First Brew....Extract or Mash?

[studio1]

Hi all,

Have been thinking about getting into brewing for a while - have a passion for real beers and would like to create some craft quality beer. Over the last week I've been doing lots of reading - this site, howtobrew.com, watched some you-tube vids on AG etc.

Am about to get my equipment together...and wondering...what should I try out first...extract, partial or jump straight into AG (mash or BIAB). I really want to create a bloody good drop (english bitter to start)....would an extract or partial be up to my expectations??? My only memory of an extract beer is the filth my mates created 15 years ago at school....so I guess I'm a bit tainted.

All info and advice appreciated.

[Barry]

With a fridge controller, unfortunately more spend, but totally worth it in my opinion.
This time of year though, around Auckland anyway, thats basement temp for me, I can leave my fermenters on the basement floor and they only just get to around 21 at high krausen.

[studio1]

How often should I be taking a Hydrometer reading during the fermentation process - I haven't taken any to date (4 days in - apart from the OG reading) - presume there is no need until I expect primary to be complete?
Is it ok to take the reading via the spigot at the bottom of the barrel (seems like there's a lot of sediment in the bottom)?


Thanks,

[JoKing]

You can take as many readings as you like from the tap in the bottom of your fermenter. Just wash it out once you're done (from the outside).

I often taste the sample once I have taken the reading to get an idea of how the brew is going: ie. at the end of fermentation to see how the diacetyl clean up is going. You have to worry when you tase the sample... then consider pouring a whole pint to drink straight out of th fermenter!!!!!

Don't tell me I'm the only one who thinks this!!!!!

[Kempicus]

not at all....i generally taste it every day it's fermenting!
Oh and i don't use a hydrometer until it's finished fermenting, i use the beer whisperer approach and listen to it, once it's stopped 'snap, crackle and popping' it's ready to bottle!

[HerrSchnapps]

Often! I leave it until it stops bubbling before taking the first reading, generally its at about 3/4ths the way there by then, and it takes another week to get down to bottling FG. My ferments are slow... oh, and I got my Wyeast today! Woo! (its quite warm though, postie just left in the postbox, it sat there all day :( )

[studio1]

ok, gravity down to 1.017 from 1.068 - she's gonna be a strong brew. tastes pretty bloody awful to be honest - bitter type taste that lingers for ages...still only 4 days into it.

[Reviled]

Alot of that bitterness will die down with age mate, I did a "Sheep Shagger" NZIPA with about 75-80IBUs and it was undrinkable out of the fermenter, actually made me gag it was so chronically bitter, but now after 4 weeks in the bottle its beautifull :o) Hops get less intense over time and the malt will stand out a bit more also.