I fininshed making my first home brewed beer about a week ago. I'ts supposed to sit in the bottles for 12 wks?
If i crack a bottle now, what can i expect?
You don't have to wait 12 weeks at all.
Usually, it's best to leave 2 to 3 weeks in the primary fermenting container (barrel, fermenting bucket or whatever you're using), then 1 to 2 weeks in the bottle, and it's ready to be cooled down and drinking.
It will be tastiest if it stays a good 2 weeks in the bottle before you try it. That's important, because your beer isn't done fermenting at the moment you bottle it, and if you open it too soon, it will still be flat. The bubbles happen because of those 1 or 2 weeks of fermentation in the bottle.
Keep it at around 68F for at least 1 week, ideally 2, and then put it in the fridge.
Wait 2 days or so of it in the fridge before you drink it, for ideal taste.
Would you like to try to make your own beer at home, now you can. Home beer making is not as hard as people make out. Its actually quite easy to make great tasting beer that you can be proud of and enjoy drinking, once you know how. There are many different brewing kits that you can buy from the store that will help you with the process. Though sometimes the brewing instructions arent that great so I would advise purchasing a book on the subject to ensure you dont waste your money or get disheartened and give up.
When youre ready to try home beer making, you will need the following, together with the equipment in your brewing kit:
A malt extract, water, and brewers yeast.
Liquid extracts are usually in the form of syrup where as dry extracts are dry and can be stored longer than the liquid form. Eventually you will discover there are many different extracts to choose from all of which will make your brew taste different. Once you have successfully made your first batch you will need to restock on ingredients, especially if you have started off with a beer kit. Find a retailer online that offers a selection of ingredients so that you can experiment making different tastes. A common fact that most beginners dont know is that home beer making can be effected by the water the brew is made up of. Its best to use spring or bottled water even though some people report they get good results with tap water. Yeast is another big part of home beer making. Yeast is what ferments the malts and the sugars into the alcohol. This is what releases the carbon dioxide.
There are many different ways to make beer and the more resources you read youll soon discover how differently people go about home beer making. The only way to do it without confusion is to find the recipe that you like best then stick to it, following a guide each time you brew. Youll soon see that there are certain recipes that take longer than others and some will take no time at all.
Figure out which one you like the sound of and that fits into your time schedule but bear in mind the brewing process should not be rushed or you will end up ruining your batch or making your self sick. (Please note: Its very important to be careful and sanitary. You need to make sure that all the equipment that you use is sterile).
Home beer making is a great hobby that once mastered youll be able to share with your friends. As with anything practice makes perfection, so dont assume that your first home beer making attempt will be an award winning beer. Stick with it, follow a guide book from someone who has mastered the techniques from whom you can learn best practices, and very soon youll have a couple of bottles of home brew that you can be proud of.
About the Author
Get 50 Free home beer making recipes at homebrewingmastery.com You'll also find home brewing book reviews and more info on beer kits.
