Recipe Advice Thread

[denimglen]

Thought it might be handy to have a thread for some of the more advanced brewers to give some advice on recipes.

Let's see how it goes eh...

[Mark Kessell]

Hi, next WBC is a Blonde Ale.

this is the one i've devised.

it's pretty simple. but any suggestings welcomed.

 

4.50 kg Golden Promise (3.0 SRM) 90.0 %
0.10 kg Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) 2.0 %
0.40 kg Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) 8.0 %
15.00 g Pacific Jade [13.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min 23.9 IBUs
10.00 g Motueka [7.00 %] - Boil 20.0 min 5.2 IBUs
20.00 g Motueka [7.00 %] - Boil 0.0 min 0.0 IBUs
1.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml] Yeast

 

13L mash @67 for 60mins, 6L mashout @76 for 10.

16L sparge volume between 76 and 80.

only thing to watch is the difference between the AA% of beersmith and the actual AA%.

[Josh Woolf]

Hey all, I was just wondering if there is a cheap but solid all grain recipe for starters? I'm not really fussed about what kind of beer but am interested in few ingredients and steps involved.

 

Cheers, 

-Josh

[Scarrfie]

Hi Josh,

I am new to all grain this year and progressed there from kits, improving kits with yeast and crystal and partial grain.

You will find How to Brew by John Palmer an excellent source of information and he has recipes at chapter 19.

It might help if you outlined what equipment you have also.

Sounds like you may want search for sMasH recipes.

[jt]

I dont know if theres a 'cheap recipe', cost is probably down to what you buy

the palmer recipes are good starters, the bitter and the american pale a simple one and good to get to know a few ingredients. Nothing wrong with 95% pale 5% crystal, a bittering hop and some late hops, sometimes simplicity is awesome.

[denimglen]

JT's got it there.  Also depends how you define cheap too, for cheap and easy I'd go something like a lightish pale ale:

 

1.045, 35IBU, 67C mash

 

95% NZ pils

5% of a crystal malt

 

An NZ hop like cascade 

Enough at 60 mins to make up your IBU

30g/20L @ 15 minutes

30g/20L @ 0 minutes

30g/20L Dry hop.

 

SO5 - repitch it for a few generations to reduce costs further.

 

Although it sounds like you just want a cheap recipe because it's your first AG it's probably worth noting to spend a little more on good sanitiser (eg Starsan), replacing plastic fermenters and tubing every now and then etc.  Nothing to increase batch cost like dumping one due to infection.

[Dai]

Try the Recipe Exchange http://www.forum.realbeer.co.nz/group/therecipeexchange/forum; or the byo.com website: http://www.byo.com/stories/recipeindex. Great for ideas. Of course, you usually never find exactly the same ingredients, but improvising is half the fun!

[Karl Hayes]

Evening folks. I'm looking for some advice. I've done about 10 All Grain brews, mostly hoppy pale ales and the odd porter cause that's what I like to drink. However summer is coming and I'd like to put down one batch of lager, not too hoppy, reasonably bland will do fine.

 

I have at my disposal about 15KG of NZ Pilsener malt, 80g of NZ Cascade pellets and a couple of Saflager s 23 dry yeast packs. I've a few hundred grams of medium crystal as well. I've a standard 25L rig but will upgrade to 50L batches soon (Thanks Chris Banks).

 

Any suggestions woulk be appreciated

[Scarrfie]

Sounds like a smash would work well with your ingredients. I haven't tried NZ Cascade as yet, but I have some in the freezer and it smells amazing so I can't wait to try it. 

Have you got temperature control for fermenting and lagering? I brew in ambient so have gone hard over the winter with seven batches, and put my secondary container outside in the bush to lager.Lol. Gee it makes a difference though, even just a month.

I have been been using a fairly standard grist of 4.5kg pilsner malt with 200g carapils, 100g caramalt, primarily to add a bit of foam and maltiness, which has worked well and I intend to continue to use. I have played with combinations of Sticklebract, Pacifica, Riwaka and Motueka, however I did do a smash with sticklebract and with two weeks in the bottle now it is drinking well. Definitely less foam and malt flavour, but not unreasonably so. I can't comment on your yeast as I have not used it, but I think a smash with NZ Cascade would be awesome.

Interesting you are thinking of upgrading to a 50L plant, I reckon it will take me several years to fine tune my brews to a point where I am confident to do 50L batches.

[Karl Hayes]

Hi Scarrfie.

Yup - I have a fridge large enough with a temp controller. The upgrade to 50L was partly accidental - the mash tun I was using was a converted chilly bin and I wanted to invest in something decent so Chris Banks is making up a converted keg mash tun for me. I also acquired a 57L HLT and a 65L kettle reasonably cheaply.

Cheers

[Scarrfie]

Very nice. I am still refining my processes, but I can cut out two 22L batches in one day. That will have to do me for the foreseeable future. The boil/cooling can overlap with the second batch mashing in the chillibin:)

I read one of the beginners articles that kegging instead of bottling makes life a lot easier, so that is likely to be my first upgrade in plant. Hmmm, perhaps temp control first though. I think my current setup will be it for another year to two though.

[jt]

OK, something fruity for the last brew of the year please!
I really want to get something orange marmalade and I've attempted it with Goldings and with pacifica but rarely come close.
Mr Millers write up of lady marmalade suggests that a good malt base and yeast choice will go a long way to helping.

Now I was going to go with my 85% Golden Promise 15% Caramalt in a 1033 ale - good start ?

On the question of yeast, I'm dry, '05 or Windsor and the Windsor (better check the fridge !) sounds the more likely yea

Next up hops. I'm picking NZ Goldings and Pacifica to follow a hearty bittering addition of Super Alpha.
So what sort off additions am I going to need, maybe a mix of both to 1gm/litre at 20 10 & 0
Or will one give me a better go than the other  - suggestions ?

[MrC]

I'd focus less on hops and more on what size jar of marmalade to use and what ratio of lemon:orange:grapefruit rind to go for at the end of the boil.