First Beer Sampled! [Ginger Saison]

[brewwitch]

Not sure where this should be posted...

OK We tried our first batch yesterday, A ginger Saison. Being the first batch there were several technological difficulties in the process from a fiasco of a racking to secondary to killing all the yeast with a heating pad. (don't ask!)

I in particular was a bit trepidacious as I brought the opener to the lip of the bottle but when a clearly audible 'pffft' was released as I pried up the cap we looked at each other with big grins on our faces.

Oh.. Then we poured into a glass and watched a thick golden head form. Yummmmm..... the color was amber and it was much clearer than I expected it to be. The taste was very Belgian in character in that kind of fruity/estery profile that Belgians have. Rather malty also. I did not notice any ginger tone to it. Not as carbonated as it should be (we did open it a week early), so it has a cask-conditioned feel to it!.. Anyway I think the extra carbonation will lighten it a bit as it seems a little "thick".


Now I am not at all claiming it to be a great beer.. but it is drinkable!
So we were really happy about that! Tomorrow we're going to try the Sour Cherry Ale. I am very optimistic about that one....

[belsonc]

But you know what?


It's YOUR beer.



Yeah, granted, it may not be stellar. You can point out that you did x, y, or z wrong.


At the end of the day, this is still YOUR beer. And let's be honest - you can't tell me it's not better than a LOT of the beer out there. ;-)

My friend started homebrewing, and was worried - she made a stout, but had yeast issues as well and fermented it too warm. I tried it, and it was pretty good. Was it great? No. But it was pretty good - and she was so proud of herself for it. I told her she had every reason to be - and so do you.

Well done!

[brewwitch]

Thanks!

Yah.. I am tickled.... and you're right it is a lot better than most of the mass marketed swill out there!

This is an addicting "hobby"!

[markaberrant]

Congrats! I'm sure this one will only get better, as will successive batches.

Just went back and read your posts, sounds like you brewed this batch just 3 weeks ago? That's REALLY young. A 1.070 saison will definitely get better with some age! Try to pace yourself and drink this one over the next 12 months (you should have more than enough alcohol to hold up that long), you will be amazed at the changes, and it will give you a chance to go back and review your first beer and compare it to future batches. Just keep on brewing, and if you don't have enough other homebrew in the pipeline, pick up singles of commercial beers to try; it's a great way to learn about new styles and understand how ingredients and flavours work. Although I'm guessing you already have an appreciation for good beer, seeing as you went with a 1.070 Ginger Saison for your first batch... very impressive.

By the way, what was your final gravity?

[belsonc]

I agree, Mark.

And you said there wasn't really any ginger tone to it? No reason why you can't make it again - and put some more in. You know it's drinkable - so now, if you want, you can start tweaking it. I'm sure there's PLENTY of info out there on how to use ginger in brewing. :-)

[brewwitch]

Oh.. I love beer. As I always say beer is good food!

I already have every intention to remake this and tweak it...

Final gravity is 1.030 or less... not 100% sure. I'll do better with keeping track of that!

This is soo cool.. There is so much science to it. I really want to get that down and then work on the art but my left brained self has trouble with that!

LOL

[Mill Rat]

There is so much science to it. I really want to get that down and then work on the art but my left brained self has trouble with that!Work on your technique and sanitation first. Technique without art is boring, but passable. Art without technique often results in a mess that really doesn't even qualify as art. Make your first few brews from recipes or kits. It's a little like painting by numbers, but you're still painting - make that brewing. You'll know soon enough when you're confident enough in your techniques to give a little more leash to your artistic side. When you starting brewing without numbers and lines, I recommend three resources:

Brewing software like Promash. It helps to know where you're going before you leave, and this will also record your recipes for future reference, help track inventory, etc. This is probably my most-used brewing tool, save for maybe my one-gallon polycarbonate measuring pitcher.

www.bjcp.org. This lists common beer styles. There's lots of debate about the usefulness of defining beers by style, but beer styles exist because a good number of people like how they taste. It's certainly not the last word on what's possible in brewing, but it will help you with selecting ingredients for the styles you do like.

Ray Daniels' Designing Great Beers. This book, though a little dated, will help you with recipe formulation and such notions as BU/GU ratios. For other styles not in this book, other folks have filled the gap. Since you like Belgians enough to make one your first homebrew, Brew Like a Monk might be of interest to you.

[dparsons]

Congrats. It just gets better with every batch too.

[brewwitch]

Actually I'm not a big fan of Belgians to be honest.

I tend to like IPA's, porters, stuff like that. I just went for the belgian because the giner in the name intrigued me. I'll alter it next time though to use fresh ginger & not the candied stuff.... :-)

[TeufelBrew]

First, Congrats!!!!!
I've only been at it for 8 months and I still love that feeling of making MY beer! Your beers and the joy of making them will only increase from where you are now.

I just went for the belgian because the giner in the name intrigued me. I'll alter it next time though to use fresh ginger & not the candied stuff.... :-)

Be VERY careful! I use both in our kitchen at work for culinary purposes and you need MUCH less of the real stuff to get a huge load of flavor from it. Check with some of the experienced brewers on here for how much to use and where best to use it.

Mark is absolutely right. Give this one time. I have a 9.5ABV belgian that is 6 months old and only now beginning to taste right.

[corkybstewart]

Congrats. I agree with a lot of the other guys. Get your technique solid with the simple beers you say you prefer. That will also give you a better way to compare your beer with your favorite commercial beer of that style. Brew as often as you can, and buy beers you've never heard of before. That's a great way to introduce yourself to new styles. My poor wife has gotten used to me bringing home 15 or 20 bottles of beer every time we go out of town.

[hooky]

Woo Hoo!!!

You made beer. Nothing like it.