What should I expect the first time homebrewing beer?

Question

I just received a home beer brewing kit from my brother as a wedding gift, and I'm really excited to try it out. I've never done it before, so I know I'll make a few mistakes with my first batch. It came with basic instructions, but is there anything specific that I should be aware of to make sure it goes as smoothly as possible?

Is it a messy process? How long should I set aside for each step?

Thanks to anyone who has ever done this!

Answer 1

A big mess! LOL

Answer 2

I got started with a gift kit too. I also got Papazian's book, The New Complete Guide to Home Brewing, which explained everything., including the critical need for sanitation. I went to the local homebrew shop and got the ingredients plus tons of free advice. That first recipe turned out so well, I repeat it every few years.

Set aside a whole morning for your first batch. You might not need it but it's better to have too much time than too little. It takes less time for any of the other steps, although I usually set aside an entire morning for the bottling and cleanup.

It can be messy, especially if you have a boilover. Work carefully, take it easy, and cleanup should be a breeze. One warning: although I don't notice it, my wife hates the smell of boiling wort,

Answer 3

My brother and I used to brew beer all the time.  It can be pretty strong.  We never had any trouble.  Be sure everything is sterile.  Read the instructions a few times before starting to be sure you have everything you need.  Have fun.

Answer 4

the one thing you really need to pay attention to is sanitation its by far the most important thing to have good beer. if you ask anybody who has a clue about home brewing they would tell you that just make sure you sanitize everything that touches your beer and make sure your airlock works and all that. but yes it tends to be a little messy and the actual boiling part can pull the wall paper right of the walls so be aware of that.

Answer 5

You should Definitely expect to get hammered drunk for half the Price!!!!!!!!

Answer 6

I know people have mentioned this before, but I want to stress the importance to you:  sanitize, sanitize, and sanitize.  As long as you properly sanitize, your beer shouldn't taste bad at all.  Good luck, and have fun!  Homebrewing is an addicting hobby.

Answer 7

The plague, pulmonary edema, Cholera, Influenza, etc.

Answer 8

I have one of those kits. I followed the instructions to the letter except I added raspberry syrup or honey instead of sugar. My beer turned ot to be some of the best I have had. It is messy. Be prepared to take over the whole kitchen for a couple hours.

Answer 9

i guess blood poising would be the worst thing that could happen

otherwise it just won't taste like beer

we're making blackberry wine  

Answer 10

You could expect anything between nigh undrinkable and world class beer, too many factors play in to making beer to really predict an outcome with no experience.

Brewing can be messy if you go in unprepared.  I recommend using check lists and doing a dry run prior to actually brewing so that everything is accounted for and in a logical place.  This will cut down on your cleanup and overall brew time pretty significantly.

All things considered, you'll want about 2-6 hours to brew a 5 gallon batch.  On the lower end for extracts and low volume, on the higher end for all grain brewing and large volumes.

The two most important things to remember are keep things clean and sanitized from beginning to end and that no beer was meant to be stressed over.  In the immortal words of Charlie Papazian, "relax don't worry and have a homebrew".

Answer 11

it is very messy and you probly

set aside 5 mintuse between each step

Answer 12

working on my 1st batch of cider (same thing as beer but with apples) and it can be messy, most people put everything in a shallow tub or container to keep it clean

just follow the instructions that came with your kit the 1st time, then you can experiment

1st step, making the yeast, best to do that overnight

2nd step, fermentation, 2 weeks to a month

3rd step start bottling.

Answer 13

Most likely you'll get alcohol poisoning and the green apple splatters.

Answer 14

I've done this countless times. Get yourself a bottle filler if you don't already have one. It's a long, plastic tube with a spring loaded nipple in the bottom. Once you depress it into a bottle the beer flows (by pump) into the bottle. I put a old shower curtain under the bottles to catch any spillage.

Anyway...the kit will make close to 24 bottles. You need bottle like Sam Adams or something you had to use a church key/bottle opener on. There's a detergent you can buy to wash the bottles out but a dishwasher works okay.

You'll need a 5 gallon bucket with a lid or a glass carboy. The lid has a hole in it to put in a plastic tube to circulate the fermentation process. When you mix the hops and other ingredients in water in a pot on the stove stay close. Stuff has atendency to boil over quickly if not watched. I know. Oh man do I know.

As a side note...the more corn sugar you add, the higher the alcohol content. But stick with the recipie included with the kit and you can't go wrong. It'll take about 2 months to be drinkable. Pour your beer into a glass and canter it when you do (Tipping the glass and pouring the beer in along the side of the glass). This not only keeps the foam down but the bottle will have sediment in it. So try and keep most of the sediment in the bottle and not in your glass.

You'll have fun. Go to a local homebrew store and get the supplies you need. Oh..you'll need a.....d**n...can't remember the name but it measures the specific gravity in the mix. It's used so you don't have bottles exploding in your garage or kitchen three weeks to a month down the road.

Have fun. I did and I still have all the stuff. just need to find the time to get back into it again.