RoaldV Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 I'm sure this is like asking "how long is a piece of string?", but I'd thought I'd give it a shot anyway. I'm just curious as to how it should taste, because on Days 6 & 7 of fermentation the brew tasted "bland". No other way to describe it really. It tasted like beer mixed with water. Now, on Day 8, it tastes a lot more full bodied, but also very bitter. Should it taste like this? Does the second fermentation generally fix these harsh tastes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
***** Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 Roald I only tasted mine when I bottled it, tasted the same as yours. A master home brewer that I work with said I shouldn't even bother tasting it as it wouldn't taste any good. I am now not looking to taste it from the bottle until at least early December, according to my master brewer workmate the closer to 3 months the better. (Mind you its easy for him to wait as he rotates six 50 litre kegs. My plan is to bottle 6 brews to start with, which should help with the waiting initially, then brew one as one is consumed. By then I reckon I should get 3 months without the eager wait[whistling ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Waters Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 It really depends on what you are making. If you are making the faux lager that comes with the DIY kit it will probably taste pretty crap (and IMO wont get much better unless you seriously tweak the recipe [bandit] ) My beer usually tastes great - flat but great. I'm not a master brewer but I strongly believe in tasting from the fermentor as it can give you a great impression of how your beer is coming along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 I agree with Muddy. If you make the DIY kit Lager with BE1 then it will be bland. It lacks a bit of flavour unless you jazz it up a bit. The beer generally tastes pretty good just prior to bottling; albeit flat and warm. Scott, your beer will generally taste better after 3 months but it should be drinkable after a few weeks. Try cracking one open at the 2-3 week mark to try and then each week. Then you will see how the beer improves over time. Its good to follow its progression. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoaldV Posted September 27, 2011 Author Share Posted September 27, 2011 Hmm, thanks guys. Yes, I am making the lager that comes with the DIY kit. At first it tasted flat and watery, now it tastes flat and full bodied, but also has a sharp aftertaste. Not sure if this is a bad sign? Maybe I'll just bottle and see how I go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PB2 Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 That aftertaste may be bitterness. Bitterness mellows with conditioning time in the bottle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoaldV Posted September 27, 2011 Author Share Posted September 27, 2011 Hmm, ok, thanks PB, i'll see how I go. Can't wait to actually try my first beer. 2 weeks can't come soon enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnthonyR1525228508 Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 I'm sure it doesn't need to be said, but if you are tasting the hydrometer sample, make sure your tube and hydrometer are clean! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
***** Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Scott, your beer will generally taste better after 3 months but it should be drinkable after a few weeks. Try cracking one open at the 2-3 week mark to try and then each week. Then you will see how the beer improves over time. Its good to follow its progression. Thanks Gents As I said elsewhere I am here to listen and learn. I will now mark my calender with a new tasting date, and sample one each week as Hairy suggests. It could mean switching from the bottleshop to the home brewery quicker than I anticipated. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoaldV Posted September 27, 2011 Author Share Posted September 27, 2011 Lol, yes BNZ, I did clean the tube after sampling, and then even switched to a glass. Anywho, I guess it's "wait and see" as of tonight to see whether or not the sharp taste mellows out. Btw Scott, what was the second brew you tried? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 What i do is i bottle 500mm after it ferments out then leave the brew sit in the fermenter for another week then bottle it. The 500mm bottle that i took the 1st sample i generally drink then and this gives me a better although not complete indication od what my brew will taste like, i then drink a bottle a week until i find its just right usually about 6 weeks, but i like to leave heavy stouts etc as long as i can keep my hands off em [roll] In the mean time i have probably 3 more brews in various stages and am never short of a beer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
***** Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Lol, yes BNZ, I did clean the tube after sampling, and then even switched to a glass. Anywho, I guess it's "wait and see" as of tonight to see whether or not the sharp taste mellows out. Btw Scott, what was the second brew you tried? Roald It's the Pale Ale, straight DYI with BE1. The kids all chipped in and gave me 4 cans with the Brew Kit, I have Canadian Blonde and Draught to go. Then I am keen to do the TCS Lager and I will probably do another Pale Ale using the recommended fermenting sugars. (I like variety in my beer and equate similarity with boredom. But I reckon when I find a favourite I will make it every second batch). Favourite beer from commercial breweries is Boag\u2019s Premium Lager, ATM I just bought a dozen Cooper's Pale Ale long necks (for the 750ml bottles and to compare later). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoaldV Posted September 27, 2011 Author Share Posted September 27, 2011 A Pale Ale you say? [biggrin] Well, I was looking at that very recipe today. Pretty sure I'm going to have to give it a whirl... and soon. Going to purchase 15 more PET bottles, and start the brew after I'm about 10 bottles into drinking this brew. I'd be keen to hear how you went with just the basic kit. And btw, I'm with you on the Boags, although (bearing in mind price) my favourite standard Australian beer is the Boags Draught. