[ynotbrusum]

The important thing is that you gave it a try.  You will be able to cure mistakes by continuing to try again.  I suggest doing the same recipe again to see how much easier it becomes by repetition.  It will also help you dial in your system and perhaps determine what changes or upgrades to consider going forward.  Sometimes none or very few are needed!

[dcb]

It's been in the primary exactly two weeks today, and I've just drawn off the first sample.  The FG is reading 1.012, a bit lower than the 1.016 specified in the recipe.  Next came the only part of this that's made me impatient: tasting the first warm, flat sample.

I gotta say, the first few sips seem about as perfect to me as my first girlfriend in high school.   The taste is very clean, the smell lightly fragrant.  If there are any off flavors, I can't perceive them.  My wife gave it the ultimate compliment, saying it was the best homebrew she'd tasted.  We get no "green" taste at all.

Trying to be a bit more objective and self critical, I'd say the body is thinner than I had been expecting.  I expected the 1450 to give a bit more substance and mouthfeel.  I'm no where near experienced enough to judge how this will change once it's been bottled and conditioned for a couple of weeks, nor to speculate how my mashing and sparging gaffs have affected what I have.  But I'm getting optimistic that what I have will end up being enjoyable.

So the plan is to wash bottles next Friday after work, bottle on Saturday, and then brew the very same recipe on Sunday.  I thought that suggestion made a lot of sense, both in the interest of calibrating my system and applying lessons learned. 

More when the first bottle gets opened...

[Jeff M]

It's been in the primary exactly two weeks today, and I've just drawn off the first sample.  The FG is reading 1.012, a bit lower than the 1.016 specified in the recipe.  Next came the only part of this that's made me impatient: tasting the first warm, flat sample.

I gotta say, the first few sips seem about as perfect to me as my first girlfriend in high school.   The taste is very clean, the smell lightly fragrant.  If there are any off flavors, I can't perceive them.  My wife gave it the ultimate compliment, saying it was the best homebrew she'd tasted.  We get no "green" taste at all.

Trying to be a bit more objective and self critical, I'd say the body is thinner than I had been expecting.  I expected the 1450 to give a bit more substance and mouthfeel.  I'm no where near experienced enough to judge how this will change once it's been bottled and conditioned for a couple of weeks, nor to speculate how my mashing and sparging gaffs have affected what I have.  But I'm getting optimistic that what I have will end up being enjoyable.

So the plan is to wash bottles next Friday after work, bottle on Saturday, and then brew the very same recipe on Sunday.  I thought that suggestion made a lot of sense, both in the interest of calibrating my system and applying lessons learned. 

More when the first bottle gets opened...

Add more body forming malts or some flaked oats to give it a little more body next time. 1/2lb of any would probably do, just make sure you like its flavor contribution.

[garc_mall]

It's been in the primary exactly two weeks today, and I've just drawn off the first sample.  The FG is reading 1.012, a bit lower than the 1.016 specified in the recipe.  Next came the only part of this that's made me impatient: tasting the first warm, flat sample.

I gotta say, the first few sips seem about as perfect to me as my first girlfriend in high school.   The taste is very clean, the smell lightly fragrant.  If there are any off flavors, I can't perceive them.  My wife gave it the ultimate compliment, saying it was the best homebrew she'd tasted.  We get no "green" taste at all.

Trying to be a bit more objective and self critical, I'd say the body is thinner than I had been expecting.  I expected the 1450 to give a bit more substance and mouthfeel.  I'm no where near experienced enough to judge how this will change once it's been bottled and conditioned for a couple of weeks, nor to speculate how my mashing and sparging gaffs have affected what I have.  But I'm getting optimistic that what I have will end up being enjoyable.

So the plan is to wash bottles next Friday after work, bottle on Saturday, and then brew the very same recipe on Sunday.  I thought that suggestion made a lot of sense, both in the interest of calibrating my system and applying lessons learned. 

More when the first bottle gets opened...

I would make sure that you taste it carbonated before you adjust the recipe. IMO, the body seems fuller when the beer isn't flat.