My advice is to skip extract completely and start with brew-in-a-bag (BIAB) if you are not comfortable with all grain to start. I started with extract and moved to BIAB, and I don't think there was anything that was difficult about BIAB that I would have regretted starting with that from the beginning.
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Last: 1 day ago by swampstander
I agree with at least doing a mini mash. May not need to do full BIAB right away, but the mini mash kits I got started on were great.
Essentially, you steep some grains for a bit, then remove the bag and bring to a boil. Unlike a regular full mash, you then add your LME or DME. Generally the steeped grains are specialty grains.
Essentially, you steep some grains for a bit, then remove the bag and bring to a boil. Unlike a regular full mash, you then add your LME or DME. Generally the steeped grains are specialty grains.
I talked to my brother-in-law & he agreed with what you guys suggested. I ordered the morebeer starter kit & he is going to help get me going. I'm looking forward to joining these discussions with you all.
goodbull92 said:
I talked to my brother-in-law & he agreed with what you guys suggested. I ordered the morebeer starter kit & he is going to help get me going. I'm looking forward to joining these discussions with you all.
Its a science and an art. First you have to nail the science and then you can work on making better beer.
After you get the kit the #1 first issue you'll face is using the right water. Since you'll be doing extract, this is pretty easy. Just use RO water. Get 2 5 gallon water jugs and fill up at a Glacier or similar spot. We'll water may have all sorts of high concentrations. Municipal water is most likely treated with Chloromines, which is a stable form of chlorine which is used to sanitize the drinking water. While you may not be able to taste it, during fermentation the yeast will transform this into a medicinal or plastic flavor. It'll ruin your beer but it's the easiest flaw to avoid. If you have a home RO unit (not the fridge filtered water) that'll work as well.
The 2nd issue is managing fermentation temps. This can be a bit tricky depending on your budget or space. Ideally for ales you want it 65F to 68F. There is some leeway. The cheapest option is to put your FV in a big bucket and fill it with water to a level an inch below the wort line in your FV, then throw an old Tshirt around. The shirt will wick water up and it'll evap off. That will keep it cooler. Rotate frozen water bottles out to keep the water cool.
Rule of thumb: active fermentation is about 1 week. After the yeast is done farting, let it sit a second week to allow the yeast to reabsorb by products. Then you're ready to package.
Also out of the blue the AHA sent me a notice I'm now a Distinguished Certified judge. I need to prep and take the written exam to hit National.
Thanks for the tips & encouragement! I look forward to learning & discussing this new adventure.
Also, ales are best to start with generally. But brew what you like and want to have a lot of!
Blonde ale, amber ale are both great starting options.
My first handful of batches I learned on I used store bought water. Good rec from Alaska. Remove that variable as being a potential detractor while you learn. Didn't use a drinking water hose with a filter and adjustments until a little later.
Blonde ale, amber ale are both great starting options.
My first handful of batches I learned on I used store bought water. Good rec from Alaska. Remove that variable as being a potential detractor while you learn. Didn't use a drinking water hose with a filter and adjustments until a little later.
I am very fortunate and have very good tap water for brewing. I sent specimens in to Ward Labs twice. My only complaint is that it is a little high in sodium for most styles. The only way to fix that is with dilutions, I typically don't and it's never been an issue. I will amend my water for English styles and NEIPAs by adding various components but for most other styles I brew as is. For Pilsners, 7gal distilled to 1gal of my water is very close to Pilsen water profile.
swampstander
I got my brew kit in yesterday! I plan on starting my first batch this weekend with the help of my BIL. He suggested using the Primo water station at Walmart for this brew. Anyone have opinions on that water? They do say they use RO and this is their filtering explanation:
- 9-Stage Purification Process including Reverse Osmosis to ensure quality
- Ingredients: purified water, sodium bicarbonate, calcium chloride, magnesium sulfate
That's probably just fine IMO. Unless the Na:Cl ratio is all whacky, but I'm guessing since it's store bought they're not.
If I remember right (been a while since I've thought about this), higher Na concentration will lend itself to more bite on the beer and crispness, and more Cl is what drives softness or that plush mouthfeel. I think as long as one or the other doesn't heavily heavily outweigh the other you'll be okay.
If I remember right (been a while since I've thought about this), higher Na concentration will lend itself to more bite on the beer and crispness, and more Cl is what drives softness or that plush mouthfeel. I think as long as one or the other doesn't heavily heavily outweigh the other you'll be okay.
What's your first batch going to be?
AlaskanAg99 said:
What's your first batch going to be?
The German Hefeweizen.
Yesterday I brewed an English style IPA for a SMaSH beer competition coming up in April. I have brewed this once before and it turned out great. To get the caramel flavor and color associated with this style I did a small separate mash the day before. I took a gallon of first runnings from this mash and boiled it down to a quart of thick sticky caramel. This was treated as amber liquid malt extract for my calculations. I posted a pic of before and after boiling it down below.
SMaSH English IPA 5.5 gallons
Grain/Extract/Sugar
2.00 lbs. caramelized Maris Otter wort
8.00 lbs. Maris Otter
Hops
1.00 oz. Goldings - E.K. 60 min.
1.00 oz. Goldings - E.K. 45 min.
1.00 oz. Goldings - E.K. 15 min.
Mash 1 hour at 154
SO-4 yeast.
SMaSH English IPA 5.5 gallons
Grain/Extract/Sugar
2.00 lbs. caramelized Maris Otter wort
8.00 lbs. Maris Otter
Hops
1.00 oz. Goldings - E.K. 60 min.
1.00 oz. Goldings - E.K. 45 min.
1.00 oz. Goldings - E.K. 15 min.
Mash 1 hour at 154
SO-4 yeast.
swampstander
Sounds good. Clever use of the base malt to add some different character and color into the single malt beer.
Ya... hopefully it will stand out in a smash competition. I was braver the last time I did it as far as how thick I boiled it down. Pic below is what I ended up with that time. Paper plate is vertical.Chipotlemonger said:
Sounds good. Clever use of the base malt to add some different character and color into the single malt beer.
swampstander