DarthMalt

Recipes 

I don't understand this either. If the recipe is solid, there should be no problems. Whether you're mashing 5 grains or one, the process is the same. But, if you go willy nilly trying to make a recipe without experience and just throw in 5 base grains in random amounts, there will be some complications. So I can see how keeping it simple would work in that respect. This could apply to any recipe though, be it AG, PM, or extract.

optimatored

Recipes 

The toughest part about going all-grain is mastering your setup... hitting temps, managing the sparge, pH levels, and water chemistry etc... you could mash 25 grains but it would just be annoying if anything. All of what I said is the "tough" part, but that assumes the brewer already learned about yeast pitching, fermentation, and proper sanitation.

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-- Benjamin Franklin

Keg1: Saison
Keg2: Altbier
Bottled: RIS

On Deck: IPA, Dunkel, Doppelbock

Exbeerienced

Recipes 

I know it's difficult to keep grain bills simple. But the less complicated the grain bill, the less difficult to discern what ingredients contributed what flavors. Ideally, we should brew single malt beers at first, then go from there. I've never been able to do that though. Gotta throw at least something extra in there! (And indeed, it may make for a better beer.)

Out of curiosity, has anybody ever brewed a single malt beer? Come out ok?

evwoller

Recipes 

Exbeerienced, look around at all the people with SMaSH in their sig

Frodo

Recipes 

Exbeerienced, you're coming at this from your perspective, that you think it's more important to learn about what grains taste like what, when many a new AG brewer is just advancing the fun of brewing for them. To me it's more rediculous to expect new AG brewers to be so edited to focus on learning what any particular grain tastes like their first time.

Cambone

Recipes 

I agree, my first all-grain couldn't have been simpler:

Blonde

2-row
15L Crystal

and one 60 min. hop addition.

My most widely liked beer to date.

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Thank you Homebrewing for making my alcoholism seem like a hobby.

quadmx08

Recipes 

I just made my first AG, breakfast stout from northern brewer. I did the extract version last fall and it was the wife's favorite, so I thought I would do a BIAB AG version now that the extract version is all gone.

Grain bill:
Maris otter
Roasted barley
Flaked oats

Hops:
Wilamate

Other:
Lactose

brew2enjoy

Recipes 

My first AG was an Imperial IPA but not difficult at all. Just two base malts. The challenging part was continually hopping for 90 minutes with three different hops during the boil. AG is not too hard if you gave the right equipment and pay attention to what your doing.

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mdfairbairn

Recipes 

I opted for a simpler recipe for my first AG attempt today ... An American Brown Ale

7.5# 2 row
1# Crystal 60
.5# Chocolate
.25# CaraPils
1oz Cascade @ 60
.5oz Liberty @ 30

Efficiency probably but that's what I get for a) not calibrating my MLT and b) not accurately measuring my sparge water! In the end ... I will have HB and that's what matters!

Thanks to all the posts on HBT for helping out!

Cheers!!

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~=River Dawg Brewery - The Beer That Bites Back=~
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Primary #1: Chimay Blue Clone
Primary #2: nothing (yet)
Secondary #1: Italian Valpolicella
Secondary #2:
Kegged: Dawg Nut Brown Ale (AG)
Kegged: Sycamore Abbey Ale (AG)
Drinking: Hair of the Cat Wit
Aging #1: Malbec 2011
Aging #2: Chianti 2010
Aging #3: Oatmeal Rye Stout
Aging #4: Root Beer

two_one_seven

Recipes 

I just went with a NB Irish Stout and let someone else design my grain bill. The stout covers up any misses on my mash temps. Turned out spectacular.