Doing things against all recommendation

[rollinred]

Well my first beer has been out of the fermenter for over a week now, it is a coopers real ale kit that is not quite what I expected (but should have). I did a couple gallon boil with the hopped malt extract and 3 cups of corn sugar (I know not the best thing to use). OG was only 1.035, wished for more but I didnt know what I was doing and should have used some DME, but the first one is always a learning experience.

Anyway, I have decided that every day or ever other day I am going to pull a couple out and give the a try. I want to learn what this whole process is about and feel that
if I can taste the differences throughout the aging process I will learn a lot from this first beer. And so far in only 7 days and 7 beers later, the difference is already VERY noticeable. The first one I cracked tasted and smelled exactly like my hydro sample, only with carbonation. The smell was quite cidery until the carbonation was all but gone, then it smelled like a very light beer. The only way I could describe the taste is caramel. quite sweet and almost "thick".

Now as I am typing this tonight 7 days after that first test I am sipping another one right now. And wow , Cidery smell is diminishing and the caramel taste is "blending" just like everyone said. Its amazing, because I still know that taste is there, you can tell, but it doesn't stand out like it did before.

Anyway just letting everyone that is on their first batch know that maybe you shouldn't wait to sample your bottled beer. It is giving me a much greater insight into what is actually happening during this waiting period. And as I know, I will make better beers from here on out so this one can be sacrificed. I cant wait to see what it is like in upcoming days. I am honestly noticing daily differences during the aging. Very small differences but if you have decent taste buds I am sure you will be able to taste what I am talking about.

 

[kaptain_karma]

Congrats on your first batch! I think I cracked the first bottle of my first batch after ten days. It just got better after that. I think there's nothing wrong with tasting a bottle or two before they're ready, especially when you've just started brewing. This practice helps conceptualize the maturation process.

Once you have a taste for the process, let your beers condition longer before you try them. Most importantly, take detailed notes on your tastings. When you decide to duplicate a great recipe, your notes will help you to determine the optimum conditioning time.

 

[MULE]

Only four beers of my first batch surpassed the 30 day mark. I didn't know anything about bottle conditioning at the time. Although, it was good to learn these things first hand, I was sad that I had only four "really good" beers at the end. Lessoned learned.

 

[Revvy]

Good post/thread

I think it's ok to sample and drink your first beer early...But don't panic, judge or start a "Is my beer ruined?" thread about it if you didn't at least follow the 1-2-3 rule.

Every day there's a half dozen threads about people's beer being "bad" that when you read their first post you find out they jumped the gun and racked it too early, bottled too early and/or opened their first bottle too early.

Your post proves that beer has to go through a process. And in the beginning, "green" beer often has off flavors or smells, that dissipate and mellow with time.

I posted this in a thread yesterday.

"Master, my beer taste odd.What is wrong with it?"

"Patience, grasshopper...all will be worked out with time....It always does...Beer, like man, need to mature to come into full body. Too soon then like boy in man's skin...Young and wet behind ears...and good for nothing...Now snatch this stione from my hand, you insolent whelp!

Rule of thumb, 1-2-3....1 week (minimum) in Primary {After 3 days of no gravity changes}, 2 in secondary, 3 in bottles...

I know the tendency is to want to taste your brew, especially your first one...but it'll just taste off until it has properly fermented, settled, carbonated and aged....Some off flavors don't begin to dissipate for weeks or months in the bottles. Taste all you want, but don't sweat anything till 3 weeks after it's been in the bottle.

You can't judge your brew while it is still "green."

I think the best advice for new brewers, besides "relax" is brew a new batch every 2 weeks or so until you get 3 or 4 in the pipeline. Then you can be drinking your first batch, while you bottle your second...

