Hey newbies ... patience really is the key.

[Johntodd]

I have successfully completed my first home brew. I brewed a doppelbock because I wanted something dark, malty and strong with just a touch of hops.

As of last night, it's been 4 weeks since brew day. I fermented for two weeks and then put it in the keg and in the 38 degree fridge for two weeks.

I've been sampling it along the way.

It tasted great fresh out of the fermentor, even uncarbed.

It tasted better after a week in the fridge under the CO2 and the cold.

And last night I sampled it again, and guess what? It is absolutely fantastic! The edges have blunted, the flavors have mingled and blended, it's rounded out and matured. I tasted it last Sunday too, and the difference between last Sunday and yesterday are astounding!

And now I know I can actually brew some really good beer!

So, newbies, take it from another newbie: Your patience will be rewarded. Now I'm ready to drink this every day. But I won't, because I want to savor it and it's excellence. Also I don't want to be a drunk quite all the time!

Patience ... not a lot of that in today's world. But beer is from yesterday's world where things moved a lot slower.

Your patience will be rewarded.

Hope this helps!
-Johntodd

 

[Mainer]

I brewed my first brew in January, a Vienna Lager.

I fermented in primary for a couple weeks and tasted as I racked, and was like, "Oh my god, this crap is terrible! It tastes like plastic and sulfur. Maybe homebrewing is not for me."

I stuck it in lagering for a few weeks, and tasted as I bottled and was like, "Okay, that's beer, but man, it's ROUGH."

I opened one three weeks after bottling and was like, "Ok, now THAT is identifiable as a lager. Not a very good one, but a decent first effort."

The other day, some three months after brew day, I had some friends over and we shared a four-pack, and they were like, "Oh, wow. That tastes like an actual commercial beer."

In conclusion, +1. Patience is everything.

 

[beergolf]

hahahaha.. Yes it is true. Patience is really the hardest thing to learn when brewing.

If you really want to test your patience, brew a few big boy Belgians. Those take months not weeks to mature.

or even worse, sours. I have several sours aging in the basement that are well over a year old and plan to let them sit even longer.

 

[Mainer]

hahahaha.. Yes it is true. Patience is really the hardest thing to learn when brewing.

If you really want to test your patience, brew a few big boy Belgians. Those take months not weeks to mature.

or even worse, sours. I have several sours aging in the basement that are well over a year old and plan to let them sit even longer.

Tell me about it. I have a sour wheat beer going, and I didn't have the heat control to hold it at 90+ for a fast sour. It's been three months or so, and I'm like SWEET MERCIFUL LORD IN HEAVEN, GET SOUR ALREADY!
If I keep stealing samples for pH readings, I'll be down to, like, a quart of beer by the time it actually sours.

 

[TexasDroughtBrewery]

This is why I stopped making Ciders after the first one...it tasted great but damn waiting months was awful...I thought 2-4 weeks for beer was bad.

 

[Dixon9717]

I'm not very patient. I thought I was brewing just ok beer for the first year until I finally waited to drink a batch and was amazed at the difference. The trick is to have a steady pipe line going brewed at intervals....

 

[Sailingeric]

I brewed my first brew in January, a Vienna Lager.

I fermented in primary for a couple weeks and tasted as I racked, and was like, "Oh my god, this crap is terrible! It tastes like plastic and sulfur. Maybe homebrewing is not for me."

I stuck it in lagering for a few weeks, and tasted as I bottled and was like, "Okay, that's beer, but man, it's ROUGH."

I opened one three weeks after bottling and was like, "Ok, now THAT is identifiable as a lager. Not a very good one, but a decent first effort."

The other day, some three months after brew day, I had some friends over and we shared a four-pack, and they were like, "Oh, wow. That tastes like an actual commercial beer."

In conclusion, +1. Patience is everything.

I find my beers to follow a similar path. I keg them, after about a week I sample, decent to good, the next couple of weeks it is meh, and then after about a month it is fantastic! Aging does the beer good. :rockin:

 

[PADave]

I'm not very patient. I thought I was brewing just ok beer for the first year until I finally waited to drink a batch and was amazed at the difference. The trick is to have a steady pipe line going brewed at intervals....

That is the key. I was always tasting too early, probably finished most of my early brews too soon. But now I got a nice pipeline going, I can bottle up a batch and forget about it till it's ready.

 

[mongoose33]

Sounds to me like you have an empty fermentor; given that you've done so well with this first brew, one question comes to mind:


Why?

Get something else going! Given the patience needed, you need to have something else in the pipeline!

 

[Johntodd]

I immediately brewed another one. I call it "Colt 47" because it's light colored and has a calculate ABV of 12-14%. It's in the second keg right now.

So ... fermenter is empty again. *sigh*

What can I brew now that can meet these qualifications:

1. Can age on the cake for a while. (It'll take us a while to drink those 2 kegs)
2. Can handle the seasonal rising temps of my room. (No climate control)
3. Is all extract with no grains at all. (I'm such a newb)

Thanks!
-Johntodd

 

[Jasper18]

Hey so heres a question: My first brew is fermenting and the instructions say to ferment for two weeks then bottle. How long should I bottle? 2 weeks then pop 'em in the fridge? 2 weeks then a week in the fridge? 3 weeks in the bottle in the closet? The instructions are too vague for me if im honest. I would like to have some for Memorial day which gives them 2 weeks in fermenter and 2 weeks in bottles.

 

[Mainer]

Hey so heres a question: My first brew is fermenting and the instructions say to ferment for two weeks then bottle. How long should I bottle? 2 weeks then pop 'em in the fridge? 2 weeks then a week in the fridge? 3 weeks in the bottle in the closet? The instructions are too vague for me if im honest. I would like to have some for Memorial day which gives them 2 weeks in fermenter and 2 weeks in bottles.

Don't put too much stock in the timeframes in the instructions. Wait til the krausen drops, and then start taking hydrometer readings every 2-3 days. When the gravity is stable for 3 straight reads, you can bottle. Most beers take at least 2 weeks in the bottle to carb up, but when in doubt, more time in primary is better if you're not doing a secondary.

 

[Jasper18]

Ok yeah I'm not doing a secondary. The beer is in a white plastic bucket so i have no visual contact with whats going on inside. Should I wait till the airlock stops bubbling and then wait a day or so and then crack her open and take a reading?

 

[ncbrewer]

Hey so heres a question: My first brew is fermenting and the instructions say to ferment for two weeks then bottle. How long should I bottle? 2 weeks then pop 'em in the fridge? 2 weeks then a week in the fridge? 3 weeks in the bottle in the closet? The instructions are too vague for me if im honest. I would like to have some for Memorial day which gives them 2 weeks in fermenter and 2 weeks in bottles.

For most of my beers I leave it in primary untouched for 2 weeks and 5 days. Take a gravity sample. Two days later (3 weeks total) take another gravity sample. If the gravity is stable and close to expected FG, and beer is clear or slightly hazy, I bottle that day. And it's always been stable at that point. Then leave the bottles in a closet for 3 weeks. Then a few at a time in the fridge for 2 days each. For hefeweizen, which is best drank young, I speed it up and bottle after 2 weeks, and only give it 10 days of bottle conditioning.

I use this routine because I don't want to open the fermenter any more than necessary to avoid air contact. I think you could easily give it 2 weeks in primary instead of 3 weeks. I use 3 weeks to be on the safe side - and it works for my schedule.

 

[muels]

I'm all for patience but I find most of my simple grain bills with gravity around 1050 or below to be done in 7-10 days.

New brewers, do not take this as gospel. There are many other factors to consider; ferm temp control, proper yeast count. With a bit of experience you will be able to decide which beers taste best better with an extra week or 2 and which are ready quick.

It's always best to take your readings and make sure it's ready. You are better served to be patient.

With that being said, when it's done it's done.

 

[PADave]

I immediately brewed another one. I call it "Colt 47" because it's light colored and has a calculate ABV of 12-14%. It's in the second keg right now.

So ... fermenter is empty again. *sigh*

What can I brew now that can meet these qualifications:

1. Can age on the cake for a while. (It'll take us a while to drink those 2 kegs)
2. Can handle the seasonal rising temps of my room. (No climate control)
3. Is all extract with no grains at all. (I'm such a newb)

Thanks!
-Johntodd

12-14% for just a second brew? You sure you did the math right?

 

[PADave]

Hey so heres a question: My first brew is fermenting and the instructions say to ferment for two weeks then bottle. How long should I bottle? 2 weeks then pop 'em in the fridge? 2 weeks then a week in the fridge? 3 weeks in the bottle in the closet? The instructions are too vague for me if im honest. I would like to have some for Memorial day which gives them 2 weeks in fermenter and 2 weeks in bottles.

Don't put all your beer in the fridge after 2 weeks. Only put a few and keep the others at room temp so they can continue to age and get better. Once in the fridge they won't change much, or very little. I've found 4 weeks in the bottle is when most brews start to get good.

 

[Jasper18]

Ok so about 2 weeks in ferm and i'll see if it has stopped bubbling in the airlock. After 2 weeks I'll put some in the fridge and get 'em cold and see what i've got. It will take me a while to drink them all so they will get good aging. I'll keep notes as to how they tasted at what age.

 

[Johntodd]

12-14% for just a second brew? You sure you did the math right?

LOL!

I let the computer do the math, and that's what it said. The Colt 47 DEFINITELY is very, very strong ale. Or should I call it 'ail'?

As a former winemaker, I'm used to seeing numbers like this.

 

[muels]

Ok so about 2 weeks in ferm and i'll see if it has stopped bubbling in the airlock. After 2 weeks I'll put some in the fridge and get 'em cold and see what i've got. It will take me a while to drink them all so they will get good aging. I'll keep notes as to how they tasted at what age.

Don't use the airlock as a sign of activity. You have to use a hydrometer.

 

[Jasper18]

Don't use the airlock as a sign of activity. You have to use a hydrometer.

Sorry I meant to include the hydrometer. After I notice a stop in bubbling I'll check with a hydrometer. My OG was a few points higher than what it said in the instructions but im not too worried. It was at 1.046 to 1.048 range. Kit says 1.044 max. I'm shooting for 1.010-1.014 FG.

 

[MaryB]

It depends on the beer... some ales are best fresh before the hop aromas fade... a few ales can use 4 weeks... barley wines can take a year... look for a similar recipe and get input on that to see how long it needs to sit and carbonate and mellow out.

 

[Gameface]

Just want to let the newbies know that it's also possible to be drinking really good beer 10 days after you brew.

Style is a part of it and the OP mentions a style that benefits from aging.

There are a lot of styles that DO NOT benefit from aging, and if you handle them the right way they can be ready in 10 days easy.

Simple malt bill, simple ale yeast, fermented on the very low side of the temp range for that yeast, good pitch rate, good aeration (pure O2 a plus), and kegging.

I would have stopped brewing if I hadn't gone to kegging early. Bottling was my very least favorite part of brewing. I'd rather clean than bottle.

Anyway, patience is nice. It's good. But there's nothing wrong with drinking your beer 10 days after brewing, either.

 

[Jasper18]

Hmm this is interesting to read. Whats everyones consensus on my pale ale then? It used 6lbs Gold LME, 8oz. Caramel 40 steeping grains, 1oz Cascade hops at start of boil, and Muntons dry yeast, 6 grams. I'm sure someone has thoughts on time
PS: this morning bubbling has slowed, and temp dropped to 66.

 

[McKnuckle]

Not the wisest advice IMHO. It is definitely possible to drink beer 10 days after brewing if you are not brewing your first few batches. Very rapid turnaround requires experience and a watchful eye for things. So no; don't try that until you have been more conservative and learned to recognize the phases the wort/beer go through. Do it by the "rules" first, and eventually you'll learn when it's safe to break them.

 

[Gameface]

Not the wisest advice IMHO. It is definitely possible to drink beer 10 days after brewing if you are not brewing your first few batches. Very rapid turnaround requires experience and a watchful eye for things. So no; don't try that until you have been more conservative and learned to recognize the phases the wort/beer go through. Do it by the "rules" first, and eventually you'll learn when it's safe to break them.

And 10 days is about as tight a turnaround as you should expect, even under the best circumstances. But waiting doesn't cure all ills. It isn't like fast turnaround equals poor beer or that a long patient wait always equals good beer. There's much more to it than that. Ultimately, that's what I'm trying to say. It's not about how long you wait. If you're waiting, be waiting with a purpose, not to hope that off flavors fade or that the beer cleans itself up.

We've all been new brewers and made mistakes. I still make more than my share of mistakes. But waiting doesn't always cure mistakes. Sometimes we either got to suck up a bad batch or pour it out. When we get it right, though, we don't have to sit on it. We can drink it.

If it's a stout or a barleywine, it should age. That's not waiting out mistakes, that's part of the plan.

 

[Bosh]

I've had beers that tasted pretty much as good as they were going to get at 10 days and most well-made weak-ish beers are just going to get more bland with age but damn, I've had some NASTY beers that aged into something quite good. So don't choke down your bad batches until they've had a while to age.

 

[kombat]

As mentioned, it really depends on the style of beer, and the brewer. Obviously bigger, darker beers benefit from aging, while lower-ABV, hoppier beers and wheat beers are better fresher. Once you've gotten your technique down, you can produce a clean, moderate-gravity ale in a couple of weeks. The keys are pitch lots of healthy, active yeast into a well-prepared wort (the right temperature, well-aerated), and control the temperature. I'm usually drinking my beers 3 weeks after brewing (I keg).

 

[spiff2268]

The best bottle of home brew I ever had was when I pulled out a box of self sealing bottles I hadn't used in 7-8 months. Lo and behold, there was a full bottle in it that I'd missed, which is so unlike me. I tossed it in the freezer for awhile while I cleaned the other bottles. When I popped the top it blew out the cap so hard it even blew the bracket off the bottle and the whole thing hit the ceiling. I'm surprised the bottle didn't explode at some point. Anyway, the beer was fantastic. My wife said it was what a beer would taste like if Coca-Cola made beer.

 

[cjdhein]

It's still hard for me to wait, but it is true. The first beer I brewed was a Caribou Slobber starter kit from Northern Brewer last March. I tried one right away and wasn't blown away (obviously). I waited another month or so and it was a little better. After about 6 months I put what was left of the batch (about a 18 bottles) in the back of my shelving and left it.

I cracked one open last week, and my god, it is so much better! This past November I made a nutty milk stout and I had one of those at the 6 month mark and it was also markedly better... the year mark can't come soon enough!