TD decided to start out with a simple recipe to test our equipment and processes so we selected the Austin Homebrew Supply Session Series American Pale Ale (10A). Everything went smoothly and although the beer was not very memorable, I think it accomplished it's purpose and we learned some important first lessons:
- 'Tis best to strain the hops - For this first brew, we threw the bittering hops directly into the boil. After cooling the wort, we dumped everything into the fermenter. Of course, as I impatiently waited day after excruciating day for my first taste of home brew I was reading message boards and blogs and had that moment of "OH MY GOD we should have strained out the hops." (RDWHAHB). Turns out, it wasn't a big deal - the beer turned out just fine for a first effort. However, TD has strained every beer since with better results. (More on this topic in future blogs.)
- Wait 3 weeks from bottling for first tasting - AHS advertises this recipe as a session beer that can be ready in 3-4 weeks total. We had it in primary for 1 week, secondary for 1 week and of course started tasting the bottles way too soon after only 1-2 weeks. The comforting part was that we found out that indeed, we had made BEER! But it had a pungent green, sour apple taste as well as a lot of unfermented priming sugar.
AHS Session Series American Pale (10A)
TD Brew Date: 10/01/11
Specialty malts: 1.0 lb total combined of pale chocolate malt, Crystal 20L, Crystal 60L, Carapils®
Featured hops: Galena (the most widely used commercial bittering hop in the U.S.)
Extract - Liquid: 6 lb Liquid Malt Extract
Other additives: Malto Dextrin, BrewVint Yeast Fuel, BrewVint Alcohol Boost
Yeast - Wyeast American Ale 1056
Todd
Had another about a week ago around end of January and it was good...got better with age.
ReplyDelete