Successful First Batches

[Liquid Blur]

Hey Guys,
One more question for you. I'm just wondering the percentage of people here who had a successful first batch. Meaning they were satisfied with what they made. Obviously as time goes on you may look back and think that that first batch wasn't really up to par considering how many better batches of beer you've made but, what I'm really interested in is if at the time you were satisfied. Also if anyone has any first brewing experience stories they'd like to share, I'd love to hear them. Thanks for the info,
Liquid Blur

[bredmakr]

My first batch was in college 14 years ago. I was living with a guy that made beer for one reason: CONSUMPTION of high octane beer. I had never tasted home brew before and I thought the odd flavor was the way it was supposed to be. After a couple of months I decided that I would try a batch for myself. My room mate went to the local supply store and helped me select ingredients for a brown ale. three weeks later I popped the first cap and was proud of my accomplishment. Back then I was not the person I am today and the flavor profile seemed fine. At least, it was just as good or better than some of the beers my room mate created.

Then I aged and my pallet educated on the finer points of beer flavor profile. I now know that the off flavors were the result of fermenting at too high a temperature and low quality dry yeast. That and using the "all in one" kits that use hops extract. The beers that I create these days are much better. I recently slacked off on my quality and produced a high temp fermenation beer that is probably very similar to the one I made in college. I'm pitching it out.

[stumpwater]

I had it all together. I was armed and dangerous. The beer was to be a stout from a grocery store kit I picked up. I did my research and read the John Palmer online book. What I did not catch was that if you are going to forget about adding corn sugar to a kit, you have to double the amount of malt extract used. I brewed what may well be the first Guiness lite. By the way, there is a reason that no such product exists on the market. TRUST me!

Na Zdahroveh!

[andytv]

I had brewed beer twice in college from kits. The first was pretty good, but typically watery/cidery. The next was rotten. There was just no way that my apartment could have supported a sanitary process. I gave up for 7 years, then decided my friends and I would give it a try. My experience with the first two batches was of little value; My first(third) beer was pretty strange (not bad, but strange). I winged the recipe, using a boatload of liquid extract. and DME. Only saaz hops. The result was a very sweet, strong beer that had "anise" flavor. I wish I still had one, maybe it aged well. We called it Assbier, since I pulled the recipe out of @%&. Since then, things worked alot better. We bought alot of recipe kits from suppliers, which allowed us to develop our brewing skills w/o having to sweat recipe development. I'd recommend this to any new brewer (these are real kits, not beer-in-a can kits).

ANdy