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...

[John]

I'll have to put it down as a lesson for next time. I think I know where I went wrong. The strike temperature didn't take into account the coldness of the mash tun, and it was difficult to then maintain the correct temperature to make the conversion happen fully. I'll have to have a barrel of extract on hand to correct future mistakes. Would you use a light malt extract even with a stout, or would you go with an extract that matched the style you were trying for?

[RopenutS]

Hey whats up, i was going to try and do extract/specialty grain brew. I was going to use the method that John Palmer uses on how to brew, where he steeps the grains in 3 gallons of water, thats like 11 litres isnt it? It seems like a bit. Just wondering how much people typically use?

Cheers

[MrC]

When I steep grain I use a ratio of 3L of water per 1kg of grain and steep for 30min at 70c.

[denimglen]

Yeah, 11 - 12 L.

I think you can get a decent deal on biggish pots from the warehouse and there's good deals on trademe too. Southern Hospitality is good too, high quality stuff but you pay the price.

I'd look at getting about a 20 L pot, as the grain displaces water and you need room for foam when you boil.

[RopenutS]

Yeah the pot size doesnt worry me i got me a big un. 3L per 1kg of grain? Sweet as i'll remember that, sounds like a good standard measure.

Thanks

[denimglen]

Good luck bro, there's no turning back now :-D

Which recipe are you going with?

[RopenutS]

Haha i know. Ummm im not to sure yet, ive been looking a some recipes on that tasty brew site, but just dont know what to go with. Im thinking an APA probly. Im not scared to get ambitious, haha

[denimglen]

APAs are a good place to start I reckon. Easy to brew, easy to drink can't go wrong really.

[RopenutS]

Sweet bro thats where im gonna start then. You ever use the american recipes and their methods??

[denimglen]

Yeah all the time - a great book to get is Brewing Classic Styles by John Palmer and Jamil Zainesheff. It includes at least one recipe for every style listed in the BJCP (all 80 or so of them). The recipes are listed in extract and also the all-grain equivalent. Every recipe I've brewed from that book has been good. Each has needed a little tweaking to get perfect - but that's the same with every recipe, just because of different ingredient sources and equipment and tastes. It's my go-to whenever I'm looking to brew a style I haven't brewed before.

Some of the recipes from that book can be found here. Also it's worth checking out The Brewing Network. There's some podcasts there where Jamil has gone through each style with a recipe and trick and tips, worth the listen if you want the down and dirty on a style.

I can give you Jamil's recipe from the book if you'd like but you'll need to let me know your boil size and where you're buying ingredients from so I can give you the right hop amounts.

[RopenutS]

Yeah man send it if you want. Well if i was just using the method from Palmers site the boil size would be 3 gallons i guess, do they use that size in that recipe?? Sounds like it makes a final volume of 5 gallons which is 19 litres so thats all good. I would probly have to get my ingredients from that Great Expectations store in the hutt.

[denimglen]

From my conversions (has been a while since I've done an extract beer)

3.4 kg Pale/light unhopped liquid malt extract (I recommend black rock)
0.34kg Pale crystal malt (steeped)

30g Southern Cross @ 60 mins
30g hops @ 15 mins
30g hops @ 0 mins

SafAle US-05 yeast.

That's assuming a 12L boil which should get you the right amount of bitterness.

For the hop additions at 15 and 0 mins I would go for 15g each of two different varieties, as long as they're fruity/citrusy varieties they will be to style - your homebrew shop should be able to recommend something. You want something like Cascade, Motueka, Riwaka.

Can someone that does extract recipes just verify what I've posted - has been a while haha, don't wanna put this dude crook!