Decisions on next batch,

[PackerfaninSanDiego]

I'm about 5 days away from bottling my first batch, but have you ever brewed a batch that you did not like? What did you do? Dump it?
Give it away?

 

[billl]

If you are trying to brew on a schedule, you are going to have a lot of problems with "bad beer." It won't be the beer's fault though. It would probably be perfectly good beer if you just let it keep its own schedule. Yeast hate being micromanaged and love to thwart brewers who insist on dictating a time table.

The only "bad" beers I've had are when I tried to rush and taste them too soon. Otherwise, the yeast do a really good job of making beer if you give them the right conditions.

 

[WoodlandBrew]

Most of my beers come out fine, but I've had a few beers come out not as expected, and others that I didn't like when I cracked the first bottle. Time fixed the problems. They just ended up as more mellow drinkable beers.

 

[501irishred]

+1 to bill and woodlandbrew! I still remember letting the calender dictate my every move....now of course its a handy tool to help keep track of what I ended up doing and add information to my notes. Mr. beer etc is a great way to get people into brewing, but I think it also gets people into the habit of "clock watching".

I have certainly had batches that I've like more than others, and some that I gave away more than I drank (many different beers and many different taste buds....). Others that the first bottle opened I though all was lost, only to open another in a couple months later to find it's one of my favorite brews!

 

[bobeer]

I've brewed batches I like less than others but I usually try to brew every weekend or twice a month if I'm doing 10 gallon batches. That way I have the varity to mix it up if I get one I don't really like.
The guys above are correct when talking about waiting to drink your beer. You can't really force the yeast to your timetable unless you have the right equipment and have brewed the same beer many times so can know what to expect. Even then though you're not really forcing the yeast to your timetable; you're just learning their's.
Best thing to do is just brew as often as you can and keep reading. I usually let all my beers sit in the primary for a month then either bottle, dry hop, oak, etc. You'll figure out what works best for you over time.

 

[GravyTrain77]

I've brewed batches I like less than others but I usually try to brew every weekend or twice a month if I'm doing 10 gallon batches. That way I have the varity to mix it up if I get one I don't really like.
The guys above are correct when talking about waiting to drink your beer. You can't really force the yeast to your timetable unless you have the right equipment and have brewed the same beer many times so can know what to expect. Even then though you're not really forcing the yeast to your timetable; you're just learning their's.
Best thing to do is just brew as often as you can and keep reading. I usually let all my beers sit in the primary for a month then either bottle, dry hop, oak, etc. You'll figure out what works best for you over time.

What do you do with all that beer? Do you just have loads of kegs & bottles around?

 

[bobeer]

What do you do with all that beer? Do you just have loads of kegs & bottles around?

When I brew every week it's usally a 2.5 gallon batch and that gives me about a 24 pack. The 2.5 gallon batches are usually for me to hone-in recipes. I'm going to start kegging soon and I give a lot away, and I'm pretty new to 10 gallon batches so I don't have THAT much beer laying around.

 

[GravyTrain77]

When I brew every week it's usally a 2.5 gallon batch and that gives me about a 24 pack. The 2.5 gallon batches are usually for me to hone-in recipes. I'm going to start kegging soon and I give a lot away, and I'm pretty new to 10 gallon batches so I don't have THAT much beer laying around.

Oh ok. I thought I read that you were doing 10 gallon batches every other week.

 

[PackerfaninSanDiego]

I want to do a raspberry wheat... I love Lost Coast Brewerys raspberrywheat...I guess my question is when it's time to drink it and I don't like it,,,,,what would you do?

 

[user 98891]

If I don't like a beer, I just set it in the basement and give it out to friends. Eventually someone will like it.

 

[Calder]

I don't remember my last batch of bad beer. About 2 years ago I did brew a Cyser (about 12%), that has some sherry notes, that I'm disappointed with. It is taking a long time to get through. If I don't think it is good, I don't give it to anyone.

I do have some memories of brewing hopped vinegar about 15 years ago. I tried my best to drink it, but in the end I had to face up to the fact that it was undrinkable, and eventually dumped it.

 

[Hogarthe]

if you don't like the beer, you can cook with it. beer bread and stuff like that. it doesn't really matter what the beer tastes like, because it won't taste the same once its been cooked in something.

 

[sok454]

So you are saying its like kids... No bad kids... just bad parents... Exceptions always apply to bad yeast etc...