Your first Brew

[carnevoodoo]

Includes: 6 lbs. Dark DME, 2 oz. Bullion hop pellets, and dry ale yeast. Approx alc. 4.5% a.b.v.

Kit from homebrewart. About 10 months ago. I've brewed about 150 gallons since. Damn you, homebrewmart!

 

[Jaybird]

O hell I cant hardly remember yesterday let alone 4+ years ago I do know it was a full wort boil extract with steeped grains and so was the second but I do believe the third was AG and there was no turning back then:rockin: :rockin:
WOW what a ride its been
JJ

 

[BigKahuna]

The Year...1999. I was a bright eyed and eager 21 years old and Going to Make beer Come Hell or High Water. Without the benefit of internet and Home Brew Talk.com, I purchased the best equipment kit I could afford and the New Joy of Home Brewing. I Purchased a Brewers best American Light Ale kit, Thinking I would make something like Coors Light.
I went home and immediately got the first batch going. During my 1 week in the primary, I had read enough to know I wanted to do something else. I wanted to brew a Bock, so Back to the brew store I went to get the ingredients.
Now, I want' very smart; and I didn't really like any beer I'd ever tried, (other than coors), and at 21, your tastes have not developed very well. But this was an endeavor that I wasn't going to give up on.
I got the first batch bottled, and the bock on...THANK GOD I got the bock on.
That first kit was so horrible that I would have never managed to even think about brewing again had it not been for that malty black elixir that was in the primary.
The rest is pretty boring...Uh....History.

 

[A&D_Brewguys]

Hoegaarden Clone recipe, a belgain white with orange peel and coliander
Steeped wheat and some other grains, sterling hops, kent goldings as well and DME. Its in the primary and is being transferred to the secondary tomorrow.

 

[BrianP]

Mine was an ESB of sorts. My efficiency wasn't very good, so it was more of an ordinary bitter. I don't recall the exact recipe, but it was about 10 lbs of Maris Otter, 1/2 lb of CaraPils, 1/2 lb of Crystal 60, a couple ounces of Kent Goldings, and Nottingham dry yeast.

It wasn't very clear since I forgot the Irish moss and my racking skills were pretty bad (I was learning my trial and error). But, it turned out good. I have about 6 pints left in the cellar, and the last one tasted pretty decent.

 

[KD5LEF]

New here and to brewing.... I have my first batch in the primary as of last sunday. It is a cream ale kit from the local high gravity store Desiree cream ale (house kit). I researched for about 2 weeks before hand and jumped right in.

4lbs Muntons Light LME
2lbs 6-row American Pale Malt
2lbs Flaked Maize
.5 oz cluster hops (bittering)
1 oz cluster hops (finishing)
1tsp irish moss
wyeast 1056 American ale.

I have decided to do a 2 stage 1-2-3 method and hope for a clear batch. It wasn't too hard or at least as not as I had thought. I am eager to try it and have the primary in my nice dark, temperature controlled hall closet and per the instructions it is happy between the 66-76 deg range.

I am already planning my next batch as soon as this one hits 2nd week in the carboy.

 

[bearymore]

How common is this! My first was a Mr. Beer American Devil IPA. SWMBO was so impressed that one day as we drove past the local home brew store (Culver City Home Brewing) she asked if I perhaps I might be considering the idea of stopping in. Reluctantly , I said I might consider it.

To make a long story short, I came out with an equipment set for 5 gal. extract brews and a recipe kit for the store's "Evil Monk" Belgian pale ale. I've got about a case of that left, some Scottish ale in the secondary and an IPA in the primary.

Once the bug bites, it bites hard.

 

[Homercidal]

American Light extract from a company called Mount Mellick or something (it was many years ago!). Didn't turn out too bad. I dont' think I boiled that batch. I do remember it being on the stove, so I at least heated it up to give the bacteria a head start! LOL!

I had a friend who had made wine for many years help out. We got it done somehow. He even gave me a bench capper!

 

[Greenspey]

Mine has been the fermenter for 2 days and is bubbling away:

6lbs Australian Pale (Light?) Malt
1lb Dry Dark Malt
1.5oz Cascade @45min
1.5oz Cascade @20min
1oz Centenniel @5min
(Super Hopped!! Should have an IBU of 85 or so)

Fermenting at 68deg...and waiting

 

[Kevin Dean]

My first batch was an extract Irish Red Ale

 

[bradbase]

Mine is a kit-borne wort concentrate of Coopers Lager purchased from K-Mart last Sunday.

It begun three nights ago and is beautiful (smells like vegemite, mmmmmmm).

No taste tests yet, I can wait a week or so until bottling day before liking my fingers.

It blew the water clean out of the air lock on the first night. I love it.

 

[fratermus]

But I figured some beginners may not look at other threads outside of the beginners one until they had a specific question about it. So I figured what was everyones first brew?.

My first was a brown ale kit from Williams Brewing. Would have been around 1989, I think. I have pics of the fermenter bucket; I was so proud and geeky-happy. When I rotated back to the US I started AG brewing so I could make weizen; burned through lots of 6row and wheat. For a time time I was living in little 24' trailer in a cow pasture. The cows would stare at me, knowing they would get the spent grains. I guess they could smell the kettle.

Had a long layoff for various reason. Back to the kettle and enjoying it very much. Still finding my old gear in dusty boxes.

