First sample (Hydro and Taste)

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IrregularPulse

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I am doing my first batch. It is a Kit Pale Ale. Been in the fermenter 3 days now. Took my first hydro reading. But then I was too excited about tasting that I forgot the reading before I wrote it down. Guess I'll take another tomorrow. I was still bubbling so I'm thinking now ready to bottle anyways. I thought it smelled WONDERFUL when I cracked the top till I took a bg whiff and about gagged from teh alcohol rush up my nose haha. I of course drank my sample. Well hald of it. THere was alot of sediment in it and it was quite alcoholy. (This is ok right cause of it still fermenting)? Should I not have cracked it open since it was still bubbling. From what I've been reading I think I am fine. Here is my sample. It tasted like a hint of citrus and it looks a bit orangey I thought. weird.

PaleAle005.jpg
 
Bubbles or not, it is still way to early to bottle.

Congrats on the first brew, though. :)
 
I'm not sure if it's because it's still fermenting, but typically "alcoholy" flavors are created when fermenting temperatures are too high. For ales I believe 65-70 degrees is ideal. Do you know what temperature you were fermenting at?
 
"Master, my beer taste odd.What is wrong with it?"

Keye%20Luke%20Master%20Po.jpg


"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."
 
When i was doing extract kits I learned the hard way on the 1-2-3 rule. I drank most of my first batch before it was in the bottle for 3 weeks. I had a few I kept for over a month, and the beer was completely different.

Patience is the most important aspect of brewing. When I followed 1-2-3 I did not use a hydrometer, and my beers came out very well.

I was equally excited about my first batch. It is an awesome hobby, but be patient...
 
ok REscue Brew, No need to be a jerk, I didnt start this thread to ask about teh alcoholy test I even stated that I was sure this was beause it's so young. Thanks to all that had nice input. I was just posting because I am excited and it's a picture of my first brew! Even though young. I wasnt tasting just for taste either I just figured might as well tast since I had the sample and forgot the Hydro reading due to the excitement.
 
sweet_corn said:
When i was doing extract kits I learned the hard way on the 1-2-3 rule. I drank most of my first batch before it was in the bottle for 3 weeks. I had a few I kept for over a month, and the beer was completely different.

Patience is the most important aspect of brewing. When I followed 1-2-3 I did not use a hydrometer, and my beers came out very well.

I was equally excited about my first batch. It is an awesome hobby, but be patient...

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???

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...
 
IrregularPulse said:
ok REscue Brew, No need to be a jerk, I didnt start this thread to ask about teh alcoholy test I even stated that I was sure this was beause it's so young. Thanks to all that had nice input. I was just posting because I am excited and it's a picture of my first brew! Even though young. I wasnt tasting just for taste either I just figured might as well tast since I had the sample and forgot the Hydro reading due to the excitement.

I have no idea why you would say i'm being a jerk. I too am very new to homebrewing and was wondering why I had that flavor in my fermenting beer, just like you. I searched it and found a pretty good thread on the subject... just thought you might like it as well.

sorry if I came off the wrong way... didn't mean too.

cheers fella:mug:
 
Rescue Brew - I apologize. I thought you were one of those guys that jumps on everyone about not searching. My mistake. I can see I was a bit harsh on that. Thank you for trying to help. I will be sure and check out that thread. Thanks
 
I know it is very exciting but wait a week or more before u take a reading. I usually only take one at a week and if I hit my FG than I transfer..If im close I re-check in 2 to 3 days. I will also attest to waiting 6 weeks before u drink..it will be how the beer was intended..CHeck at 3 to 4 weeks for carbination and then if good store..if not recheck in a week.

Jay
 
:off: BUT ....

discgolfin, where do you shop for ingredients in chicago? Im new to the naperville/aurora area , i've only found one store so far.
 
My plan for this first batch, (finished bubbling) is to let is sit another week, check next Thursday, Friday and Saturday for hydro. If all is consistent I will bottle next Saturday (2/9) I am planning on doing another kit tonight. Then I will of course taste when bottling, Taste at one week, 2-3 weeks, and hope to have some left at the 5-7 week mark. But this is why I'm starting another batch tonight. Any suggestions as to a good contrast to the pale ale. My favorite style is IPA but don't want 2 ales and nothing else. Not a huge wheat fan. Maybe I'll try dry hopping this ale in there now for this next week before bottling. Can you just add pellets for that or does it need to be buds if you're adding after fermentation. Or can you add after fermentation? I've seen some carboys with hops floating in them for finishing aroma and flavor. I WANT THAT, I love hops
 
You can dry hop with pellet hops. they kind of disintegrate into a sediment. You can just rack off of that sediment when you rack it into the bottling bucket. An ounce of hops for a week or so is about right.
 
Do I need to put them in a hop bag or anything or just open my bocket drop them in and let them sit? and if I do this will the settlement drop to the bottom with the rest of th goup for bottling.

My plan is to by an ounce, drop them in Saturday (granted my Hydrometer readings are leveled out), then bottle the following saturday. So are the hop pellets sediment going to be at the bottom of the bucket or jsut rack around it?
 
I use a hop bag sometimes, sometimes not. It seems like the pellets kind of disintegrate through the mesh bag, but it might help some. I posted a picture on a thread about a week or so again of something I'm dryhopping now. It looks like swamp water. But, you can rack off of the sludge, and just try to avoid the floating sludge. It helps if you sanitize a paint strainer (biermuncher has pictures of that) and put it over your racking cane to sort of "filter" it out.

What kind of hops are you planning on using?
 
Not sure. What do you recommend for finishing? If I remember correct the recipe I used contained Willamette for both bittering and the 5 minute finishing. I'm going to my HBS tonight to pickup another kit to boil and another primary, sample tube and some bottles.
So what hops would be a nice aroma that would mesh well with the willamettes already in my pale ale.
 

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