theo1069
Well-Known Member
Hi Everyone!
Ive Been lurking for a while, and have learned a lot from this forum. Thank you to everyone for this great site! Being new to this hobby, it is great to learn from others experience / mistakes. I am already addicted.
I am hoping for some reassurance or advice. I recently brewed up my first extract beer. It is a highly rated Autumn Amber kit from Midwest. I think this will be my last kit purchase, as it seems like I paid a premium because they pre-measured and threw the ingredients in a box for me. Anyway The kit came with LME and I opted for the liquid White Labs yeast. (No starter on that one, but have started making 1L starters for my second batch which is 2 days into the primary.) The airlock started bubbling after about 12 hours, which (I think) is about right? I let it sit in the primary (Ale Pale) for 8 days, then transferred to glass carboy for another 8 days. My starting and final gravities fell into line with what the recipe called for. I bottled last Monday 8/23.
I have been trying to taste the beer at each stage of the process to better understand exactly what is happening and how each stage affects the brew. So for the sake of research, and because I couldnt wait any longer, I chilled a bottle last night (one week after bottling) to try it out.
I am extremely happy with how it is turning out! It poured beautifully, with about an inch of head. It seems fairly well carbonated, although it seemed a little flat toward the bottom of the glass. It was still better than I was expecting after only a week in the bottle.
My main question is this... The flavor profile seemed pretty spot on and well balanced for the style. It is darker than I was anticipating and it has almost a syrupy feel / aftertaste. I don't even know how to describe it. Its not bad, just heavy. Otherwise it is damn near perfect.
I am thinking that this is because it is still young and not fully carbed? I have researched through these forums and found that the darkness may be due to adding the full amount of LME at the beginning of the boil. I am going to experiment with a later addition in the next batch. I have also heard that using a DME might help with the syrupy feel. Im not so much worried about the color as the mouth-feel.
So I turn to the experts for reassurance. What should I expect after another week or two in the bottle? I would be ecstatic if it lost the syrupy / heavy taste.
Thanks again for all the guidance so far!
Theo
Ive Been lurking for a while, and have learned a lot from this forum. Thank you to everyone for this great site! Being new to this hobby, it is great to learn from others experience / mistakes. I am already addicted.
I am hoping for some reassurance or advice. I recently brewed up my first extract beer. It is a highly rated Autumn Amber kit from Midwest. I think this will be my last kit purchase, as it seems like I paid a premium because they pre-measured and threw the ingredients in a box for me. Anyway The kit came with LME and I opted for the liquid White Labs yeast. (No starter on that one, but have started making 1L starters for my second batch which is 2 days into the primary.) The airlock started bubbling after about 12 hours, which (I think) is about right? I let it sit in the primary (Ale Pale) for 8 days, then transferred to glass carboy for another 8 days. My starting and final gravities fell into line with what the recipe called for. I bottled last Monday 8/23.
I have been trying to taste the beer at each stage of the process to better understand exactly what is happening and how each stage affects the brew. So for the sake of research, and because I couldnt wait any longer, I chilled a bottle last night (one week after bottling) to try it out.
I am extremely happy with how it is turning out! It poured beautifully, with about an inch of head. It seems fairly well carbonated, although it seemed a little flat toward the bottom of the glass. It was still better than I was expecting after only a week in the bottle.
My main question is this... The flavor profile seemed pretty spot on and well balanced for the style. It is darker than I was anticipating and it has almost a syrupy feel / aftertaste. I don't even know how to describe it. Its not bad, just heavy. Otherwise it is damn near perfect.
I am thinking that this is because it is still young and not fully carbed? I have researched through these forums and found that the darkness may be due to adding the full amount of LME at the beginning of the boil. I am going to experiment with a later addition in the next batch. I have also heard that using a DME might help with the syrupy feel. Im not so much worried about the color as the mouth-feel.
So I turn to the experts for reassurance. What should I expect after another week or two in the bottle? I would be ecstatic if it lost the syrupy / heavy taste.
Thanks again for all the guidance so far!
Theo