 

[Tarindel]

I did a B3 mild brown ale extract kit just this past Sunday. Then I got home, realized exactly how mild a "mild brown" is, downloaded Beersmith, and promptly modified the recipe to make it more into a northern brown. Results pending.

It's on it's 5th day in the primary fermenter now, and it looks great.

 

[Brewin_Bob]

My first brew was an amber.
- 2 pounds hopped light DME
1 pound hopped dark DME
10 grams aroma hops
Coopers Ale yeast

Bottling this weekend, can't wait to taste. Half of the batch is conditioning with 1/2 cup of southern pecan coffee beens.

 

[TwoHeadsBrewing]

American Pale Ale
6.5# Alexander's LME
1# Caramel Malt (60L)
2oz Cascade
1/3 tsp Irish Moss

I just brewed this up last sunday, and it smelled great...love those hops! I'm not going to do a secondary, so I plan on leaving it in the primary for 2-3 weeks depending on the weather around here. Right now it's a perfect 65-70F, so my fermenter is in my garage. But if the temp starts to rise after week two, I'll just go to bottles and store in my closet where it's cooler. Right now it's bubbling away and I've got about 3in of krausen on top looking pretty yeasty! The bubbles coming out of the airlock smell faintly of bananas, but mostly like beer and hops .

 

[McNasty]

I bought my friend's brewing equipment (basic stuff). It included a porter box kit so that was my first. He lost interest in the hobby. My roommate and I are brewing like crazy now. We've brewed a Belgian triple, a Hefe, and an IPA all in a couple months and we're doing AG from now on. It helps to have a partner to stay motivated and share ideas. I guess that goes with any hobby.

 

[Duder]

My first is an Irish Stout from Brewer's Best. Nearing the end of bottle conditioning and should be ready to drink this weekend. Just in time for St. Patty's Day.

 

[Keith Hartley]

Coopers Lager was used for my 1st 4 batches & IPA for # 5. Drinking the first two batches now. First one was flat because I put it in the basement after bottling so recabinated it & now it's super carbed & has a yeasty after taste but the 2nd batch is great. Can't wait for the IPA.

 

[BarleyWater]

It seems like it was just yesterday... (wavy fade-off to dream sequence)

"Merry Christmas honey"
"Awesome, a beer kit, just what I've always wanted!"

It was a Muntons Gold IPA no-boil kit, just mix with boiled water, fill to 5 gal and let-er rip. I was a little dissastified by the ease, so I went and got some ingredients and made my second beer, from a weizen recipe in a book (who knows which one) and a little help from the LHBS, something like 5 days later. Good thing I did too, because that first batch was no bueno, and with a second on the way, I didn't get too discouraged, and that one turned out great. Now I'm AG, next step, brew pub (snaps out of dream).

OK, maybe brew pub is a little ambitious at this point, but this becomes a lifestyle (obsession?) pretty quickly if you let it. Cheers

 

[Ooompa Loompa]

My first was an extract + steeping grains Irish Stout from the LHBS. It came out quite nicely.

 

[FatMonsters]

My first was a Munton's Kit - Dockland's Porter. It was just okay to me. Others seem to like it. But it definitely got me hooked. From there I moved onto Extract & steeping grains, which led to PM and I'm about to leap to all grain here shortly...

 

[chemicalcraig]

Mine was kit from my LHBS, the home fermenter center in eugene, it was an IIPA using steeped grains, lots of whole hops, and extract. It would've been fine but I let the extract (not the canned sort) sit for too long before I brewed and the beer was sour. mental note: old ingredients = sour beer.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

My first was Munton's kit+kilo wheat beer. It was ok. My extended family liked it better than I did. I was hooked anyway...and determined to learn how to brew better beer!

 

[Wade E]

My first beer and only beer(if you can call it that) was a Muntons Nut Brown Ale kit, just dump and add yeast. I am in the process of getting all set up to do a few boil kits then i will step up to all grains. I will be picking up the Corny set up next week and then i have o gt the cooker.

 

[niquejim]

Mine was the Sam Adams homebrew contest brew
http://www.beer-wine.com/samuel_adams.asp

Got me hooked

 

[Willy Boner]

My first brew was a Terminater Stout clone, which was my favorite microbrew at the time. I got the recipe from Bader Wine and beer supplies site. A steeping grain and extract. All my co-workers, brother,nephew, and friends swore it was one of the best beers they had tasted. Been tweaking the recipe with different grains for a little variation instead of flaked barley, I have used flaked oats, added a little chocalate malt,coffee malt,or a little of both. Great recipes on that site!

 

[talleymonster]

Mine was a Nut Brown Ale form AHS and it was more infected than Lindsay Lohan.

 

[coeceo]

Coopers Real Ale kit, came with the brewing equipment. Just the can and a kilo of sugar with the included dry yeast. It actually worked and I got good carbonation so I bought the yuengling clone from AHS and a glass carboy to rack it. So far so good....

 

[Laurel]

Boil water, add these, sprinkle dry yeast, let sit for 2 weeks, bottle. It wasn't very good and had a lot of harsh tones in it, but it might be that we drank it within 2 months of it being bottled.

 

[Metzger22]

My first is currently in the primary. It's Big Bens Pale Ale from Midwest. Not to confident that it's turning out okay but if it doesn't........I'm willing to dust it off and try an IPA. <---------My Favorite.