First Taste of First Brew

[Just-a-Guy]

This was my first batch, mixed up...I forget, around Christmas time. True Brew IPA. I was very sloppy with it. Used tap water, boiled maybe 1 1/2 gallons in a small pot and added the LME and hop pellets, managed to make it boil over all over the place, dumped it in the bucket with about 3 gallons of cold tap water, got impatient and probably tossed the yeast on too soon (no thermometer at the time), didn't stir it even a little bit, thought it was supposed to be kept warm while fermenting and so kept it in a very warm room, bottled too soon etc...when bottling, didn't know about oxidation and was sloppy moving to bottling bucket, used a siphon and a hose to bottle (next time will attach the bottler directly to the spigot, as I did on a subsequent root beer for the kids). I could go on.

It has been bottled for two weeks. Popped one in the fridge last night and opened it tonight. It made the pfst noise when I opened it, so there is some carbonation. As you can see from the photo, not much head (pic taken about 60 seconds after pouring).

But hey...it's not that bad. Ringing endorsement, right? I wouldn't rush out to buy it, but it's definitely drinkable. The taste is very bitter, very sharp, sort of biting. Not a nice bitterness, but a kind of a crude, cheap tasting bitterness. Hard to explain. I just finished it and I can feel a bit of a buzz. Not much, but a little. Pleasant enough.

The second batch I was more careful with (it's still in the primary entering week three).

Do ya think this one will improve in the bottle? I mean, mainly the bitterness?

Mark


Edit: Leaves a strong, lingering, unpleasant aftertaste.

 

[Lucky_Chicken]

everything gets more mellow in the bottle, the hop profile will mellow also so it will be a trade off with an IPA

 

[cadarnell]

my first was a true brew amber ale ...it had that same unpleasant bitterness you are discribing here ... it really never got a good sooth bitterness until about 3 months ... I only had about 3 of them left by then, but they were beers that I probably would buy ... if the price was right ... haha ... good luck man

 

[obsoletist]

I would definitely invest in a thermometer if you haven't already, preferably a digital one, to check your temp before pitching the yeast. Obviously you have a fairly successful first beer, but it's always best to follow directions when it comes to fermentation; don't pitch until your wort is comfortably below 90 degrees. I had no way to chill my wort so I took a nice nap until it was cool enough After you pitch, give it just a few gentle stirs with a sterilized spoon.

Room temp is just fine for fermentation, and contrary to True Brew's directions, let that bucket go at least 2 weeks before bottling, 3 or even 4 if you have the patience of a saint, which I don't. 2 weeks was excruciating!! Did I mention my first batch was bottled only 2 days ago? I'm dying to try it already!

Anyway, congrats on your first attempt. I'm sure you have plenty of beers to let sit around and mellow out. Time is the essence in this hobby, from what I've gathered so far...