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!

[Cain Harland]

As you say partial mash might be the next step. I imagine if you take that step you will soon take the next and go all grain. I noticed all byo magazines recipes (and they have a lot) have an extract / partial mash version eg http://byo.com/english-scottish-strong-ale/item/153-attack-of-the-h... .

A thing to be aware of if you don't have a large pot and some kind of chiller to do a full boil when doing a extract or partial mash with your own hops is hop utilization is effected by the volume of your boil, eg 100g hops boiled in 3l with the wort from your specialty grain mini mash then added to 20l of water wont necessarily have the same result of boiling 100g hops in 23l of water for the same time. The extent of the reduction in hop utilization probably depends on the hoppyness of the beer eg 1g of hops boiled in 3l and added to 20l is probably the same as 1g of hops boiled in 23l but at some point the concentration of alpha acids gets high enough to reduce utilization. Dry hopping (in the fermenter) of course is done with the full volume so won't have this problem and is a good way to add some extra hoppy but not bitter flavors to a kit brew.

Heres a link to an article about extract brewing that might be helpful. http://byo.com/stories/issue/item/615-extract-method-to-your-madness

[Graham]

Well my wife has a stainless steel pot that she uses for preserves and the like ... I measured that last night and it's 15 litres, so I wouldn't be able to do a full brew but that still should be pretty good, right?

[TBone]

My advice to you... Try BIAB... Or brew in a bag as a starting point into all grain.

Here's a video for you to check out.

http://brewingtv.com/episodes/2012/3/2/brewing-tv-episode-54-jakes-...

You will also find this programme helpful.

http://beersmith.com/

[Crusader-Rob]

Welcome to the obsession.
I'm about 18months /2 years in now. 

For me I bought the starter kit, brewed an underwhelming munich lager. and went straight to this:
http://howtobrew.com/section1/chapter1-1.html

the cinncinati pale ale, is a nice beer, and ould get you going for your first attempt at over and above the pre-hopped kits, from there, I went to partial mash immiediately, because I enjoyed the cinncinati beer i want to improve it. and started with this. http://howtobrew.com/section2/index.html 

Then BIAB, and that where I've stayed, due to time and effort involved, its a simple system, but works a treat for me. I also recommend a fridge/heatpad and temp control to ensure ferment is up to scratch. 

[Peter Smith]

May matts kit , good value at $150

[Graham]

Hey thanks everyone for your ideas - given me several ideas to think about, which will take me a while - I'm one of those "take things slowly" guys. I think I have to get used to the idea that if I do make a monstrous mistake, better people than me have tipped a brew down the sink.

BIAB is one idea I hadn't considered, I'll have a read up about that and check out the video. I'm still making my way (slowly) through http://howtobrew.com.

Peter Smith - I haven't heard about May matts kit, who or what is that?

I'll be sure to let you know where I end up and the results!

[Peter Church]

+1 to starting with BIAB, there is a good overview on this link from Brewers coop. you can purchase "kits", Allgrain.co.nz have a few all grain kits, tested recipes that work leaving you just to focus on process for a few brews. 

http://www.brewerscoop.co.nz/BIAB.pdf

You will need a ~30l pot, a Grain bag, and a 2 -3 ring gas burner

http://www.trademe.co.nz/home-living/kitchen/pots-pans-bakeware/pot...

All this is equipment that you can use as you upgrade to more complex techniques. 

You can go no chill initially but it is worth getting a coil of 1/2 inch copper and making an immersion chiller. search for brassman on the forum and you should find the email for a supplier who has pretty reasonably priced copper coils, probably supplied half the guys that have responded to your questions I would guess. 

[Peter Smith]

Sorry I mis typed  -   Buy Matts kit here    http://www.forum.realbeer.co.nz/forum/topics/all-grain-setup-for-sale     fat fingers on keyboard...  $150 its a good basic setup....

[Graham]

Thanks Peter :-)

[Julie Fitzjohn]

Hi Graham 

BIAB is a great. But there are a couple of steps you can take before that if you like.  

First ditch the brew enhancer for a can of malt - ask your local brew shop re any specific kit - but for most beers the kit plus a can of black rock light or amber will do the business. Your beer will have more body as the dextrose ferments out and just adds alcohol; the malt provides the alcohol but lots of other nice things to make body. that will improve your beer.  Still on kits, you can dry hop if it suits style.  Do your kit as usual, ferment, and talk to your brew shop about how much and what to dry hop. that will give you a bit more hop aroma.

next step beyond there (but before going all grain) is to look at getting a partial kit someone has worked out and gives you good insturctions and recipe for.  Finney (of Finney's Homebrew Emporium in chch) has a range of these, you get the grain bag, instructions, all the stuff you need *bar a pot - I think you need about 5 litre pot, and a thermometer). see http://www.trademe.co.nz/home-living/lifestyle/home-brewing/auction...   as an example, but he has a range. and he does ship to auckland.

best wishes 

[Peter Smith]

CraigTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4QyrJ1E8VI

[Tadd Clayton]

Hi GrahamSome advice I was given many years ago by Mike from Brewers Coop was that I could use two cans of the kit malt (i.e. buy two of the same kit) and use both for one standard size batch with no added liquid or dry malt or brewing sugar. Whether or not you use both yeast sachets is up to you but it might be a good idea if you happen to have bought quite old kits. Depending on the fermentation, this should give you a stronger beer although flavours should be retained. Obviously this method is likely to be a bit more expensive than using one kit and some additional malt or other fermentable. However if you happen to come across some reasonably priced kits it's worth considering. I haven't brewed this way for a long time after eventually shifting to all grain brewing.

Good luck

Tadd