First brew - I want to make it better

[mjn12]

So to make a long story short, this is my second shot at homebrewing, but my first with beer. The first time was with mead but it never actually fermented (bad yeast?) and after wasting $50 worth of honey I put the hobby down for a few years. When I realized i had no big project for this weekend I decided to give it another go.

I went to Flying Barrel in Frederick MD and picked up the supplies (I had given the old ones away to a friend who has had much more success in exchange for a few bottles of wine). I came out with all the equipment and a True Brew IPA kit. The wort (or is it beer now?) Is bubbling away contentedly under my desk. I've even opened a window to keep the temp down around 70deg. A little chilly for sleeping but the beer seems happy!

So on to my "problem". After reading a few reviews on this site it seems that this beer comes out closer to and english IPA or a brown ale. I'm a huge fan of DFH 60,90,120 minute IPA's so I was a little disappointed. At this point I figure I have a few options:

1. Leave well enough alone and bottle in about 10 days, enjoying whatever comes out, not risking messing up my first batch.

2. Personalize (more my style) the recipe by adding a secondary fermenter into the mix and dry hopping there. Also I would stand to gain more clarity, etc etc from using the secondary at a risk of contamination

Any suggestions out there? If I take the dry hop route give me some ideas for exact procedure/ingredients.

Here is the recipe from the kit (as provided by someone else on the net): True Brew tm

 

[Arneba28]

Yeah the kit IPAs are pretty mellow in comparison to any Dogfish IPA. The kits tend to be a very well rounded ipa but in my opinion a very mellow hop taste and very little aroma. If you want to up the hoppyness at this point the only thing you can do is Dry hop it.

First, wait atleast 2 weeks before you bottle this if you do not change anything.
Second, If you want to dry hop, toss 1 or 2 ounces of hops in a muslin bag and tie it up, then add that to the beer in secondary. If you dont have a secondary, dont worry about it and drop the bag into the primary. Let it set in there a week or two.

Remember, Dry hopping will not increase the IBU's, only aroma. But it will add a different appeal to the beer for you.

 

[mjn12]

Ok, you have to be patient since I'm new at this. I was under the impression that dry hopping might add some more of that hoppy kick to the beer. I guess I'm having trouble separating the bitter characteristics from the more floral / citrus ones. I'm guessing the hoppy kick stems as much or more from bitterness as it does from the aromatic aspect.

Would it be safe to assume that DFH uses a lot of hops during the boil as well as dry hopping to create a bitter and simultaneously complex flavor? Therefore, in order to push my brew in that direction I would have definately needed a lot more hops when boiling as well as dry hopping?

This kit uses oak chips to give the beer an oak finish. In the little experience I have with wine and (even less) scotch - oak flavors generally play well with vanilla, black cherry, currant, etc. and less with floral and citrus flavors. If this is the case the dry hopping seems like it might just fight the oak finish and really be counterproductive.

Am I way off course here? Just guesses from a new guy.

 

[mjn12]

Maybe I should clarify - thats drinking wine and scotch. Not producing.

 

[FreakinA]

If its your first batch, maybe you dont want to dryhop. The True Brew kits and all kits for that matter will not be an extreme beer like the DFH Minute series. Those are crazily hopped IPAs. To get the bitter taste, you are 100% DFH boils ALOT more hops and they actually(or so Im told) use a continually hopping technique. If I were you, I would just let this beer ferment out and bottle it as is to see what you get, then go after one of the many 'Big IPA' recipes on this site to try for your next beer, and use what you tasted in this brew to guide your hop schedule.

 

[noremorse1]

If I were you, I would just let this beer ferment out and bottle it as is to see what you get, then go after one of the many 'Big IPA' recipes on this site to try for your next beer, and use what you tasted in this brew to guide your hop schedule.

+1

Use this batch to get the fundamentals down and then take the next step with your next batch.

 

[uncleozzy]

First, wait atleast 2 weeks before you bottle this if you do not change anything.

Agreed... definitely don't rush it. And, next time, if you can stick the fermenter into a tub of water to keep the temperature even lower, you'd probably be better off. In the meantime, relax! You're making beer!

 

[mjn12]

Alright, alright I'll take it slow.

Additionally, I'm looking for something Christmas-y to make next (Even though it might not be ready in time). Some sort of stout. Any recommendations for a recipe geared towards a new guy?

 

[Grinder12000]

One thing I have noticed about a LOT of IPA recipes, especially clones of Dogfish Head is that they are normally All Grain recipes.

