First Brew, Any good?

My first was an extract + steeping grains celebration clone. It was terrible.

I had the bright idea to freeze some sanitized water and use that to top up the batch and bring it down to pitching temp. Well, I ended up with 5 gallons of wort that was probably 140* and no way to cool it any more. Carried it up to the bathtub and added water and ice packs. Got it down to 120*-ish and got nervous that my ball valve didn't have a perfect seal and would let nasty bathtub water in. Carried it down stairs and outside. Put the kettle in a snow bank. Probably an hour later of constantly packing snow in around the sides, I got it down to like 85* and called it a day. Pitched 1 vial of yeast w/ no starter and let it go at 70-72* ambient.

The result was a solventy mess that finished way above my FG target despite being below my OG target. Zero hop flavor or aroma and the bitterness wasn't exactly pleasant. After about 4 months it turned into a drinkable red ale, but still by far my worst batch to date.

Oddly enough, my second batch was one of my better beers.

 

My first beer was a kit beer from a local brewer. I'd read books and studied before I did my first brew. It was a combo DME with flavoring and color grains. I spilled some of the grain on the floor while trying to crack the husks with a rolling pin. I accidentally dropped some of the grains over the strainer, and it got in the boil. I pitched the yeast when it was still cold from the fridge...

And the beer turned out good. I drank every bottle and it wasn't bad. I did about 30 to 35 more batches of partial grain and DME kits and then went to AG and haven't looked back. Although I'll still brew a kit with friends that want help.

 

My first batch was bad but drinkable. I ended up blending it with other commercial beers, which allowed me to drink it but not have to drink two cases of the same bad beer. My wife and I also made some beer cheese soup with several bottles of it.

It was an extract + steeping grains American Amber kit from Adventures in Homebrewing. Looking back, there are dozens of things that I did wrong, but also a handful of things I did right. I feel like my initial struggles actually prompted me to learn more and do better the next round. I'd say it wasn't until my 3rd or 4th batch that I made a final product that I was really pleased with.

 

My first batch was April '14. It was a Rebel Brewer Session IPA kit that I bought from their store (terrible help from the salespeople, BTW). I bottled it, let it sit to carb up, and started drinking it. Don't remember what the first few bottles tasted like but I noticed it started turning on me and turning bad. Turned a brown color and the last bottle I started to drink was so bad I spit it out and a taste of a good beer wasn't enough to wash the flavor out. I poured the remaining bottles down the sink.... anyway...

My second batch was a Stone IPA clone, also bottled. Turned out stupendously awesome and even held up in a side-by-side taste of the real thing.

I'm still at it, still extract and still favoring IPAs over anything else I've brewed. My Belgian dubble sits in the keg occupying space in the keezer while my recently brewed Pliny clone is going down my throat.

 

Mine was a few months ago and was really awesome. It was a pale ale, but it was heavy handed a bit with crystal 20L and Victory malts, so it wasn't as "clean" as an APA would be traditionally. However, the end result was very good, like a pale ale/octoberfest hybrid. The chinook and simcoe hops used along with citra added a nice aroma and piney hop profile which I dig. A very flavorful, easy-drinking ale. End result was something like 4.5% ABV and 60 IBU.

I will be brewing my 4th batch this Saturday I think (Milk Stout). I am expecting my third batch (IIPA) that finishes next week to be the best of the first three brewed so far, the samples taken before bottling are so delicious. Thankfully, no duds (yet!).

 

Would you also enjoy a 3-4 year old bottle of the real Two Hearted?

 

I doubt it...unless you are cellar blind...could be educational though. Cheers

 

Don't forget all the yummy oxidization.

 

My first batch was a Moose Drool clone that was doomed from the start. I got a kit and they gave me the ingredients for a partial mash kit, but the instructions were for an extract kit. I guess I had sanitation issues also because my bottles were foam bombs with a definite vinegar twang. I kept a lot of it in the hopes it would improve. It never did and I dumped most of it. My second batch was a real partial mash Belgian wit. That one came out great. I've done dozens of batches since then and recently bottled my first lager, which is a very tasty bock.

 

Hoppy beers, unless they have a substantial malt backbone (like Bigfoot), just won't hold up to time. Even Bigfoot is a Much different beer 3 or 4 years later.

 

My 1st batch was terrible. 2nd was below par. 3rd was terrible. 4th was ok (my friends liked it more than me. Perhaps I am my worst critic). 5th was not too shabby. I actually like drinking it. All are extract batches. And I learned at least one valuable lesson every time I've brewed a batch. And I've gotten better equipment along the way for better quality control (i.e. keezer, using RO water, etc.).

Also as others had pointed out to me when I was on batch 2, I had picked out some though ones. A porter, BB stout, an 80 shilling. 3, and 4 were an amber and saison that were very user friendly to make.

 

My first batch was...OK. It was a double IPA kit from Midwest, extract with steeping grains. I fermented it too warm, used a secondary on the advice of the recipe and probably oxygenated it a bit in transfer, but the end result was drinkable. A little too bitter, very little hop aroma and with some slight unpleasant fruity undertones that got to be grating as I was nearing the end of the batch. Still, it turned out better than I thought my first batch would, so I was pleased. Batches 2-6 had some ups and downs, but batches 7-12 have been markedly improved. I need to keg my latest, I am veeeeeery optimistic about it.

 

I was lucky, my first brew was made with a experienced brewer and was great. So it was for the next 6 or so extract kits, till, I decided to order my own ingredients and that beer was crap. Semi cloned internet brew recipes down the road and got better beer. Worked part time at a brewery, changed to ag and life got better

 

My first brew (6 mos ago) was an extract pale ale. I also had crappy service from the Rebel Brewer store (funny coincidence - @ronobvious2) and I ended up without any instructions. Got thru brew day mainly on this website and it turned out surprisingly drinkable. Not great, but drinkable. I found another great LHBS and it's been a great ride ever since.

 

I have a Moose Drool clone sitting in the fermenter right now, going on a little over 4 weeks. I plan on bottling it soon and will let you know how it turns out. Very first brew kit i have ever made and everything seems to be coming along fine! The FG right now is sitting at 1.012 and its smelling delicious so hopefully it tastes good! I'm already itching to buy a new kit and start all over again! Prost!

 

My first batch was in March 1991, when I was probably about half way through Charlie Papazian's book - no Internet or Beer Advocate around back then. No Star San either. It was a dark bock that used a can of hopped liquid extract and some added DME - and no hop additions. I can't remember the beer but I still have my notes and the last thing I wrote was "Good after 3 months".

I stopped brewing in 1995 but started up again at the end of 2013. My first batch after starting again was a partial mash DFH 90 clone attempt. I ended up with a stuck fermentation and a high FG. It was pretty malty and had some twang, but not too bad.

 

But obviously the fabulous furry freak brothers...nice avatar