FIRST TIME HOMEBREW IPA

The biggest early jump for me in quality came when I kept my fermentation temp under control. If you can follow a recipe and instructions, you can get a good base wort to start with. Just try to keep your fermentation as steady as you can for the first 3 days. Huge impact on the final product.

 

For an IPA this is hugely important, you want a clean ale yeast and need to keep it at a controlled temp.

 

Typically your yeast will say what temps it works best in. Shoot for the middle or low end of the range for best results in an IPA (typically 60-66 degrees or so). If you cant do that just keeping it in a cool, dark place undisturbed where the temp doesnt fluctuate too much will be fine.

 

If you have a basement that is ideal. If not, then a closet works well too. Look up "swamp cooler" on the interweb and you'll find a lot of pictures and recommendations for an inexpensive version. Works well enough when you're starting out and takes little effort to add it to your process.

 

Also, are you using one of the Brooklyn Brew Shop kits?

 

Still recommend the swamp cooler in the basement. Keep it +/-2 degrees if possible that that set-up.

 

Control the fermentation temperature, and keep it steady and cool.

Control your oxygen uptake during transfers/bottling.

Don't bother with a secondary. Ferment it, dry hop in primary and crash it down in the fridge since it's a small batch before bottling.

 

First, make sure everything is clean and sanitized properly. I cannot stress that enough. I have heard many starting homebrewers say their first batch was good and their second one was bad. This is likely due to inadequate cleaning and sanitation.

Second, minimize oxidation because it kills hops and creates a wet cardboard flavour to the beer.

 

Thats probably just the yeast and hops settling out, would need to see a picture though. Also, not to be a stickler, but a basement or closet that stays at a constant temp is not temperature control. The swamp cooler is better.

 

If you didn't strain your wort when you moved it into the fermentor, then you are looking at mostly the hops, but it could also be some of your yeast if you've already added it. With 1-gallon batches, you have to be prepared to have only a small quantity of bottles filled with beer if you don't try to keep that trub out of your fermentor. At the time of bottling you can still add some water when you boil your priming sugar into solution. Just be careful to calculate the right amount of sugar for whatever amount of beer that you have available to put in the bottles.

 

The first several batches I made had the same problem, I never strained out the trub. Go get a good stainless mesh strainer (they cost like 5 -10 bucks depending on the size and put that in your funnel when you transfer to the jug. For a second line of defense if you have a mesh screen that comes with your funnel put that in there as well. You'll notice a big difference in the amount of sediment (wasted beer) and also improved flavor. It'll take a little more time because the hops will clog up the works a bit, but its worth it.