What to expect from my first batch?

[McCall St. Brewer]

I'm very new to homebrewing. I bought a homebrewing setup from my local dealer (5 gal. glass carboy, bottling pail, hoses, ferm. lock, hops bag, etc.). I just bottled my first batch two days ago, an amber ale made with extract, grain and hops. Everything seemed to go pretty well, although my fermentation seemed to die down really fast. I tasted some of the flat beer while bottling it. There is no question that it is beer, but it was difficult to tell how it would taste after it is carbonated and chilled.

What can I expect from my beer when it is done? Is it likely to be good enough to be enjoyable to drink?

 

[SwAMi75]

The flavor of your beer will change dramatically with age. What it tastes like from primary is only a slight hint of what it will be like when at its peak.

It looks like you don't have a secondary, so let it sit for 3-4 weeks in the bottle before trying. It should be carbonated by that point after a week or two, but it probably won't be at it's peak until 2-4 months, depending on your OG.

 

[SteveM]

It will most likely be the best beer you ever tasted. I make pale ales in various forms almost exclusively and I have yet to make one that did not exceed expectations. As long as you are careful about sanitizing you should have no problems. The earliest I have ever gotten a nice head on a freshly bottled beer was mabye four days - bottles Saturday, had an low end acceptable head on Wednesday. I like to wait a week.

 

[McCall St. Brewer]

Are you serious? I guess I have always thought that a big reason to homebrew was to get some variety from what the big brewers make. But it really should taste better than commercially made beer? I hope you are right. :cross: I can't wait to try it.

 

[JillC25]

What can I expect from my beer when it is done? Is it likely to be good enough to be enjoyable to drink?

you can expect to become addicted to beer forums, online brew stores and an obsession with finding brown beer bottles.

you better stop now and send what you've got to me.

 

[Sasquatch]

What you can expect from homebrew is a lot of new friends. Honestly, I gave my wife a blind taste test of her favorite store-bought, and my homebrewed dutch lager. Homebrew was called "smooth and flavorful" and the store-bought was called "bitter, almost sour, and too thin and bubbly".

 

[McCall St. Brewer]

I'm trying to be patient. Can't wait to try the stuff.

 

[El Pistolero]

Are you serious? I guess I have always thought that a big reason to homebrew was to get some variety from what the big brewers make. But it really should taste better than commercially made beer? I hope you are right. :cross: I can't wait to try it.

Yes, it will taste better than commercially made beer...and even if it doesn't, you'll think it does, and that's all that counts.