I made beer!

[dawalkertiger]

Presenting Wears Creek Lemon Kolsch. My first brew. Extract. 2 weeks in primary. 2 weeks in bottle. Couldn't wait, had to try one. Probably darker than it should be though (boiled all the extract for the whole hour). A bit hazy.
But all in all, pretty tasty. Slight lemon hint due to zest in last 15 of boil. Will be a nice spring beer!
Crappy pic.

 

[JimRausch]

Congrats! And welcome to the insanity...............

 

[Anubrious]

Congrats! I will be brewing my first batch tomorrow, can't wait for the finished product...so I know what you mean about not being able to wait.

 

[Waynep005]

As Mr Petty said the waiting is the hardest part.

 

[Maybenaut]

And as I'm learning, sometimes you have to keep waiting. My first batch should have been done a couple of weeks ago, but it's over-carbonated at the moment; tastes OK, but the feel is wrong. It's been in the bottle nearly a month, but just doesn't feel "ready." Like I said, it doesn't taste bad, it just isn't right, and my gut is telling me it'll be OK in time.

 

[Ogri]

And as I'm learning, sometimes you have to keep waiting. My first batch should have been done a couple of weeks ago, but it's over-carbonated at the moment; tastes OK, but the feel is wrong. It's been in the bottle nearly a month, but just doesn't feel "ready." Like I said, it doesn't taste bad, it just isn't right, and my gut is telling me it'll be OK in time.

I don't think giving it longer to mature will decrease the level of carbonation in your beer.

If it's over-carbonated there're a few possible causes.

1. Too much priming sugar (easy to do if you didn't take into account the temp. of your beer during fermentation. Higher temps will see more CO2 escaping from de-gassing. Lower temps mean less gas escaping so more still in solution, therefore it will reach a higher level of carbonation, than beer that got warmer during fermentation, using same weight of sugar) Fridge time for a few days to a week then try one and see how it turns out.

2. Batch Infection/single bottle infection. Some infections will be able to chew through the long chain sugars, that the yeast couldn't, which will dry out the beer and produce a higher level of carbonation than was planned for. Probably best to give them fridge time in order to slow the infection then drink as soon as possible.

3. Maybe it just seems over-carbed when it really just needs some fridge time.

Had you given the one(s) you tried a few days to a week in the fridge before drinking?? A week, or more, in the fridge will absorb the CO2 into solution which makes for a nice creamy head, better retention and longer lasting effervescence.

Sorry for the thread hijack and congrats to the OP on your first brew. Funnily enough I just tried a can of Kolsch for the first time last night. Japanese craft brewery named Etchigo. Certainly seemed like it'd go down easy when the hot summer weather hits.

 

[mttfrog13]

congrats. my first beer i believe was a mr. beer kit red ale which I just threw some hops into and boiled "for a little while". It actually didn't turn out too bad and was (barely) drinkable.

 

[Cyclman]

Congrats and welcome to the club!

 

[wolverines1980]

Congrats, just finished cooking my 3rd batch tonight! KCCO!!!

 

[Maybenaut]

Had you given the one(s) you tried a few days to a week in the fridge before drinking?? A week, or more, in the fridge will absorb the CO2 into solution which makes for a nice creamy head, better retention and longer lasting effervescence.

I used a kit (everything was premeadured). I fermented at 70 degrees (obsessively adjusting the ambient temp to keep the brew at 70). But I didn't leave the bottles in the fridge for that long (only about a day). I'll try that. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Ogri]

But I didn't leave the bottles in the fridge for that long (only about a day). I'll try that. Thanks for the tip!

Yeah, I reckon that'll make a noticeable difference if you've only given the ones you tried so far a day in the fridge.