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Waters Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Hmm, ok, thanks PB, i'll see how I go. Can't wait to actually try my first beer. 2 weeks can't come soon enough. Don't be disillusioned if your first beer tastes like crap. When I first made the "lager" kit with the Pre-DIY coopers brewing kit it tasted like crap...it got a little better after a few months but I still tipped it out to use the bottles for something better. If on the other hand it tastes good...well that is great....keep on brewing - it only gets better [biggrin] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoaldV Posted September 27, 2011 Author Share Posted September 27, 2011 Thanks Muddy Waters. That's what I had already decided in my head. Plus, who can pass up brewing 2.5 slabs of beer for $20? And then of course there is the self satisfaction of knowing that you brewed it. Anywho, I tasted again this evening, and decided actually it wasn't too bad, and that the taste was mainly because the brew was warm (compared the taste to a Tooheys and the 'bitter after taste' was more or less comparable). So, after around 20 questions, and three "OMG its ruined" moments, I finally bottled 29 740ml bottles of home brew tonight. Next up - either Pale Ale or the Canadian Blonde. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrendanS8 Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 And btw, I'm with you on the Boags, although (bearing in mind price) my favourite standard Australian beer is the Boags Draught. Hi guys, once you get into homebrewing and your taste buds change, you will find that these commercial beers that you used to love will taste like cats piss. I went out to a restaurant on Saturday night and the beer menu was very limited so i ordered a boags premium (a beer that i used to love 6 months ago) and i did NOT enjoy it, it was like that cats stuff i mentioned earlier. I had a Corona after that, (and thats probably worse) but made barely drinkable with a wedge of lemon[pinched] Used to love Boags Draught, Carlton, Crownies, Heiniken....all taste crap these days! Coopers tastes great and also brews like J Squire, Little Creatures, Gage Roads, White Rabbit and so many more smaller brewers. They're all real beers and so is home brewing. I've been doing homebrewing for almost 6 months, had some ordinary ones early on, but coming out with great ones now thanks to a number of great folk on this forum and the LHBS (Local Home Brew Shop) Enough of this dribble[roll] Happy brewing !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoaldV Posted September 27, 2011 Author Share Posted September 27, 2011 Hmmm, idk Brendan, I do enjoy my Boags. We shall see I guess! Although, judging from posts in this thread, the standard Lager apparently is not the best brew in the world, so I suspect I will still rate the mainstream brews for the time being. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HbgBill Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Ok.. I'm new here (today) and will be new to DIY. I've ordered the kit and it was shipped today.. should arrive on Oct3 or so. After reading the posts, it sounds like the included Lager may not taste too great unless "adulterated". What are some suggestions to improve it? I know they don't suggest a secondary, but would the addition of additional dry malt extract be good? Additional hops? What? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Waters Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 What kinds of beer do you like Bill? We may be able to suggest something that suits you tastes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HbgBill Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Pretty partial to IPA's.. but, I'm like a spoiled child.. I only eat (drink) what I like.. but my experiences are quite limited. I've only had commercial brews for the most part. I've made ales in the past.. the WAY distant past. Just getting back into things. Obviously, when my DIY arrives, I'll be doing a lager for the first run. That is what my question was about. If I do the included lager, and Coopers does not suggest a Sec Fermenter, I don't quite understand how to add, say, additional DME to the equation.. short of stirring up all the mud at the bottom. Of course, I may not understand anything about adding DME and Dextrose beyond the can of the Lager Malt Extract. Hoping to learn the ins and outs of the DIY. I'm sure if I ask the correct questions, I'll receive good answers. In the meantime, as time permits, I'll pour over the various posts to see what I can learn.. hopefully, to ask an intelligent question. [unsure] BTW, thanks for the reply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Hi Bill and welcome. This should really be a new topic so as not to hi-jack the thread. Nevertheless, I suggest just doing the Lager with 1Kg LDM and about 1/4 of the supplied brew enhancer. Don't worry about any hops for the moment as it appears you have not done any other home brews as yet so as not to make things too complicated. Everything is explained in the DvD you will get with your kit. Basically sit the can in hot water for 5-10 minutes while you throw the sugars in the fermenter then 2-3L boiling water and pick the whole thing up and swirl it around until the sugars are desolved. Then add the can of Lager, then 1/3 fill the can with hot water and rinse that into your fermenter. Give the whole thing a good stir/thrashing then top up to the recommended level with cold water. Easy peasy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 And don't forget to pitch some yeast [rightful] You won't get far without it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 And don't forget to pitch some yeast [rightful] You won't get far without it. Whoops... sometimes I forget the simplest things [pinched] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
***** Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 A Pale Ale you say? [biggrin] I'd be keen to hear how you went with just the basic kit. Going in bottles now. It went in on the 22/09/2011, fermented at 16-18 degrees and tested OG @ 1.038 and FG @ 1.005. Looked better from the start and has obviously worked better than my lager as the both OGs where the same but the FG on this one is 0.033 lower. ABV 4.42% before bottling which is just about text book (Lager was only ABV 3.6). Smell is great, tastes like it should be alright after secondary fermentation.[happy] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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