Bottling and Tasting

Tonight I finished Batch Number Five, the Pale Ale. I filled 48 bottles and capped them, and put them aside for a couple of weeks for them to age. I really enjoy the smell of fermented beer right before it goes into the bottle. It has a hoppy scent, and a very smooth aroma, hard to describe. But each time I bottle, I find the smell to be pleasant.

At the same time, I tasted the first bottle of Heffeweizen, which was Batch Number Four. I brewed it a while back, and bottled it just a few weeks ago. It tasted as good as any Heffeweizen I have ever tasted. The yeast gave it that distinctive Heff flavor, which some decribe as banana-like. It wasn't quite as cloudy as I expected, but the alcohol content was good. I was happy with the final product.

This past weekend, I went on a camping trip. I took my last two bottles of Batch Number One, the Amber Ale. It still tasted pretty good, with the sharp edge and the hoppy zing, but it had mellowed a bit from the first time I tried it. The next Amber Ale I make will have some extra hops added, just a little, to help maintain the zing a little longer. I also took a few bottles of Red Ale, and shared them with friends. I got some pretty nice compliments, which are gratifying.

I still have a couple of bottles of Brown Ale, 12 bottles of Red Ale, and I am starting in on 50 bottles of Heffeweizen. The Pale Ale will be ready by my birthday, May 1. The ingredients for Batch Number Six are in the refrigerator, which I hope to be able to brew on the coming weekend. I now have no beer in the carboys, for the fist time since I started brewing. It won't stay that way for long.