Tasted first brew

[jrakich87]

So I poured the first brew of my first batch tonight... it's only been in bottles for 5 days but is fairly carbonated and tastes great in my opinion! I gave my friends a few sips of my Amber Ale got the compliment, "This tastes like expensive beer!" Haha nothing too specific but I'm ecstatic! The bitterness seems a tad bit harsh though, and very quickly dissipates. Is this because I used extract, or possibly carmelization? Any thoughts would be great, I'm looking to change a lot of my technique in the next batch.

 

[Parva]

More likely that you haven't given it a little time to age. 5 days is a very short time to allow it to mature a little. Give it a couple of weeks at least then try again, I think you'll be very surprised at the difference!

 

[jrakich87]

Oh, I wasn't thinking it was done now. I watched that video circulating around here of the 1-2-3 week bottle conditioning openings... I just opened one after 5 instead of seven days, and I'm planning on opening one next friday then the friday after that, just to see the difference and better understand bottle carbing and conditioning..

 

[jrakich87]

P.s.

This Is The Best Hobby Ever

 

[kaptk2]

P.s.

This Is The Best Hobby Ever

+1 to that. It is my new obsession

 

[Saccharomyces]

Oh, I wasn't thinking it was done now. I watched that video circulating around here of the 1-2-3 week bottle conditioning openings... I just opened one after 5 instead of seven days, and I'm planning on opening one next friday then the friday after that, just to see the difference and better understand bottle carbing and conditioning..

I see a Revvy post coming...

Experience is the best teacher. Three weeks and it's getting there, four and it's good, but trying green homebrew is an experience you have to have to learn. Most commercial brew is well aged by the time you get it home and chilled (with some exceptions -- seasonal brews from some microbreweries are sometimes green when they hit the shelves).

 

[fratermus]

The bitterness seems a tad bit harsh though, and very quickly dissipates. Is this because I used extract, or possibly carmelization?

Congrats on the first batch.

I am a habitual early taster and the "harsh bitterness" you describe (or a raspy flavor) is the most common symptom my beer exhibits when still too young.

Right now I've got 10 batches bottled so it makes it easier to forget to drink them young. I restack the boxes of beer so that the ready stuff is at the top of the stack and the young stuff is hidden from my impatient bottle-opening hands...

 

[Revvy]

Congrats...but read this..it may seem carbonated, but it really isn't...it will be much better after it's been in the bottle 3 weeks...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/558191-post101.html

And watch THAT video....

 

[Revvy]

I see a Revvy post coming...

Experience is the best teacher. Three weeks and it's getting there, four and it's good, but trying green homebrew is an experience you have to have to learn. Most commercial brew is well aged by the time you get it home and chilled (with some exceptions -- seasonal brews from some microbreweries are sometimes green when they hit the shelves).

OOPS I posted before reading this...you coulda saved me the agro and just posted my patience post....

 

[elkdog]

P.s.

This Is The Best Hobby Ever

I mean, it's like cooking, but then instead of spaghetti sauce you get beer. It feels like you're stealing something.

 

[patpend3]

So like jrakich87 I'm new to home brewing and jrakich87's post just inspired me to taste the fruits of my first batch.

I started My first batch on Sep 25, it's an IPA and I had it in the primary for just under two weeks. Well I just tried a bottle out and I think I'm in love! It actualy taests like an IPA to my amazment.

You know what, I really thought I might have ruined it when I boiled the specialty grains and neglected to add the LME until the last 15 min of the wort.

But all said and done as the great Willie Wonka once said the "The snozzberries actualy taste like snozzberries!"

 

[jrakich87]

Glad to provide some inspiration and congrats on the IPA! That's next on my list, what recipe did you use?

 

[patpend3]

I use a kit from a local Salt Lake City Store called the Beer Nut.

India Pale Ale (American Style)

This recipe was formulated with the help of the original brewer for The Desert Edge Brewery: Peter Kruger. This is what Desert Edges UPA would be if they were not constrained by the 3.2 alcohol Utah laws. It is a very hoppy and full flavored pale ale. A perfect beer for summer of fall brewing.

* 6 lbs Coopers Light Malt Extract
* 2 lbs Munich Malt
* .25 lb 80°L Crystal
* 1 oz Cascade (4.7% Alpha) boiled 75 min.
* 1.5 oz Casdade boiled 30 min.
* .75 oz Cascade boiled 15 min.
* 1 oz Cascade dry-hop
* White Labs California Ale Yeast
* Bottle Caps
* Priming Sugar
* 4 hop bags and 1 grain bag

Steep all grains at 152-154°F for one hour in 1 gallon water.
Rinse grains with hot water (168°F) to get out more extract.

Add malt extract and water to kettle leaving just enough space to avoid boil-over.

 

[yashicamat]

I use a kit from a local Salt Lake City Store called the Beer Nut.

India Pale Ale (American Style)

This recipe was formulated with the help of the original brewer for The Desert Edge Brewery: Peter Kruger. This is what Desert Edges UPA would be if they were not constrained by the 3.2 alcohol Utah laws. It is a very hoppy and full flavored pale ale. A perfect beer for summer of fall brewing.

* 6 lbs Coopers Light Malt Extract
* 2 lbs Munich Malt
* .25 lb 80°L Crystal
* 1 oz Cascade (4.7% Alpha) boiled 75 min.
* 1.5 oz Casdade boiled 30 min.
* .75 oz Cascade boiled 15 min.
* 1 oz Cascade dry-hop
* White Labs California Ale Yeast
* Bottle Caps
* Priming Sugar
* 4 hop bags and 1 grain bag

Steep all grains at 152-154°F for one hour in 1 gallon water.
Rinse grains with hot water (168°F) to get out more extract.

Add malt extract and water to kettle leaving just enough space to avoid boil-over.

By boiling those grains you won't have extracted any sugar out of them, although they'll still fullfill their capacity as a speciality grain (and with all that extract there should be plenty of sugars knocking about). To be honest I wouldn't even contemplate anything other than a simple all in a tin kit as my first beer. Moved on since then though, albeit very recently. Hats off to you for making the step! Welcome to HBT!