Beginner Brewer wanting to take the next step

[Graham]

Hi there, new to the forum and wanting some advice on how best to take the next step in my brewing hobby.

I've just recently started brewing, inspired by the great tasting home-brew beers I've sampled over the last few years at the Helensville A&P :) Not knowing anything about it, I just started off buying a Mangrove Jack's Starter Set and brewed the Craft Series IPA, followed by a Mangrove Jack's Craft Series English Session Ale.I currently have a Mangrove Jack's Craft Series London Bitter in the fermenter.

I'm a fan of British beers like Hobgoblin, Abbotts Ale, that sort of thing. The two brews that I have made so far have certainly tasted okay, but haven't really had the big taste that I'm wanting. So I'm looking at moving out of the paddling pool and dipping a toe into the children's pool.

If I've got my terminology correct, the Mangrove Jack's Craft Series are pre-hopped liquid malt extract kits. The instructions (which I've followed pretty exactly) basically have you boil up 5 litres of water, throw that in the fermenter, add the malt extract and brew enhancer, stir and top up to 23 litres, throw in the yeast and that's it.

From what I've read, particularly on howtobrew.com, I think the next step for me is to brew a beer using unhopped malt extract and follow a simple recipe, adding hops and maybe some specialty grains. So from what I understand the basic process is what John Palmer outlines in chapter one.

Am I on the right track here? I've found a recipe for a bitter ale that looks fairly straight-forward, with just three different types of hops, and one type of grain.

Thanks!

[Peter Church]

http://www.forum.realbeer.co.nz/forum/topics/advice-for-a-novice-br...

couple of good past posts here with good advice on pimping your kit brew.

One thing to consider with two kits is the bitterness, a single kit has the appropriate bittering for the full volume, two cans could be puckering

http://www.forum.realbeer.co.nz/forum/topics/not-bad-for-a-home-bre...

http://www.forum.realbeer.co.nz/forum/topics/simple-things-to-avoid...

[Peter Smith]

Do you have temperature control ?    I would get that before anything else 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5ZW2XScrzI

[Graham]

No temperature control, I have so far just stuck with the very basics to see if I like this new hobby or not.

So far the answer is a resounding "yes", so some extra dollars may well get spent if I can clear it with the accountant (SWMBO).

[Peter Smith]

Come along to the home brew tasting, you don't have to bring anything, and no one will be critical of kit beers if you do, so bring something if you have anything.  A Good chance to taste a few all grains I would think

August 21, 2014 from 6pm to 8pm – No.1 Queen St Cafe & Bar

[Tadd Clayton]

I think the temperature control for fermentation was the single best thing I did to improve my beer. We had a surplus to requirements fridge anyway and the STC-1000 unit (available from online brew supply shops and probably TradeMe) wasn't too expensive and was easy enough to wire up.Once I added a heat pad I was able to dial in any temperature between 4 degrees C and 25. It's good for lagering as well even if it probably doesn't quite get cold enough.

[Peter Smith]

I have two of these for sale, STC-1000 units ready to run (they in a box panel mounted).   Happy to do one for $90 on here.   If you have basic electrical skills, order a unit from aliexpress,  run around town pickup a box from jaycar or payless plastics, extension leads for plugs  from Bunnings and Grommets from JR electrical, you can probably do yourself for about $55.  Takes about 30-90 mins depending on ability.     

Just add a trademe fridge and a standard homebrew heat pad and you have damn fine temp control.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=766441761&ed=true

[Graham]

Thanks for the offer, sadly the chief accountant ('er indoors) has put a kybosh on any new equipment purchases for the time being ...

[Peter Smith]

still come to the homebrew tasting.... dreaming is free

[Graham]

Well over the weekend I made up a brew following this recipe:

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f67/extract-english-brown-ale-27601/

... more or less! I discovered as I started that my scales don't measure those small amounts like 1 ounce so there's a bit of guesswork there, and although the recipe is for 5 gallons (19 litres), I adjusted everything up for 23 litres ... but once it was in the fermenter I found myself thinking, did I remember to use the adjusted figures for hops, or not???

Anyway, those niggles aside, the brew is in the fermenter, the yeast cake is forming and the airlock is bubbling away nicely, so looking forward to this one when it's ready in six weeks (the waiting is always the hardest part). Can't wait!