4 weeks and 2 days ago today I brewed my first beer, an all-extract American wheat. I fermented it for 2 weeks, and bottled for 2 weeks. I want to wait at least another week before sharing it, but I couldn't wait any longer to try it (the anticipation was killing me) so popped one in the fridge today. To my delight, despite it being a bit green, the beer was carbonated nicely, and tasted...well, like beer! It wasn't spectacular, but it was clean, crisp, and fizzy, with a slight pleasant tartness. Any fears I had of contamination, fermentation temps, etc. were laid to rest. And can I just say how exciting it is to watch the head rise on a beer YOU created? I can't wait to brew another batch now, with a little more confidence, a little more knowledge, and hopefully some real grains next time. I FEEL ALIVE!
Popped the top of my first brew!
- Thread starter BrettV
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munche
Well-Known Member
It's a great feeling man! Grats that your beer came out drinkable at least, now you know you can do it and start making some kickass stuff.
Awesome and congratulations on your first success. Now the real work begins. You have to decide what to brew next and what changes you want to make in your process.
Congrats man! I am still new but I am quickly finding that patience is a virtue with this hobby. I did the same thing you did, bottled after 2 weeks and started cracking them after a week and while they were OK, they weren't great. Since then I have realized through other batches that 3 weeks fermenting and 6 weeks in the bottle, minimum, is the way to go.
I won't even let anyone else try a beer until it has met those requirements...
mgortel
Well-Known Member
Congrats buddy.....perhaps we were both drinking our first homebrew together as I also drank my first one today.....
I let mine ferment for three weeks....and popped one in the fridge after a week of carbonating.....and tried it a week later (today)....was pleasantly surprised at the bubbles in the bottle and the fizz when I popped it.....letting the rest finish carbnonating for at least 3 weeks.
Anyway....cheers to you buddy!
Brew on!
I let mine ferment for three weeks....and popped one in the fridge after a week of carbonating.....and tried it a week later (today)....was pleasantly surprised at the bubbles in the bottle and the fizz when I popped it.....letting the rest finish carbnonating for at least 3 weeks.
Anyway....cheers to you buddy!
Brew on!
802VermontHomebrew
Well-Known Member
nice man... is it normal for your beer to be green though? hmm... I am still a noob also... My stout is still in the fermenter... it will be 2 weeks tomorrow... I am aiming for 3, and then another 3 in my secondary... and another 3 in the bottle.
SNPorter
Active Member
Green meaning young and not fully aged, not literally green.
To the OP, congrats! It certainly is gratifying drinking beer you created. Next batch I'd go with extract with specialty grains. Not any harder and you can brew some exceptionally good beer. On my 3rd batch myself. I like the beer I've brewed better than most commercial beers.
MetallHed
Well-Known Member
congrats!
My first batch is sitting in the primary.. can't wait to try 'er out.. the wait is killing me..
My first batch is sitting in the primary.. can't wait to try 'er out.. the wait is killing me..
Thanks, all! Yes, by green I did mean young. Not the color. I'm fairly certain my next batch will be an IPA. I have this crazy notion to use Earl Grey tea in the brew, and I've used some threads on this forum to help figure all that out. Probably won't go all-grain just yet, but definitely going to introduce some grain to the wort.
I think I'm going to use the 1-2-3 method I've read about next time, without the second fermenter so it will really be more of a 3-3. Gotta solve my temperature problem, though, as the weather is starting to get really hot. Brewing in a stuffy second floor NYC apartment presents challenges. I put the fermenter in a tub of water last time with a few ice packs, and that did the trick, but that was when temps were in the 70s. As we creep into the 80s and 90s, that might not keep it low enough.
Congrats to all others on your first batches! Happy brewing!
I think I'm going to use the 1-2-3 method I've read about next time, without the second fermenter so it will really be more of a 3-3. Gotta solve my temperature problem, though, as the weather is starting to get really hot. Brewing in a stuffy second floor NYC apartment presents challenges. I put the fermenter in a tub of water last time with a few ice packs, and that did the trick, but that was when temps were in the 70s. As we creep into the 80s and 90s, that might not keep it low enough.
Congrats to all others on your first batches! Happy brewing!
It has now been about 5 weeks since I bottled my beer. 24 are in the fridge, ready for a tasting party at my place tomorrow night. I have ingredients to start another batch, but I held off until I found a chest freezer that I could use as a fermentation chamber, since ambient temps are hitting about 85 in my apartment during the day. Once I get the freezer and a temp control unit, I will commence brewing like a mad man. Sucks that I will have to wait at least another 6 weeks before tasting a new beer, but worth it to wait for more controlled fermentation temps.
Azurelimits
Active Member
Congrats, I just brewed my first last friday and I am happy to let it sit in primary for at least 2-3 weeks. I caught the brewing bug also, I am going to be making my second batch this weekend and I cant wait. Yeah my first batch isn't even out of primary yet but I want to brew again.
I know the feeling. I look at my ingredients every time I walk in my apartment, but I know if I brew now, I'd have to use a swamp cooler. I wasn't able to keep the temps regular with that method, and I could barely get it to dip below 70 because my apartment is so effing hot. I can't wait for the "set it and forget it" ease that a fermentation chamber will bring me.
duffman2
Well-Known Member
Congrats to you I give, young Skywalker. Strong the force in you is, and in you beer is also! The force in brewing, use you should!
Sorry for the dorky message, but seriously you're gonna love this stuff! Congrats and cheers!
BrewYoda
Sorry for the dorky message, but seriously you're gonna love this stuff! Congrats and cheers!
BrewYoda
Diver165
Well-Known Member
I bottled my first batch a week ago. The wife has already put the pressure on my inviting all of our friends over for a cookout/beer tasting!! What if my beer sucks!!! The gathering is on the 17th. I wish I had time to put out another batch.
mlyday
Well-Known Member
I brewed my first batch last saturday, and to help keep me distracted, I went out and bought some nice sixpacks at the store to keep me ocupied. It is really hard to wait especially for this first one.
Got my 1st 2 batches in primaries! Cant wait, been there almost 2 weeks... Is there a big thread somewhere for people to share their excitement about their 1st brewdays/beers? There should be... But I guess we can all just make our own 
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