Your first batch...and your patience

how long did you actually wait until you started trying some of your bottles??

I bottled my first batch Saturday. I am so tempted to throw some in the fridge and try some out on Sunday....

I know it will be a lot better in a few weeks, but curiosity is killing the cat!!

I waited 2 weeks. Wish I had waited 2 months.

Why not just throw 1 in the fridge? You got what, 40, 50 of them?

Go for it! In the name of research! I waited exactly one week before I threw my first one in the fridge. 2 days later it was in a glass. It was under carbonated but I had to have a taste. I have gotten much better about waiting but on your first batch, no harm no foul.

It'll be flat still. If you really want to try it, start with one bottle cause it won't continue to carbonate if you leave them in the fridge. If you really can't wait the whole week you could pick one bottle and turn it over once a day to make sure the sugar and yeast don't drop out and this should Carb up a bit faster, but be cloudier...

I usually always try one a week in and two weeks in. Partially cause I'm curious, and partially to see the progression as it ages.

I've only brewed about 50 gallons so far and I always try one within 3 days of bottling. Just so I can reference what it started at.

I waited one week--I knew it would be flat but as it was my first brew I wanted to have some sort of knowledge of the changes beer went through as it aged. It was good then, flat but good. But I will say--as the weeks went by I could truly taste the changes that occurred. By doing that, on my subsequent batches it has made it far easier to just sit back and let them age.

What kind of beer is it? Some styles don't need as much carbonation at all.

Mine was an ipa. I waited a week. Anxiety and anticipation got the better of me. Tasted good though.

I waited the full three weeks on my first batch, as I wanted to be sure that my beer was good.

And it was. Though I'll tell you... at about four months, the batch got noticeably better. This was an English brown ale, for what that's worth.

I waited one week and was severely disappointed. It was a Ruination clone, was completely uncarbonated, and had zero bitterness. I was pretty sad about it. Then I waited 2 additional weeks and it carbonated up just fine, it still was not bitter at all (wrong yeast and the FG finished a full 10 points too high so it was sweet) but it still tasted very good.

I have just switched to my first AG batch, and it will be my first time kegging, so I'm excited. It's the same recipe but AG and holy ****, the samples I've taken from the wine thief to test the gravity are amazing. I don't even want to wait the full week for dry hopping to be finished.

I have always tasted/checked once a week after bottling. Checking for carbonation and for the young beer taste to go away. Once it is ready all the bottles go into the fridge for enjoyment.

Tried 3 tonight. So apparently they weren't bad!!

Here's the third of the night. Great taste! Bottled 5 days ago. It was in primary 3 weeks before bottling. You guys keep saying it will get better but that's hard to believe!

hoopdogg315 said:

how long did you actually wait until you started trying some of your bottles??

I bottled my first batch Saturday. I am so tempted to throw some in the fridge and try some out on Sunday....

I know it will be a lot better in a few weeks, but curiosity is killing the cat!!

Click to expand...

Do it!

Just two (not three!) If they are not all that well carbed, oh, well, they'll still be very drinkable. And if they are carbed up well, then you've got two cold beers to drink!

I give myself two or three to drink whenever I feel like it! I wait five days. When I hear that " pssst" from the bottle and see the bubble in my glass, I'm encouraged and become motivated to wait!