As Bottle-ready as it May Ever Be

[Chris Thornton]

First homebrew batch final test sample. Pale ale made using crystal and carapils malts with Cascade hops for bittering and Amarillo and Goldings for aroma. Several mishaps, I mean, uh, 'learning experiences.'

Color and nose were essentially what I wanted and this was really encouraging, but the flavor is well off. Very bitter and rough, the hops overpower everything, and there's an aftertaste I can only describe as 'soapy.' I thought at first I was using too much sanitizing chemical (StarSan), but I tasted that stuff in the name of Science to see if that's what it was, and that's not it. Is it the confluence of hops? Some crazy impurity? Space fungus?

I don't know.

That said, I'm drinking a flat beer at room temperature that hasn't had time to finish and clarify. At cellar temps a month from now it might go from tolerable to 'I'd buy that for a dollar.' Therefore, I'm going to bottle it tomorrow. It's been an educational first attempt. Second attempt begins Saturday or Sunday when I attempt the brown ale.

[Ray Grace]

Give it some time.