My first brew!

[BeBetterBrewing]

Brewed up my first batch I have ever done. Did the American pale ale kit that comes with the more beer deluxe kit. Can’t argue against a name like that! FREEDOM. Hoping everything turns out awesome! Fermenting in the dark in the basement for the 2 weeks. Biggest step that I learned, crack a beer after the thinking parts are done!

 

[KookyBrewsky]

Brewed up my first batch I have ever done. Did the American pale ale kit that comes with the more beer deluxe kit. Can’t argue against a name like that! FREEDOM. Hoping everything turns out awesome! Fermenting in the dark in the basement for the 2 weeks. Biggest step that I learned, crack a beer after the thinking parts are done!

I started brewing a few months ago and the Great Lakes pale ale is a crowd favorite even though I had to use a different yeast strain. I have brewed two extract American pale ales before moving onto all grain just today. One is still bottle conditioning, one is still in primary. I expect them to be my extract standard.

 

[Hernando]

Congrats! Keep us posted on the fermentation process. and the end result, of course.

 

[ReaperOnefour]

Welcome to the greatest hobby in the world, & welcome to the forum. Let us know how your beer comes out. If you have any questions let us know. Someone will always help you out. Happy Brewing.

 

[bracconiere]

FREEDOM.

amen!! if you're like me, you could see how much cheaper then store bought you can make it......lol, just don't expect to make any friends around here (and you know i'm kidding, they won't let you leave!!)

 

[ncbrewer]

You're started - now read through Homebrew Talk whenever you get a chance and keep learning. There's always something new.

 

[BeBetterBrewing]

Haha I have been living on this site lately. Very interesting takes on various styles. I do have some gigayeast sour cherry funk yeast sitting in the fridge waiting to go. Plan is to do it solera style. More a fan of the spurs that make you pucker and make your nipples hard. So trying to learn more about that.

 

[KookyBrewsky]

make your nipples hard.

Being in Florida where the cold is rare, it’s always nice when my nipples get hard from it.

Wait...

What site am I on?

 

[BeBetterBrewing]

It will be a week tomorrow. Looks like the heavy fermentation has stopped. Moving forward!

 

[BeBetterBrewing]

What do we think? 1.010, this is day 8.

what should my timeline be like now? Will take another reading Friday.

 

[Stormcrow]

Looks great! You might drop a couple more points by Friday. I usually go two weeks minimum, but I know the brulosophy guys turn them around quicker than that pretty regularly. I guess it all depends on how comfortable you are doing multiple hydrometer readings. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[RM-MN]

What do we think? 1.010, this is day 8.

what should my timeline be like now? Will take another reading Friday.

If the beer is at final gravity as proven by another identical reading on Friday you can bottle or keg the beer. If you wait longer you will get less sediment in the bottle. If you have hops for dry hopping you should put them in yesterday. Most beers need some time in the bottle to mature. Try one (just one!) at one week. Try another at 2 weeks so you can notice the difference. Plan to start the major drinking at the 3 week time. I've seen good carbonation quicker but the head will dissipate quickly. By the 3 week time I usually get heading that lasts.

 

[BeBetterBrewing]

Fridays gravity pull. Bottling this weekend. Just need the labels to peel off about 20 more bottles.

 

[BeBetterBrewing]

 

[Stormcrow]

Hard for me to see. Did it stay at 1.010 or Get down to 1.008? Looks delicious.

 

[BeBetterBrewing]

Bottled. Holy smokes. There has to be a better way! So long.

 

[hout17]

Looking good! Some people like bottling some don't usually after this experience some start exploring their options in regards to kegging their beer. I'm split on it; I'm currently planning on bottling my IPA I have in the fermenter currently and kegging my oatmeal stout once that's done. Let us know how it tastes as it carbs up and ages some.

Cheers!

 

[BeBetterBrewing]

Finished product. Turned out like a pale ale. Hoppy but light.

 

[SEndorf]

By gawd! you made beer ! congratulations !

 

[Stormcrow]

That...is... awesome! Congratulations. Looks really good.

 

[kartracer2]

It will be a week tomorrow. Looks like the heavy fermentation has stopped. Moving forward!

