First Ag Baib: Taste Test

[thedragon]

After 4 weeks bottle conditioning I opened and tasted the first bottle of my first AG BIAB today.

Before we get in to the taste test, let's give credit where credit's due. NickJD, after reading your BIAB for $30 bucks article and a few PMs you were kind enough to respond to, on 24 Sept I put down my first AG batch.

3.5kg Pale Ale malt
0.2kg Catamalt
15g Amarillo @ 60m
10g Amarillo @ 15m
US-05

The day wasn't without it's challenges including one boil over, flat batteries in the kitchen scales, an electronic cooking thermometer dropped in to sanitiser and broken, tap on the fermenter left open when adding the chilled wort (yes, I know, stupidity)... After about 4hrs all was good and I had about 18 litres of goodness in the fermenter with OG of 1041.

Bottled 4 weeks ago, and today I opened my first.

While it is not the most bitter beer I've tasted at 22 IBU, this is the best of my 24 batches of home brew made to date. So smooth, no kit twang, beautiful aroma. I know that I've got a vested interest in believing that it tastes great, but I genuinely believe that it is a quality beer. Next batch I'll up the IBUs.

I have no idea why it has taken my 18 months to move from K&K to kits and bits, and now finally to AG. I'll still do the occasional kit brew, however now I know what's possible, I'll make the time for AG.

I'd encourage anyone out there still on K&K to read Nick's articles and take the plunge. It is well worth the additional effort.

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=38674
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=44264

Thanks Nick, Manticle and the other guys out there that have helped me with my queries over the past few months - you've opened my eyes to a whole new world.

Daniel

Edit: I'd edit BAIB to BIAB in the topic if it was possible, but I can't!

 

[Steve@PMF82]

Nice one, another one bites the dust! :chug:

 

[fcmcg]

Mate,
Congrats on popping the cherry.....
Next time , you'll be even better at this biab caper....
I have to tell you though....
Won't be long before your thinking.."hmmm...maybe i should brew bigger batches for all that effort"
Power to you brother...welcome to grain brewing...life will NEVER be the same...
Ferg

 

[PhantomEasey]

Great work Dragon. It really is one hell of a satisfying, slippery slope :chug:

And Ferg, too true mate - I put down my third BIAB this morning, and after putting down two 12 litre batches decided the effort to make 12L vs 20L is not all that different, and so made an attempt at a maxi German Pilsner. Only time will tell if I've jumped in too deep, too soon!!

In the meantime, I'll continue to enjoy working my way through my first, which was ready to drink this weekend

 

[thedragon]

Beer4u, Ferg, Phantom

Thanks for the support. I followed up the AG with a bottle of my previous best - a brewcraft kits and bits. While it has a good flavour, in comparison it tasted quite sticky.

I guess it's like comparing a white wings cake that has been cooked in the microwave with one that your gran has made from scratch and cooked in a gas oven. You can eat both, but the one that's taken the time and has been made from the raw ingredients will win hands down every time.

Can't wait to get my friends to taste this one and then tell them that I made it myself from grain, hops, yeast and water.

Daniel

 

[Nick JD]

Good on ya, Daniel.

Next, have a read through the BJCP Style Guide if you haven't already.

Then, the real door to Beer Supremacy, now you have the AG process down pat, is liquid yeasts. Check out Wyeast's range. World's your oyster; can make anything now.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Reminds me of my first AG. My APA (and SMaSH) beers started off in the low 20's IBU, jumped very quickly to the low-mid 30's, and each successive batch keeps climbing higher. You do get addicted to hops - that's the single most enjoyable thing about AG brewing (IMO).

I had a mate around for an hour or so whilst I was mashing in (he just did his first kit beer). He looks at my mash in (I'm checking temps of strike water, etc) and I'm explaining a little without overwhelming. He looks at the vac sealed bag (from CB) with my mixed, crushed grains in it with a measure of eyebrow raised ambivalence.

I mash in and wash something up. About 10 minutes before he goes, I measure out my hops (Cascade, Galaxy & Citra), he asks "what are those", I explain and give him a smell of each one separately, before combining the 10min addition of citra, galaxy and a touch of cascade.

One smell of Galaxy and he's like "I'm starting to see how making this from scratch makes all the much difference".

He spent the next 10 minutes (before he had to go) sniffing the 70g 10 minute addition hops constantly.

It's funny what sells people on the concept of "improving their brewing".

He's yet to try my beer out, but he's booked himself in for kegging day +1 for a sample.

It'll blow his mind when he actually tastes it, and I'll have made another AG convert.

Goomba

 

[bowie in space]

...and good on you for not giving up after twenty-four batches of kit beers. I made about fifteen kit/extract/partial beers. Then I discovered BIAB, grains, hops, quality yeast, temperature control, and my LHBS at the time was Grain and Grape. Best of all though, like you, I discovered this website and the generous nature of this and other brewing communities.

Bowie :beer:

 

[sav]

Congrats on your first made beer from start to finish.I said I was happy with single batches too.

Then 60lts batch started to appear, then a pump then herms then a friggen shed just for brewing.

Be warned its a terrable hobby I hate it

sav