The Brew!

Ok, so yesterday I finally brewed my first recipe.  To start off with , I made my first mistake before I got started.  I realized it when I was on my way back home from getting my ice to chill down the brew.  As I was driving home it struck me....I didn't start the yeast starter!!!  This was not good!!  I bought a liquid yeast to do with this (I love a liquid yeast and how the beer turns out with it) and I totally forgot to do the starter.  I needed a couple of days to actually have the starter go.  I was having almost a panic attach because of this, but then I just said ah the hell with it and I'll just pitch it as it is.  I wasn't thrilled about it, but, I had no choice.  I told everyone I was doing this recipe this time so I couldn't change at the last minute. So once I came to that conclusion, I had already put my sheet together with all the instructions and a place for notes so I could write in what I wanted or needed to along the way.

I had to wait until 3pm, because Kristen wanted me to wait for some of her friends and I had one of the guys who worked with me coming over and of course my mentor brewer Kris was coming over.

All the ingredients were out and I organized them, so it was time and I was ready to go.  I knew once I started I would have all kinds of advice and peanut gallery help with this.  I wanted to have the DME and Candy Sugar dissolve before I turned on the burner, I was hearing "hey if you light it warm water dissolves things faster", but I just kept doing it the way I wanted, I stuck to my guns!

The brew went though fine, we hit no issues and I was able to stay on track pretty easily.  After I was done and taking readings, I realized...there is nothing to compare this too.  Was the reading high, low, just right....no one knows.  So I offered anyone and everyone to tasted the hoppy sugar water and I was surprised it tasted really good.  I also liked the color (yes should have taken a picture) so I was pleased with the brew so far.

I was asked what type of beer this was I am making, but I didn't know how to explain it.  It was really a blend of all the beers (that I had brewed) I liked and the parts of those beers I liked.  Mostly they were Belgian beers, but it wasn't really a Belgian beer.  Then I thought back to my number 1 problem...what is the name of my brewery?  Then what do I name the beer?  2 questions I have to solve and I only have 6 weeks to do it!  I guess it is time to get input.  I've already asked Kristen and she doesn't seem interested in helping, so I'll have to ask others.  Stay tuned!

I can say the fermentation process is happening, so that is good!  I will have to see how things are when I move to secondary and I will be really interested in the bottling time.  That way I will be able to taste and check all the readings.  The taste will be interesting.

So until next time....as the saying goes...relax and drink a home brew!