My First Time

Is it a time of ecstatic triumph or a chaotic train wreck?  Probably a little of everything.

Before you get started with your first attempt at brewing, I’ll just share a slice of wisdom from one of the greats:  Relax.  Don’t Worry.  Have a Homebrew. (or RDWHAHB)

Brewing Day

Nerves.  Anxiety.  Not really knowing what to expect.

I didn’t know any home brewers before I started so I watched a few videos and went over the beginner’s kit instructions a couple times.  If you can boil water and follow a recipe, you’ll be just fine!  It might help to use a checklist to make sure you don’t miss any steps.   I managed to overlook a pound of sugar I was supposed to add to the boil (so much for following a recipe!) and didn’t realize it until I already pitched the yeast.  I panicked and contacted the beer experts at Northern Brewer who assured me it would be alright.  The beer still tasted really good, it just came out with a little lower alcohol content.  Now when I brew I put all the ingredients in one spot so I can tell with a glance whether there’s still something that needs to go in the pot.

Take notes!!  Maybe a “mistake” you make will have delicious results.  You’ll want to keep track of what you do and when you do it so you can repeat the process.

Fermentation

I drove my coworkers crazier after brewing my first batch.  At some point I commented that I feel like I understand pregnancy anxiety now. I fretted over whether the airlock was bubbling enough…or too much.  Did I sanitize enough?  Will it get infected?  I threatened to install a camera so I could monitor the bucket remotely.  But, really, all you can do is wait and hope that you’ve given your little yeasties the best chance possible.  You won’t know exactly how it will turn out until it’s ready.

I didn’t know about fermentation temperature control until it was too late for my first batch.  I stuck that bucket in a closet in the middle of June and the Midwest’s heat.  It still turned out tasting great but I’ve made the same recipe better by taking a few extra steps to keep the temperature in check.

Bottling Day

More anxiety.  This time I was paranoid about bottle bombs.

Knock on wood, I haven’t had a bomb yet.  Just follow sanitizing steps.  Having someone work with you helps a lot but I can bottle a batch alone in about an hour.  Take your time.  You’ve put a lot of effort and time (all that painstaking waiting!) into this so don’t rush now and knock over bottles.

I put all the caps in a big measuring cup that’s easy to reach into, and fill it with enough sanitizer to cover the caps.  You’ll probably drop caps so make sure you have some extra.  The dropped ones can be rinsed and used but I save that until I’m finished bottling.  I don’t want to interrupt the process so I just set aside the “tainted” cap and grab another from the sanitizing cup.

For all that effort you just did bottling, now you get to wait again!

As a paranoid step, I put all my bottles (standing upright) into plastic tote bins with lids and add a towel or two.  If I have a bomb, I want to contain it as much as possible.  Put the bottles in a dark place where the temperature won’t fluctuate too much.  Basically treat it as another fermentation step.  The time it takes to carbonate will rely a lot on temperature.  If it’s cooler where you store the bottles, they’ll still carbonate but it will take a bit longer.  Don’t make the mistake of thinking warmer temps is a great idea, though – too warm and you’ll risk bombs and off flavors.

I like to use a couple plastic soda bottles with each batch.  You fill them the same as a glass bottle but you can squeeze out the air before you screw on the cap.  It’s a really cheap and easy way to tell if your batch is carbonating because the soda bottle will firm up after a week or so.  Don’t use a water bottle or any other container that wasn’t designed to hold carbonated liquids.

Drink Up!

All this anxiety and worrying….is it really worth brewing your own beer?  Absolutely!  The first time you drink a beer you made, you’ll kick yourself if you didn’t start another batch already.  Like anything new, the nerves will settle after you’ve done a batch or three.  Brew day is kind of a zen time for me now.

Just remember that even mistakes (usually) result in drinkable beer so get out there and brew!