I just cracked open my very first bottle of my first batch of home brewed ale. Its GOOD!
This batch was brewed by using a pre-compiled Brown Ale kit ($40) and yielded about 43 bottles of beer. I brewed it three weeks ago, it fermented for a week in the basement (an interesting process to watch), and then I added the priming sugar and bottled.
The ale is very young, having only been bottled two weeks ago, so it’s flavor hasn’t yet fully matured. Five weeks in the bottle is when the body and flavor fully develops, and continues to refine as it ages.
The ale has definite citrus notes and kind of a weak finish, that I hope develops at the next tasting. It doesn’t seem to have a strong alcohol content — I’d say around 4%.
The next ingredient kit arrived in the mail today, it’s a Belgian Tripel Ale kit, and I’m excited to brew my next batch. Belgian Ales are my favorite category of ales, as they’re usually very complex and have super high alcohol content. Hey, I like the taste, and I like the buzz too! The bummer with this brew is that is takes SIX MONTHS to age!
I’ve had a bunch of people ask about the brewing process, so I plan on posting the full experience, step by step. I hope to brew this Sunday, so stay tuned.
Know what tastes better than the first beer? The second. Who says a ‘tasting’ only provides one bottle?