Another thing is that darker beers are easier as long as they are not extreme beers with 8% ABV.

If you are like me I had (and still do have) SO many brews I want to make. Just make sure that you brew something that will give you practice at the technique and good drinking results - don't go all extreme right away.

As for stouts - I LOVE the Austin Home Brew Double Chocolate Stout.

 

[mmb]

From your choice of an IPA for your first kit you may want to brew up an American Stout for your next batch. You said you wanted some sort of stout and an American Stout is fairly hoppy as well. If you brew it soon it should be more than ready for Christmas.

I'd leave the oak out on your first batch unless you really like the taste of oaked beers. An IPA isn't normally oaked and oaking isn't to style. It also adds yet another step to your process that you don't really need on your first batch of beer.

Congrats!

 

[TeleTwanger]

you can easily make that kit into a Dogfish Clone which is pretty much an English IPA made with american hops. The Dogfish is just Pale malt and British Thomas Fawcett amber malt with British yeast, the kicker is the hop type and schedule, warrior, simcoe,amarillo hops thrown in the kettle continuosly during the boil...and dry hopped similarly.

 

[Revvy]

Since you already f'ed up and were out 50 bucks the first time around...I would brew the kit AS IS....And concentrate on your brewing process...

THE kit is perfectly balanced as it is, in terms of malts and hops...This is your first brew...brew the kit and learn a few things before you start messing with recipe creations....

If you want a hoppier kit for next time...Brewer's Best has a limited release UBER Hoppy one...or find a recipe. But the first couple brews should be about process...and if you brew the kit AS IS, and F it up, you will have an easier time pimping out what you did wrong without the added variables from messing with a proven recipe...

If you read this thread, you will find that most of us on here are in agreement that you shouldn't mess with recipes for your first few brews...https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/stone-cold-lead-pipe-lockd-n00b-advice-54362/?highlight=stone+cold

It's pretty common for first time brewer's to THINK that there's going to be something wrong with their first kit...OR to think they have to add fruit or something...But in reality they don't understand enough of the brewing process....OR ABOUT RECIPE CREATION to start messing with a proven recipe...it really isn't just about dumping a bunch of stuff in along with your kit.

 

[starrfish]

I know you had a "bad experience" before but I might be tempted to try to dry hop it.

I've made some good dryhopped IPA's with the addition of the oak chips... just adds to the complexity... If your worried about contamination: Steam your oak chips before adding them, boil your hop bag before adding your hops to the bag. should take care of any nasties so they don't contaminate your final product. try a classic british hop. Fuggles is one of my favs and works well

next time see if your homebrew shop can suggest ways to kick up the kit or point you in the right direction for formulating a recipe to closer meet your expectations.


I've stopped using liquid malt extract all together (except in some wheat beers). I never use hopped extract (although this might have helped this kick up the bitterness). I always add specialty grains (steeped), and I usually try to use more than one (up to 3) varieties of hops in a batch. (60 min, 30-15min, and a final 5-1 minute boil) to get a nice blend of bittering, flavor and aroma. Can you tell I'm a bit of a hop head? even if you don't dry hop you'll end up with a very drinkable beer.

 

[mjn12]

Too late on not oaking - already done (steamed and put in the primary with the hot wort). I think I'll hold off and finish the kit out as is, bottling after two weeks instead of 7-10 days like the instructions say. Papazian reccomends two weeks in the primary as do some people here - sounds like good advice to me.

I'm considering picking up a second primary to start the stout early (while the first batch is just a week in). After the amount of reading, etc I've done I'm confident the currently fermenting batch will come out ok and i was VERY cautious about sterilizing everything this time. Its probably the only way I'll get to try my hand at a recipe before I have to move in late December and don't get to brew again for probably a month or two.

Also, Thanks for the advice so far and in the future. I'm sure I'll have a lot of questions over the next few months.

 

[mjn12]

Well, I let it ferment for 3 weeks. Went ahead and bottled one week ago. That process makes me want to buy a kegging system right away!

Tasting at 1 week: Actually carb'ing up fairly well. Dominated by a strong fruity, almost bubblegum flavor(??). Not a whole lot of body or maltiness. Some bitterness. Little hop aroma. Hazy, but not more so than most IPAs I've had. Remaining priming sugar might be throwing me off a little bit.

Its green so hopefully the flavor gets better in the next couple weeks. Kinda discouraging so far for a first brew but the second batch I brewed (also sampled today) was MUCH better.

I'm certain this is my last kit IPA and probably last kit beer all together.