Kit Success

[Vossy1]

Two weeks ago I bottled my first kit a Brupaks Fixby Gold. Last night I could resist no more (aka too lazy to go to the offy) and opened a couple :rolleyes: of bottles after chilling briefly.

What a nice surprise, its great, better than great, its as good as most beers I've had in a pub or in the bottle. The head ain't massive, though I'm more concerned with what's underneath it, and its not too heavily carbonated but that's the way I like my beer. I boiled the hop bag for 20 min instead of the full 40, as I didn't want it to be too bitter and the balance in the beer is just right.

I must confess to trying a slurp at bottling, like you do, and it has changed in the bottle over the last 2 weeks. The malt came through quite strongly at 1st but now the hops are becoming more apparent.

My second beer kit has just finished, a Brupaks Linthwaite Lite. I took my second hydro reading today and its done. I sampled the trial jar and wow, what a surprise again. A very distinct caramel toffee smell and taste, again malt quite strong but the hops are there.

I had a pint of cask Jennings Tom Fool and GK's IPA at the weekend which both had the same caramel toffee nose and taste and I'd put my Linthwaite Lite up there with them no probs.

I must admit to being a bit worried about the quality of HBB before setting out, but my fears have been quashed...or should that be quaffed

I can only imagine the wonders available on offer when FGM

Coopers IPA next

[IanRMartin]

I've been having some crafty sips of my Honley Mild and am very impressed, but its only just gone in the keg so i'm trying to leave it alone for at least a couple of weeks.

I'm surpirse how easy (Did i really just type that ) the kit was, with plenty of help!
And how good the beer is!

Hooray for Home brew

[Vossy1]

Are you priming in the cornie IRM or maturing ?

[IanRMartin]

QUOTE (Vossy1 @ Jul 25 2006, 11:29 AM)Are you priming in the cornie IRM or maturing ?
Just maturing i'm hopeing the CO2 will force carbonate a bit (not to much i don't like fizzy ale) It was very clear when i transfered it so i'm hopeing that there shouldn't be much if any sediment in there.
I did prime with the bottles! although i tried to work out how much DME to use, i had read 80g should be enough for 25Ltr i was doing 4. After working it out i realised i hadn't got anything sensative enough to measure that amount, so in true IRM bodge it stylee i tipped the bag up and said that will do
I'll open the first bottle in a couple of weeks and let you know what it is like.

[Steeev]

Nice one fellers!

I too was amazed by the quality of kit brews.

Something else has happened, too.

All these pints of home brew I've had have put me off my favourite tipple (Tanglefoot) a bit!! (Tastes a touch too sweet now)

Never thought it could happen.

[IanRMartin]

QUOTE (Steeev @ Jul 25 2006, 02:12 PM)All these pints of home brew I've had have put me off my favourite tipple (Tanglefoot) a bit!! (Tastes a touch too sweet now)

Hi Steeev,
Do you think that homebrew has changed your tastes (if only a bit).
Or has improved your pallet so you can taste better (If you see what i mean :huh: )
Ian

[PieOPah]

I definately think that homebrewing has changed my pallet. I think it is more a case of since I know what is going into the beer I am now able to taste the differences. Now when I order a pint from the pub I am tasting so much more. As a result I am enjoying it more.

It hasn't made me disklike anything or changed my opinion, just my understanding.

I love it

[IanRMartin]

QUOTE (PieOPah @ Jul 25 2006, 02:42 PM)I definately think that homebrewing has changed my pallet. I think it is more a case of since I know what is going into the beer I am now able to taste the differences. Now when I order a pint from the pub I am tasting so much more. As a result I am enjoying it more.

It hasn't made me disklike anything or changed my opinion, just my understanding.

I love it
Hi POP,

You said exactly what i was getting at, only you explained it much better than I did.

I hope that my home brewing (And drinking) efforts will allow me to appreciate the beers i drink far more.

Ian

[Steeev]

QUOTE (IanRMartin @ Jul 25 2006, 02:24 PM)
Hi Steeev,
Do you think that homebrew has changed your tastes (if only a bit).
Or has improved your pallet so you can taste better (If you see what i mean :huh: )
Ian
Hi Ian.

What POP said is pretty much on the mark.

For me, I was quite fussy when it came to buying bitter/ale from a supermarket, and I found that Tanglefoot was one of the beers that I could keep going back to, and seemed to me the perfect beer.

Making homebrew started out as a hobby. I wasn't expecting high quality brews such as those we all seem to be producing. Going back to Tanglefoot.. It just tasted too sweet for me, so I guess it's changed my taste slightly.

As for palate. I think the best thing to improve the palate is to lay off beer for a week, and then have one (blasphemy, I know). I find if I drink regularly, my palate misses some of the more subtle flavours than if I have the occasional sneaky. (Although I do spend too much time sober )

[Andy]

My tastes have gone away from rich, malty beers and towards lighter, hoppy ones since I started homebrewing...... Seems to be a familiar trend!

Perhaps it's because I can drink more of them

[Vossy1]

I still like dark rich ales. My recent favs have been Tesco's...Maximus, Hens Tooth, an old fav, and Brakspear Triple. They have an almost burnt treacle taste that I'm yet to find in homebrewing. They also have a greater depth than my meager experiences in homebrew can compare to.....yet

I try a lot of beer, I'm a member of camra and so far this year I've tried over 120 different beers :beer

Like a saddo, I've got a excel spready with them all on, including ratings, and hopefully when I'm a competant home brewer, I'll be able to recreate/clone some of my favourites

I will progress to Full grain and then the world is my oyster

[AT]

jeez ye all think ye don't know what yer talking about, i'm on my second kit, i've been drinking to a certain degree of success all my life and i don't know a hop taste from a malt taste. still i know what i like and my first kit, coopers wheat beer was class, what a way to start, my second is homebrews strong irish ale i hope it's as good (still fermenting) i would have fallen at the first fence if it wasn't for the people in this forum, special thanks to the resendent genius DAAB. i hope in the future to go all grain but the more i learn the more daunting it seems to me. probably need to read a few books!! any how i know if i do i won't be short of advice. hip hip horrah for jim what a forum

[IanRMartin]

Hi AT,
I know what you mean, I haven't started my 2nd kit yet!
This is why I was very interested when Steeev mentioned:
QUOTE
All these pints of home brew I've had have put me off my favourite tipple (Tanglefoot) a bit!! (Tastes a touch too sweet now)

I have no idea how to analyse a beer, all I know is I try it and I know if I like it or I don’t like it (OK sometimes its hard to say either way), What makes me like or dislike (Or indifferent to) a beer I do not understand yet! I hope as I brew more kits I start to understand more about beer and different beer types and flavours and then have a much better idea of weather I will like a beer or not even before I taste it. I also would like to be able to taste a beer and give an informed opinion on it or at least be able to say more than its nice or its cr@p
Most of all I want to be able to enjoy a good beer, hopefully one I have brewed my self!

I totaly agree with you here:
QUOTE
i would have fallen at the first fence if it wasn't for the people in this forum

I have learn't so much here, there is no way my kit would have turned out as good as it has if it wasn't for all the good advice and tips.

Ian

PS I am of the understanding that a hop taste is its bitterness and malt taste I want to say sweetness but i'm pretty sure thats not quite right. I'm sure there are more experienced Brewers & Drinkers here can explain it better.