witster18
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2013
- Messages
- 95
- Reaction score
- 7
I've always been a beer-drinker, but not a brewer. I have a great palate for beer. I like every style. But I also know a bad beer.
So when I tried me hand at home-brewing a couple weeks ago, I didn't expect to match some of the great stuff I've had, but I wanted to come close. I decided to jump in feet first and go all malt. Past watching about 2 hrs of youtube videos - I did little research.
My Mom will tell you I'm a sensitive, hard-working guy. When I tried the first batch flat before conditioning I thought, " OK.. its terrible... awful... maybe it will get better when it starts to condition" The beers still extremely green, but another test showed that the beer just sux. Terrible mealy ale with little to no hop character, and practically undrinkable. I was embarrassed.
The good news is that I realized my mistakes, and knew that I could improve.
Not enough heat, no hop infusion, to much malt, inefficiency, made a terrible freakin mess(wife no likey)
I took it hard. How could this happen. All that sanitation.. the undying love of beer... and frankly, all that money too... wew... had this been another multiple-hundred dollar hobby-adventure gone terribly wrong. Was I just not cut-out for brewing. I immediately went on to batch number 2... went a totally different direction... everything from temps to times to ingredients this would NOT be like the first.
I'm glad to say, that while the beer still hasn't condition... I nearly couldn't stop drinkin it flat upon bottling... I stumbled across something here... It's fruity(estery), hoppy, sweet, clean, nice color... I think the second batch is a winner. Tastes a bit like a Belgian wit...looks like one too.... dunno how it happened... I was working off an Oktoberfest recipe)tweeked to cascade hops and tweeked one of the specialty grains a bit lighter... but this is no O-fest.. so if I can say anything to those first batchers - keep on keeping on.:rockin:
So when I tried me hand at home-brewing a couple weeks ago, I didn't expect to match some of the great stuff I've had, but I wanted to come close. I decided to jump in feet first and go all malt. Past watching about 2 hrs of youtube videos - I did little research.
My Mom will tell you I'm a sensitive, hard-working guy. When I tried the first batch flat before conditioning I thought, " OK.. its terrible... awful... maybe it will get better when it starts to condition" The beers still extremely green, but another test showed that the beer just sux. Terrible mealy ale with little to no hop character, and practically undrinkable. I was embarrassed.
The good news is that I realized my mistakes, and knew that I could improve.
Not enough heat, no hop infusion, to much malt, inefficiency, made a terrible freakin mess(wife no likey)
I took it hard. How could this happen. All that sanitation.. the undying love of beer... and frankly, all that money too... wew... had this been another multiple-hundred dollar hobby-adventure gone terribly wrong. Was I just not cut-out for brewing. I immediately went on to batch number 2... went a totally different direction... everything from temps to times to ingredients this would NOT be like the first.
I'm glad to say, that while the beer still hasn't condition... I nearly couldn't stop drinkin it flat upon bottling... I stumbled across something here... It's fruity(estery), hoppy, sweet, clean, nice color... I think the second batch is a winner. Tastes a bit like a Belgian wit...looks like one too.... dunno how it happened... I was working off an Oktoberfest recipe)tweeked to cascade hops and tweeked one of the specialty grains a bit lighter... but this is no O-fest.. so if I can say anything to those first batchers - keep on keeping on.:rockin:
