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Newbie worries
Okay, so I am still a newbie, and figured that my experience with my fist batch can help other newbies searching this forum.
My first batch was a continental light kit I got for Christmas. So one Friday night last month, my wife was at work, and once I put my 8 month old to bed I started my first batch. I have an aluminum pan from a turkey fryer kit that I was going to use for the boil. Well, after 45 min on the stove (electric), I could only get the water to 190F. So I pulled out the biggest pot we had, poured the water into it, which filled it to the brim, and brought it to a boil. Once I added the extracts to the water, it was too full to boil, so I poured about 1 gal back into the aluminum pot, and put it on a second burner.
The instructions for the kit said to boil between 20-30 minutes. At this point it was getting late, so I opted for the 20 minutes. The gallon in the alum pot never came to a boil. I put the wort into my primary, and cooled it, then pitched. The next afternoon it was bubbling like crazy. After 5 days, checked the gravity, it was constant for 3 days, so I racked to secondary, (5g glass carboy).
Then I started really searching this forum and started seeing all the info on procedure, full boils, not full boils etc., and started to get worried that I had messed up my first batch really bad. The only thing I was sure of, was my sanitation. Even looking at the batch in the carboy, it looks dark. Not that I mind dark, but now I was worried that it would be too sweet.
So I decided that last night I would pour some into a glass to try it. Well, much to my surprise, it looks great, and tastes great. So now, I concur with the other experienced brewers advice to us newbies who are panicking about ‘batch mess-up.”
RELAX – AND HAVE A HOMEBREW!
Now I am ready to approach my next batch (definitely a grain/extract mix) with confidence and even more enthusiasm.
“Beer, the nectar of the gods.”
Well congrats! Its always good to hear stories like this. Have you bottled it yet?
I will be bottling tomorrow night. I can't wait to try my bottling skills!
Well congrates om the first brew, enjoy.
First batch update: Carbonation is great, taste is good. Good malt flavor at first, and then a slight hop taste. Results are better than I expected. The only thing that I would say was disappointing about this batch, is that the head was almost non-existant. But I am assuming that since this was from a kit I really didn't have much control over it?
Adding Carapils to your grain bag should help, or like i do just use a pound of wheat extract in place of a pound of something else in the recipe or in addition to. it always has helped with head retention for me.
Cheers
Wop31, I did know about the carapils, (after the fact of brewing my first kit). But wheat extract as well, goog to know. Thanks!
You said that you did your boil in an aluminum Turkey fryer pot. I have not yet started to brew but I have been doing alot of reading to try and absobe as much knowledge as possible and I thought that using aluminum was bad. Something about changing the taste of the beer. Am I right about this?
You will get just about all the different opinions on this subject that you can handle. I havn't used an aluminum kettle, but I do have a friend in the local homebrew club that does and he makes great beers. I would have to say what ever your personal preference is. Just dont use scented soap or anything abrasive to clean it with, is what I have been told.
Cheers
Turk, the whole aluminum pan thing is the only thing I searched on before my first brew. There are mixed feelings on this, that I fpund on the site. The aluminum oxidizes, that is why the inside of the pan changes color after you cook in it. I would say with the way that first brew went, technically I didn't really brew in the aluminum pot. I can tell you though, when I did mix the little wort I had in it with my metal spoon, it felt like the pan was full of ridges, (this could be my imagination). So for the next brew I do have an enamelware pan that I will use. Eventually I will get a SS pan, but I'd rather spend the money on more supplies right now. Because, as with the rest of the members here, I don't have much money to spend.
Your never say die attitude is encouraging. I am so looking forward to my first brew and plan on going for keg containment. Hopefully some of these articles will be a guiding force. I'll keep my eye on the screen and ear to the floor. Cheers to your success.
The wife got me a turkey fryer for Christmas, she couldn't find a SS one so I ended up with alumiinin one.
My first brews I brewed in enamel, I can't tell a difference.
One guy at the LBS told a guy to come to his house and see if he could tell what kind of pot he brewed in.
If you don't want to use AL and can't afford the SS for now, go to walmart and get an enamel one.
I think I paid 12 bucks for mine.
His is AL. as well.
Just an update on my first brew attempt. Well, it has been 3 weeks since I have bottled. I just want to say that after three weeks I have no complaints about the head, or anything. I even gave some to one of my co-workers and he told me he tried it last night. He thought it was very good, he said it really reminded him of Sam Adams Light. That definately got me really excited about my next brew, (just waiting for the supplies to come in.)
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