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Reapers revenge · 10-03-2005, 08:59 AM

Hi all, I have only ever brewed with kits before, I decided this weekend to try my hand at brewing with malt extract. Ive tryed a brown ale recipe given to me by my local homebrew shop.

Brown jack best brown ale

3 1/2 lb dark malt extract (45 mins)
3 3/4oz crushed roast barley (45 mins)
3/4oz crushed roast barley (pitched in when cooled)
1lb 5oz white sugar
1 3/4oz fuggles hops (45 mins)
3.5 gallon water
3 saccharins tablets
beer yeast

Boiled malt, barley and hops for 45mins, strained then added dissolved sugar, cooled then piched in the saccharin, barley and yeast. it smell like a cross between tea and coffee, very nice. Its fermenting away nicely now, ill let you know how it turns out.

OG:1040

happy brewing regards Paul

Deuchar · 10-03-2005, 10:51 AM

Nice one! I too had my first crack at an extract beer this weekend. A Harviestoun 80/- clone courtesy of Marc Ollesson:

18 litres of water
2.8kg Pale malt extract
405g Crystal malt
91g Fuggles at start of boil
~340g soft brown sugar halfway through boil
18g Goldings and 5g Irish Moss in the last 15 minutes

Boil time: Approx 80 minutes

Then topped up to 23 litres and Safale yeast starter added. I'll be dry hopping the secondary with a small amount (~7g) of Goldings too.

My starting gravity was a little low (1038 - the recipe stated 1041) but I think I just over watered the wort at the end. Shouldn't be a major issue. I'll just end up with an approximate 70/- strength.

Cheers!

80/- · 10-03-2005, 11:12 AM

Hi Deuchar <nice pint BTW>

I also looking for a clone of a Harvieston brew - the Bitter and Twisted is the ale I'm trying to copy.

You don't happen to have access to a recipe for that do you - or indeed Cale's Deuchars IPA ?

80/-

Deuchar · 10-03-2005, 11:18 AM

80/-.

I'd love to have a clone of Bitter & Twisted myself as it is a fantastic pint. Unfortunately I don't have it. It may be possible to guesstimate a recipe from the info on the back of the bottle regarding hop types etc.

The book I used has quite a few Harviestoun recipes but I think they all date back to the 90s. i.e. no Bitter & Twisted, Old Engine Oil etc... All the recipes involve dry hopping in the cask but state that Harviestoun use hop oil.

Let us know if you ever find the recipe for B&T or Deuchars!

DragonTail · 10-03-2005, 11:54 PM

Reaper,
You didn't really boil you grains did you? Boiling the grain is a bad idea. Boiling the grain will bring out the tannins and add off flavors to your finished product. What you need to do is steep them at 155f for about 30 minutes and then remove them from the water. Putting them in a grain bag will make this step a little easier, or you can use a different pot than your brew pot to do this. After you have steeped (sp?), pour through a fine mesh strainer into your brew pot and discard your spent grains. Add the malt, bring to a boil and follow your hop schedule. Also, I've never heard of adding grain to the fermenter, no sugar to digest without the heat. This batch may not turn out exactly as you like, but don't give up, most people's first batches aren't the greatest. Practice makes perfect. Welcome to the hobby.
Cheers,

Shambolic · 10-04-2005, 06:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deuchar

My starting gravity was a little low (1038 - the recipe stated 1041) but I think I just over watered the wort at the end. Shouldn't be a major issue. I'll just end up with an approximate 70/- strength.

Cheers!

I use ~3kg of malt extract, but top off my brews to 20L, instead of 23, which is often recommended. I think you're better off making a bit less of a bit better tasting beer.

Just my two cents; something to think about for future brews.

Reapers revenge · 10-04-2005, 04:17 PM

Hi Dragontail
yep i had a rolling boil on for 45 mins with the malt, barley and hops thats what the instructions said, ive had a taste and its ok its like a mild/ brown ale although it early days, ill let you know when its finished, id send you a bottle but salem a little too far from the UK
Cheers Paul

**Orfy** · 10-04-2005, 04:50 PM

Sounds like I made the same mistake.
I did a Brew With extract a pale ale extract and a lb of crystal malt. (Boiled for 45 min)

I'll let you know how it goes.

Reapers revenge · 10-04-2005, 09:28 PM

Hi my first taste was a few days ago, ive had a taste tonight and its like Theakstons Old Peculier, but with a little more roast barley taste, gravity is now down to 1010 thinking of putting in secondary fermentation in the next day or two.
regards Paul

DragonTail · 10-04-2005, 11:33 PM

Glad it's working for you Reaper. Everything I've ever read or been told said not to boil the grains though. Yeah, I guess Salem is a little far from the UK.

Cheers,