Bill Learns Beer: First Batch of Homebrew in Bottles

First things first, if you haven't had Bell's Hopslam, run out and get some ASAP. You can get it at Rodman's, D'Vines, Churchkey, and The Black Squirrel, among other places. I've had a lot of IPAs before, but I think this might be my favorite one. Unbelievably delicious grapefruit notes in the aroma which continue into the front pallete. Very bitter, yes, but if you're a hophead, this is your equivalent of crack. It certainly won't be a session beer at 10% ABV and $20 for a 6-pack, but it is well worth the price of admission, believe me.

Anyway, the task at hand is to post about me and Josh bottling our first batch of homebrew this past weekend. This batch was not without its trials and tribulations. For example, we relied on beercalculus.hopville.com for our gravity readings because I didn't have a hydrometer jar and couldn't find anything in my house to approximate one (ideas?). We also couldn't really get the siphon started. I had read a lot in Papazian's book and on the interwebs, but it's kind of one of those reading about riding a bicycle versus riding a bicycle things. Anyway, Molly and Josh eventually figured the siphon thing out (for posterity, you have to fill the siphon hose all the way up with water, then put the end siphoning into the bucket lower than the beer in your fermenter. Or buy an auto-siphon, which is what I plan to do). Once we got the siphon started, we were having issues with keeping the tube straight. So then we rigged a racking cane where we put the tubing inside of a plastic hydrometer case with its bottom cut out. Then we taped a knife to this, sanitized it, and put it in. Then everything went pretty smoothly. Except for Josh putting his arm into the beer a lot. Eh, sanitation is for next time.

We tried some of the beer, and it tasted kind of watery. It also had a very earthy taste, almost like a watered down version of Weyerbacher Double Simcoe. I'm curious about whether that will change in the bottle or not, but I guess we'll see. I'll do tasting notes when we eventually open it.

Some other notes. Both Bell's and Founder's have really been growing on me lately. Founder's Red Rye and Backwoods Bastard and Bell's Two-Hearted (a great session, well, maybe not a session at 7%), Expedition Stout, and Hopslam. I'll have to check them out more.

Pictures from this weekend's bottling: