I brewed my first batch back on June 17th. It was an all extract brew and sat in primary for 2 weeks with no secondary.
Yesterday was three weeks in bottles and it didn't taste too bad.
I tasted it at 7 days after bottling and I had to pour half of it out.....it plain out sucked!
At 10 days (recommended by Papazian where I got the recipe) it tasted much better but was very thin with no mouthfeel and a little fizzy. It also had an off flavor that I couldn't put my finger on but was annoying and kept me from wanting another. It also tasted ans smelled"Malty."
A few days later it slightly improved but still had "that taste."
After 17 days I had another one while brewing up my second batch and there it was! It was now at a point where I actually "wanted" a second bottle. :rockin:
The mouthfeel had filled out and the flavor was much better, now it tasted like beer.
Yesterday was three weeks and I had a couple. Not much different than at day 17 but pretty good and I got a nice buzz to boot. It still has that slight off taste (although less than before, but it's there) though at this point I don't know what caused it.
On bottling day it was a mess for my first time. While taking a sample for a hydrometer reading my siphon hose got away from me and may have hit the floor or chair. I know it hit something. There were a couple of other mishaps but I don't know if that may have contaminated anything.
The only other possibility is the C-Brite sanitizer. I have heard that too much of this could contribute to off flavors. The packet says 1-2 packets per gal of water.
I used 1 and a 1/2 to 3/4. Someone told me later I should only use one for sanitizing that 2 is for cleaning. Who knows, anyway I now switched to Star-san.
Well that's it....all in all not bad for my first brew. It's definitely drinkable although still a little malty, especially the nose...sort of a caramel. Actually my son loved it even at 10 days in the bottle. Wait till he tastes it now!
Hopefully my new batch, a Hop Devil clone partial grain, will be better (and hoppier). The whole brewing process was much smoother and easier this time.
Thanks for all the help I got from this forum
I have brew
Tommy
Yesterday was three weeks in bottles and it didn't taste too bad.
I tasted it at 7 days after bottling and I had to pour half of it out.....it plain out sucked!
At 10 days (recommended by Papazian where I got the recipe) it tasted much better but was very thin with no mouthfeel and a little fizzy. It also had an off flavor that I couldn't put my finger on but was annoying and kept me from wanting another. It also tasted ans smelled"Malty."
A few days later it slightly improved but still had "that taste."
After 17 days I had another one while brewing up my second batch and there it was! It was now at a point where I actually "wanted" a second bottle. :rockin:
The mouthfeel had filled out and the flavor was much better, now it tasted like beer.
Yesterday was three weeks and I had a couple. Not much different than at day 17 but pretty good and I got a nice buzz to boot. It still has that slight off taste (although less than before, but it's there) though at this point I don't know what caused it.
On bottling day it was a mess for my first time. While taking a sample for a hydrometer reading my siphon hose got away from me and may have hit the floor or chair. I know it hit something. There were a couple of other mishaps but I don't know if that may have contaminated anything.
The only other possibility is the C-Brite sanitizer. I have heard that too much of this could contribute to off flavors. The packet says 1-2 packets per gal of water.
I used 1 and a 1/2 to 3/4. Someone told me later I should only use one for sanitizing that 2 is for cleaning. Who knows, anyway I now switched to Star-san.
Well that's it....all in all not bad for my first brew. It's definitely drinkable although still a little malty, especially the nose...sort of a caramel. Actually my son loved it even at 10 days in the bottle. Wait till he tastes it now!
Hopefully my new batch, a Hop Devil clone partial grain, will be better (and hoppier). The whole brewing process was much smoother and easier this time.
Thanks for all the help I got from this forum
I have brew
Tommy
