to get more co2 into solution. 1 week is pretty average to get better carbonation & head. Carbonation changes what qualities of flavor & aroma you'll percieve when you drink it. It can tend to taste more balanced.

 

[cluckk]

It is rare for a new brewer to hold out for three weeks with his brand new bottled beer. Most suffer from premature carbonation for the first few batches.

Congrats, it may not be the best beer you ever had, but it is currently the best beer you ever made, and just being able to say that is quite an accomplishment. Welcome to your new obsession. Now you just have to get to the point where you're saying, "I need to brew this weekend but all seven of my fermenters are full and I don't have any empty kegs to transfer into." Then you're disease will have progressed into the long term management stage.

 

[ChrisL_]

Congrats . The first ever was a great feeling.

Just a quick FYI. I know you we're anxious to drink the first one ASAP (can't blame you there) but for the future bottle conditioned need a good couple of days in the fridge before drinking. The reason is that the co2 will mix into solution much better when the beer is cold. Until it is first chilled a lot of the CO2 will sit above you beer at the top of the bottle.

Now you need to plan the next couple batches to get your pipeline going so you always have some to drink while letting your future batches fully mature.

Congrats again and welcome to the obsession!

 

[Nelrock]

LOL...I only made it 3 days.
Mine was undercarbonated...as expected...but maaaan was it smooth.

I actually liked it better at day 3 than I did at the 2 week point.

But...it was still the best beer I'd ever had...cause I made it myself!

 

[Malty_Dog]

I'm about 12 batches into this hobby and the 2-3 weeks it takes to fully carbonate are still the longest weeks EVER

Congrats OP!

 

[jc5066]

I knew I couldn't wait that long, that's why I went for legging right from the start!

Congratulations, it's very rewarding to brew your own quality beer!!!!

 

[codefox]

Congratulations on the beer and waiting three weeks. What did you brew and why didn't you plan your next brew three weeks ago

Well, I have a fairly busy schedule so I need a free weekend day to fit it in which I hope I have coming next weekend! I did a red ale that was a recipe from a local brewery here in Tampa. I'm torn between doing a stout/porter for my next or a wheat ale.

You waited the three weeks with your first beer?

The force is strong with this one.

Open it early I did. Disappointed slightly I was.

I like to think I have strong willpower!

And thanks all...it did feel very rewarding after the long wait since I brewed it.

 

[Rockindaddy]

You waited the three weeks with your first beer?

The force is strong with this one.

Open it early I did. Disappointed slightly I was.

You had me rolling on the floor with that one!

 

[codefox]

Sounds like it needed more fridge time to me. Depending on the beer style,tasting more malty signifies that it needed more time in the fridge to get more co2 into solution. 1 week is pretty average to get better carbonation & head. Carbonation changes what qualities of flavor & aroma you'll percieve when you drink it. It can tend to taste more balanced.

That wouldn't surprise me...I only had it in the fridge an hour. How long would you suggest? Not that I mind the malty flavor mind you, its something I'd say I like.

 

[codefox]

Congrats . The first ever was a great feeling.

Just a quick FYI. I know you we're anxious to drink the first one ASAP (can't blame you there) but for the future bottle conditioned need a good couple of days in the fridge before drinking. The reason is that the co2 will mix into solution much better when the beer is cold. Until it is first chilled a lot of the CO2 will sit above you beer at the top of the bottle.

Now you need to plan the next couple batches to get your pipeline going so you always have some to drink while letting your future batches fully mature.

Congrats again and welcome to the obsession!

I'll be honest, it was less an anxiousness thing and more a completely "I had no idea it needed longer in the fridge" thing. Trust me, if I could wait 3 weeks, I could have waited another day or two! But this is great info

 

[unionrdr]

Give'em a week in the fridge then try'em again. compare the flavor to what you had tasted before.

 

[codefox]

Give'em a week in the fridge then try'em again. compare the flavor to what you had tasted before.

Will do! I think what I also want to do is go to the brewery that makes the beer which is nearby and try it off their tap since they have a bar in Ybor. I'd love to see how mine compares to theirs.

 

[LoloMT7]

You waited the three weeks with your first beer?

The force is strong with this one.

Open it early I did. Disappointed slightly I was.

You Nailed it Matt... This man has some serious restraint !!

Nicely done on you first brew sir!

Wait another 3 weeks and then stick one in the fridge for a full week and it will be even better!

 

[mbbransc]

So, is it better to stick the bottles in the fridge on bottling day? Or let'em hang out at room temp for 1-2 wks and then stick'em in the fridge?

 

[codefox]

So, is it better to stick the bottles in the fridge on bottling day? Or let'em hang out at room temp for 1-2 wks and then stick'em in the fridge?

If you are bottle conditioning you need to wait a few weeks before putting them in the fridge. If you put them in right away you won't get any carbonation 8)

 

[Channel66]

So, is it better to stick the bottles in the fridge on bottling day? Or let'em hang out at room temp for 1-2 wks and then stick'em in the fridge?

Room temp for a minimum of 3 weeks, then when you are ready to drink fridge for at least 24 before drinking, otherwise, room temp for infinity is fine.

 

[dgr]

I'll take choice B unless you are going to leave the fridge unplugged for the first two weeks. You need the yeast to actively ferment the bottling sugar to create the CO2. They are going to do this best at room temp.

 

[MindenMan]

I remember my first batch; it was an Amber Ale, BIAB, a gift from my wife. I didn't have hydrometer because I thought for a rookie brewer why bother to get bad news? As above I also had premature carbonation, and couldn't wait to test this elixir of the grain. It wasn't that bad, but I had over sparged, and boiled forever it seemed. I have since gone AG, bought a hydrometer, made a lauter tun out of two 5 gallon buckets, and every now and then I hit the numbers exactly. I have made a couple of batches that really seemed to develop a stronger hop presence the longer I waited, much more than I had originally planned.The only way to scribe it is to say when at two weeks very malt forward, and at four weeks better balanced, at six weeks very hop forward. I have been using QBrew and Brewtarget to develop new recipes based on old ones. Initially this was due to an abundance of grains, and now I brew to style whenever possible, or try a different adjunct to see what happens after fermentation

 

[glenn514]

Codefox, you have already learned the FIRST rule of brewing: PATIENCE! Most of us didn't learn it until the seventh or tenth brew! But that "ssssh" when you pop open the cap, the fizz of foam when you pour it into a glass...and the FLAVOR of that first sip! I guarantee you every brewer remembers those things. It is so rewarding to open that first bottle...or the one thousand first!

glenn514