What to brew next?

[roger_tucker]

As a relatively new brewer I experienced an unmitigated catastrophe today. I emptied two kegs within just a few days of one another. I refilled one keg today with a Scottish Ale, but that's at least 3 weeks away before I want to crack it. I have a Saison conditioning. That one is 4-6 weeks away before it'll be ready. That one I want to bottle so I can store it at cellar temp. That still leaves me with an empty keg and a decision.

I'm going to do my first all grain brew in a week or so. I have a recipe for a Three Floyds Gumball Head clone

http://www.brew365.com/beer_three_floyds_gumballhead.php

and I was also looking at this Hefeweizen

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f70/bavarian-hefeweizen-389282/

Also I'm getting a freezer chest and temp controller so now is the time to do Oktoberfest. Although if I do Oktoberfest I'm doing an extract. I'm not making my first lager also be my first all grain.

What should I brew? What should I brew?

 

[aStoutObserver]

Go with a quick American Wheat or a quick Pale Ale, just to get something with a quick turnaround. The gumball would work I think.

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[roger_tucker]

Yeah, right about the quick turn around, although I've mostly been taking no less than 6 weeks from brew day to drink day. Two weeks in the primary and a month of bottling/keg time, in general. I might crack a bottle or two while its conditioning just out of curiosity, but the extra couple of weeks in the bottle/keg makes a world of difference.

I might end up doing the Oktoberfest. In addition to something else.

 

[heckler73]

and I thought the biggest advantage of kegging was that you can force carb it and drink it right away... not true?

 

[keatonch]

and I thought the biggest advantage of kegging was that you can force carb it and drink it right away... not true?

Yeah that's one of the main benefits. Just having it rest also helps clean up the beer quite a bit more. I've taken a brew from primary to keg in as little as 5 days from start to finish (monster yeast starter and OG 1.044.) It definitely tasted better after it had a while to calm down and have the little yeasty beasties clean up after themselves though!

 

[roger_tucker]

and I thought the biggest advantage of kegging was that you can force carb it and drink it right away... not true?

Yes, you can have it carbonated in a few days, but my bottle conditioned beers have always gotten better after a month or so of bottle conditioning. Same for the keg.