Nice looking finished product. How's it taste?
I have a couple of questions as I am brewing with the same kit.
1. It looks like you didn't have a very high krausen or were these photos taken early? Why I ask is @36hr. my head space is full and getting some foam in the air lock.
2. Did you track your temps during ferment?. Mine started @68 for a couple of hr. but I I got it down to 64 - 66 with swamp cooling.
3. Yeast? My kit came w/ Cali yeast,
Thanks,
Joel B.

 

[BeBetterBrewing]

Nice looking finished product. How's it taste?
I have a couple of questions as I am brewing with the same kit.
1. It looks like you didn't have a very high krausen or were these photos taken early? Why I ask is @36hr. my head space is full and getting some foam in the air lock.
2. Did you track your temps during ferment?. Mine started @68 for a couple of hr. but I I got it down to 64 - 66 with swamp cooling.
3. Yeast? My kit came w/ Cali yeast,
Thanks,
Joel B.

Sorry for the delayed reply. Haven’t had the time to hop on here much lately. I set it in the basement. Did not do much in terms of controlling the temp. Yup used the same yeast.
I was overly cautious to make sure everything was super clean.
let me know how it turns out. I leave them in the basement and pull 6-12 up at a time to put in the fridge.

 

[firerat]

Take notes on what if anything is different from week 1 to whenever you pop that last beer.

You'd be amazed how much a beer can change from week 1 to week 4 sitting in a bottle.

 

[BeBetterBrewing]

Take notes on what if anything is different from week 1 to whenever you pop that last beer.

You'd be amazed how much a beer can change from week 1 to week 4 sitting in a bottle.

so true! Everyone I open tastes better and better. Lots of scientific research.

 

[kartracer2]

Sorry for the delayed reply. Haven’t had the time to hop on here much lately. I set it in the basement. Did not do much in terms of controlling the temp. Yup used the same yeast.

NP, I'm going to bottle tomorrow (6/9/20), it's been done for a couple of days but It has been warm lately and had to break down and turn on the AC. I didn't want to mess with it (the beer) in a 80* kitchen, been keeping the beer @ 70* with the swamp cooling.
The FG ended up at 1.011, I was happy with that. I didn't know what to expect with it's initial super high krausen but all looks and tastes OK. Might be a little more hoppy than what I care for as I like more malt forward styles but it will get drank unless something goes horribly wrong bottling.

Cheers,
Joel B.

 

[jrgtr42]

A couple thoughts after reading through -
If you haven't already, read John Palmer's How to Brew (there is an early version available for free online, but the latest version he has changed his mind on some things.
Also read Charlie Papazian's Complete Joy of Homebrewing. Both are, IMO, essential reading for homebrewers.
Also, I cut bottling in half by using mostly bombers rather than 12-ozers. You have to drink more, but... wait, what's my point?
As you've noticed, patience is key in homebrewing. Yeast will do what they do when they do it - they can't read a clock or a calendar. Experiment with different timeframes for fermenting and conditioning and find out what works for your environment.
Take your time before going into that sour rabbithole - make sure you can reliably make clean beers first.
Above all, Have fun!!!! people will say you need this or that piece of equipment, or you need this technique - but if you're happy with the product, you can do whatever process you want.

 

[kartracer2]

I certianly hope I'm not seen as hijacking the OP's thread. I thought it was funny that he was brewing the same beer kit on the same equiptment only he was a couple weeks ahead of me. I have brewed before many years ago in the days of glass, always using secondary's and bleach. Lots of things have changed yet still can't buy patience in a can or bag. (LOL).....

I have both of Charlie's books and an E-copy of Palmer's and I still go back to them if for nothing else just to do some reading. Seems like I pick up something that's new to me quite often.

+100 on using bigger bottles, part of this batch will be done in 16oz. PET bottles. Next shopping trip will include a case of 22 oz swing tops,,, not sure I've ever said,,,"I can't drink this full bottle" (LOL)

Brew on,

Joel B.

 

[apache_brew]

Bottled. Holy smokes. There has to be a better way! So long.

It's called kegging

Congrats on the first batch. My first batch was about a year and half ago with the same Morebeer kit. This hobby is a slippery slope with equipment and directions you can go .Have fun

 

[kartracer2]

It's called kegging

Yeah kegging is great but I just bottled my batch and it's really not that bad. The process I used today is so much better than what I used to do. Most things can be done several ways and still get done,,, small details can make the prosesess simple and not so time consuming.
But yeah, it's nice to just pull a pint when you want one.
Cheers,
Joel B