First Batch!

[jstme08]

Just bottled my first batch. It was a 5 gallon pale ale (came with the kit from Midwest supplies). I got 39 1/2 bottles, which seemed a little low to me, but still exciting!

I didn't realize, as this is my first batch, how much sediment and all that would be at the bottom. I knew there would be some, but not that much.

Everything seemed to go well. I'm sure I made a few mistakes here and there, but all in all, it smelled good!

 

[SoCal-Doug]

Congrats! If it smelled good, i'll bet its going to taste good too.

Yup, that "trub" in the fermenter can look kinda midevil sometimes. Yeast, proteins, hops, all kinds of stuff settling out. Some people say its quite healthy and years ago there was a company making some sort of health/vitamin pills out of it.

 

[Rob2010SS]

Congratulations on completing the first batch!! If it tastes good and you like it, I'd say it was successful. Welcome to the addiction!!
:rockin::rockin::rockin::rockin::rockin::rockin:

 

[ncbrewer]

Welcome to HBT.

 

[Exception13]

Congrats on the first batch! Be sure to drop back and let us know how it tastes in a couple of weeks.

Cheers!

Chris

 

[Cyclman]

One great trick is called cold crashing your beer – chilling it to near freezing. It will take a lot of the sediment and compact it at the bottom of the fermenter. Anyhow congratulations on your first beer – it will taste better than any beer you’ve ever had. It is yours.

 

[jalc6927]

Congrats

 

[jstme08]

Thanks everyone! Tastes a whole lot better than what I had thought. I thought it was too easy haha. Once i get a hang of the process more, want to try my item recipes.

 

[RM-MN]

Thanks everyone! Tastes a whole lot better than what I had thought. I thought it was too easy haha. Once i get a hang of the process more, want to try my item recipes.

It sounds like you already have the hang of the process. Are you ready to go all grain? Despite all the info written on all grain it really isn't any more difficult than extract nor does it need to take more time. If you can heat the right quantity of water to the correct strike temperature, you can do all grain. With BIAB (read about it) it is about as simple as an extract batch and you don't have to deal with getting the LME all out of the container nor the DME wanting to get clumpy. It does take a bigger boil kettle as you will be boiling the entire quantity and your heat source that you used for this batch may not be up to boiling that bigger amount.

 

[jstme08]

It sounds like you already have the hang of the process. Are you ready to go all grain? Despite all the info written on all grain it really isn't any more difficult than extract nor does it need to take more time. If you can heat the right quantity of water to the correct strike temperature, you can do all grain. With BIAB (read about it) it is about as simple as an extract batch and you don't have to deal with getting the LME all out of the container nor the DME wanting to get clumpy. It does take a bigger boil kettle as you will be boiling the entire quantity and your heat source that you used for this batch may not be up to boiling that bigger amount.

I could do a whole batch at once. I'll look up the BIAB. I'm not too much of a fan of the LME. I'm now on my 2nd batch with it. I'm going to start reading about all grain brewing and seeing for to experiment n with different flavors. There send to be a while lot of varieties and endless possibilities!

 

[Leezer]

I think you'll like BIAB. I started with extract for several batches then switched to all grain BIAB. It is not difficult at all and there are endless possibilities. Many great recipes on this forum. To me it's more enjoyable because it feels more like making it "from scratch".

 

[portguy]

I think you'll like BIAB. I started with extract for several batches then switched to all grain BIAB. It is not difficult at all and there are endless possibilities. Many great recipes on this forum. To me it's more enjoyable because it feels more like making it "from scratch".

This is very true. I started back in March with two coopers kits. I enjoyed the 1st one so much (the process not the beer which was only ok), that i quickly moved to BIAB all grain. It's so much more enjoyable. Also i did not start with any recipes. I took a few months to gather and read all i could. I brewed Saisons and a Porter. Just following BJCP guidelines for now.

Also i start small whit every recipe i make: 2 gallon batches at most. If approved i make a full 5 gallon batch.

Made only 5 all grain batches so far and started to tweak my water after batch number 3. It's amazing to check the difference!

My evolution is slow because i'm not from a country with beer brewing traditions. Even buying ingredients is a PITA. I ordered most things from abroad. But it's so damn satisfying!