First All-Grain & don't want to screw it up!

flyboys3 · 07-30-2009, 08:58 PM

I Have been wanting to try a a.g. for a while now and found this recipie for a oberon clone.

Grain Bill
5 lbs. - 2 Row Pale Malt
5 lbs. - Wheat Malt
1 lb. - Munich Malt (get the lighter stuff if you have a choice)
1/2 lb. - Crystal Malt (10L)

Hop Schedule (28 IBU)
1/2 oz - Northern Brewer (or Hallertau, your choice) (60 min.)
1/2 oz - Saaz (60 min.)
1/2 oz - Saaz (15 min.)
1/2 oz - Saaz (0 min. - flameout)

Yeast
Here are three choices, in order preference:
1. Culture Yeast from the Bell's Oberon bottle EARLY in the brewing season
2. Wyeast 1272 American Ale Yeast [fruitier than WLP001]
3. White Labs California Ale Yeast (WLP001) or Safale US-56

Mash/Sparge/Boil
Mash at 150° to 152° for 60 min.
Sparge as usual
Boil for 60 minutes
Cool and ferment at 66° to 68°

But have questions........
2 row pale malt, i guess rahr 2 row pale is o.k

but what about the wheat malt? there seems to be a lot of different wheat malts so wich one should I go with?

And the Crystal Malt (10L)

I foun some but it was not 10L it was 50-60 L
what is the L for anyway?
maybe I should just forget about it, but i want to try it and don't want to screw it up too bad!

as for the yeast I have a 6 pack of oberon left and was going to try to harvest for a starter but here we go again how big of a starter 1000 ml ok?

any help/advice you could provide would be great.
Thanks

Big10Seaner · 07-30-2009, 09:03 PM

The Rahr will be just fine, and any kind of wheat malt should do the trick as well (other than something like a darker wheat). Do not subsitute crystal 60L for 10L, it is substantially darker and has more caramel flavor.

bdnoona · 07-30-2009, 09:10 PM

L = Lovibond
Degrees Lovibond - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I would just buy yeast rather than harvest for your first AG. You'll have enough to be stressed out about. But that's just me. Have fun!

Q2XL · 07-30-2009, 09:16 PM

It sounds like a good recipe. I have brewed 2 Oberon clones this summer and they came out good. I did 1 with Whitle Labs american wheat yeast and 1 with Oberon yeast. To tell you the truth, I could not tell the difference. I am new to brewing so I am sure that someone more experienced would notice something.

One word of advice...keep it simple and have EVERYTHING that you think you will need and maybe some things that you might not need at hand. I spent A LOT of time running back into the house to get things. Still do!

flyboys3 · 08-01-2009, 12:34 AM

Yes ,Good advice, I will Just buy the yeast for the first one. I just love the citrus aroma and taste of oberon. What do you think of putting orange zest in the secondary? worth it?

**wilserbrewer** · 08-01-2009, 12:50 AM

For a first all grain, i would just pitch the dry Safale US-56. Also, strike a couple degrees high, much easier to stir in a small handful of ice cubes rather than heat the mash. Reason being, IMHO 156 mash temp is a helluva lot better than 146?

**jpc** · 08-01-2009, 06:19 AM

I would also throw in about a pound of rice hulls, given that your grain bill is about 40-45% wheat malt. Good insurance against a stuck sparge.

mr_clean · 08-01-2009, 06:38 AM

White wheat malt goes great with a 2-row.

flyboys3 · 08-01-2009, 12:39 PM

Rice hulls excellent idea! White wheat sounds good. I am gaining confidence with every reply. I love all the advice you people offer, thanks

Matt Up North · 08-01-2009, 07:22 PM

Rice hulls, rice hulls, rice hulls.

Don't sub the 10L for 60L or vice versa, very different.

If you are doing 5 gallons a little easy thing to remember is to get your mash strike water to around 165. 99% of the time it works for me. Get your mash tun hot first as well (which means that you can heat the water in the mash ton). If using a cooler, then get the water up to 170-175.

Buy yeast. I advise a very simple high attenuater like a California Ale yeast, due to it being easy to use and predictable. It might not be to style, but it is a very useful first time yeast.

Plan ahead.