I listened to an old interview with pappa charlie papazian yesterday. He has a strain of yeast that he has cultivated and used for 20 years. He mentioned that a couple of years ago he was noticing an off flavor in the beers he was brewing with it. He attributed it to wild yeasts infecting the strain. Instead of dumping the yeast, he poured beer over his yeast and let it sit in the fridge for 6 months or a year...Then after waiting, reawoke the dromant yeast and then brewed a batch of beer with the "infected" yeast was fine, and no off flavors were present.

Because his "House" yeast had always been stored in beer, He figured that the wild yeasts could not take the rich enviroment and after a few months just peetered off and died, leaving his stronger yeast as good as new.

So it's shows that patience and the ability to relax, is a virtue.

If it's bad for us and patience, I bet it's hell for the first time wine makers...6 months to a year wait on a batch???

 

[shafferpilot]

PROST to the OP. So new to the obsession, yet very wise in his/her undertaking of it; learning it; getting intimate with it. Bravo! You'll progress into a great brewer quickly if you keep this up

 

[TexLaw]

Agreed! Prost!

If you take the attitude of observing and learning, then there is no real mistake you can make. That's not impatient at all!


TL

 

[jester22151]

i HAVE A RATHER INTERESTING EXPERIMENT GOING ON MYSELF AT THE MOMENT. i AM BREWING MY FIRST TWO BATCHES AT THE SAME TIME. i HAVE ONE BATCH THAT WAS IN THE PRIMARY FOR 1 WEEK AND RACKED IT TO THE SECONDARY YESTERDSAY. I MADE MY SECOND BATCH YESTERDAY SO IT IS IN THE PRIMARY.

MY FARST BATCH IS GOING TO BE MADE USING THE 1-2-3 RULE AND MY SECOND BATCH IS GOING TO HAVE TO SPEND TWO WEEKS IN THE PRIMARY AND NO LESS THAN 1 ON THE SECONDARY(BECAUE I ONLY HAVE THE 1 SECONDARY). NOT ONE BOTTLE OF EITHER BATCH WILL BE OPENED UNTIL THE SATURDAY BEFORE ST PATRICKS DAY.

I CAN'T WAIT TO TASTE THEM BUT I WILL ANYWAY AS i AM BREWING ALL OF THIS FOR A PARTY I WILL BE GOING TO.

 

[Bobby_M]

Jester. Welcome to the site but cut that all caps crap out before I....

 

[sirsloop]

LOL...

I think its a good thing to taste test your first brew well before its ready. I think most people do anyways. Its a good way to get a feel for how your brew ages and how long it takes to carbonate.

 

[cowgo]

Not to be a jerk or anything, but the other option would be to believe everyone when they say wait to pop the first one or it won't taste so whippy.....and the bonus is more good beer to drink later on.

The only way I've been able to handle my premature imbibtation problem was to get more kegs, it's all about brew in a queue now and FIFO. Patience is too hard.

 

[Nurmey]

I think what the OP is doing is interesting. I also think that about day 50, when he's almost out of beer, it will taste so good and well aged that he'll wish he had a bunch more to drink.

 

[Fingers]

I waited six weeks to taste my first brew. The process I had read said to wait that long so I did. It wasn't until after I'd brewed a few that it dawned on me to at least taste it during racking. As it stands right now, I've never tasted my beer except when racking or releasing it for consumption. I guess I've been blessed with inordinate patience.

 

[shafferpilot]

I waited six weeks to taste my first brew. The process I had read said to wait that long so I did. It wasn't until after I'd brewed a few that it dawned on me to at least taste it during racking. As it stands right now, I've never tasted my beer except when racking or releasing it for consumption. I guess I've been blessed with inordinate patience.

clearly you have

 

[Mr Nick]

Well....I brewed my first batch a few months ago, and have yet to brew my second batch.

I did the same thing that the starter of this thread did...I tasted and sampled from the beginning, and still have some left to taste.

What I learned from that (although the beer is not bad) It is not what I am after...And my next batch will likely be a partial mash. When I am ready...I am not in a hurry.