Homebrew #1: Amber Ale
I have made my own beer. It feels like the first time man made fire or something. It's awesome. I'm sure had I bought the exact same beer from the store, I'd think it was nothing special, but when you make it yourself it's just great
I had been thinking about getting into homebrewing for at least six months, but it wasn't until my lovely wife surprised me (and my bro-in-law) by taking advantage of a LivingSocial deal and signing us up for a homebrew class put on by a local brewery. As soon as the class was over I went straight to the brew shop and picked up a complete kit, complete with ingredients for an Amber Ale. I started the brew a few days later and it went off without a hitch. The only problem I had was getting a good boil going on the glass-top stove, so I ended up moving the kettle out to the grill to finish it off. I let it sit in the primary fermenter for two weeks.
When I cracked it open to bottle it, I gave it a little taste-test and I wasn't exactly enthusiastic about the result. A little Internet research reassured me that it would be better with more time and carbonation.
About four days later, my dad was in town but just for one night, so I popped open one of the bottles so we could sample. I was super-worried it would taste like garbage, but thankfully it was really good! All of my time and effort hadn't gone to waste.
All in all it's been fun, I'm happy with the outcome, and I'm ready to start another batch!
