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squirrelgirl · 08-28-2011, 10:58 PM

I have made wine in the past. And I want to start to make some home brew beer but I am sort of overwhelmed by the different types of barley and hops to get going, and the yeast. I just want a simple light color beer to get a feel for things.
Any suggestions on what I can start with?
Thanks in advance.

Also I am wondering if I can use the same primary and carboy has I use for wine? Or should I have separate things for each?

**paulster2626** · 08-28-2011, 11:00 PM

Get a LME kit and start with a small boil that you top up with cool water in your fermenter. Easy!

samcady1 · 08-28-2011, 11:00 PM

American Wheat Beer
http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/recipe-kits/extract-kits/extract-ale-kits/american-wheat-beer-extract-kit.html
or
Hefewizen Extract clone
http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/recipe-kits/extract-kits/extract-ale-kits/bavarian-hefe-weizen-extract-kit.html

i've made both kits their very easy and taste really good, people will assume you know what your doing with thoes.

Sparqui · 08-28-2011, 11:12 PM

Assuming that your wine turned out well, you'll be fine following the directions that come with your kit using your existing equipment and sanitation procedures. Beer is very forgiving and is drinkable much sooner too. Relax, have fun, and go for it!

squirrelgirl · 08-28-2011, 11:21 PM

Thanks for the quick responses! I will look into the links and get started very soon!

squirrelgirl · 08-28-2011, 11:22 PM

what is a LME kit?

**TromboneGuy** · 08-29-2011, 12:40 AM

Liquid Malt Exract.

They're easier to start with than jumping straight into all-grain brewing.

**LandoLincoln** · 08-29-2011, 01:13 AM

There's LME (liquid malt extract) and DME (dry malt extract). Some people prefer one over the other. Me? I think I prefer LME. If you do use LME, then be sure to soak the bottle or cans of LME in a bucket of hot water before you pour it, so the syrup inside is flowing easily. Otherwise, it's like pouring molasses. Takes forever.

Start with an extract kit. They're a lot easier than going the all-grain route. Less equipment needed too. All you need is a big pot (8+ gallons) and a plastic fermentation bucket (and a few other minor things) to get brewing with extract kits.

squirrelgirl · 08-30-2011, 10:35 PM

I got the American Wheat Beer linked from above. So when I go to start this, how much time should I allow for all the cooking and cooling? Is there any recommendation on a way to cool things down in case I cant fit the kettle in my fridge at the time? I am not sure how much I want to do brewing, so I dont really want to get to financially involved until I know how much I really want to do. I know I really enjoy making wine, but I am a little skeptical about the beer.
Thanks for all the help!

WhineinAlbany · 08-30-2011, 11:41 PM

I would watch some youtube videos on how to make an extract kit. Most kits will involve the following (assuming you're only doing a partial boil):

1) If applicable, steeping a bag of grain at 155 degrees F in 2 gallons of water for 25 minutes.
2) Remove bag, then add another gallon of water, bring to boil. Add LME or DME.
3) Set timer to 60 mins and add hops at time intervals specified in recipe. Watch out for boil overs. You just want it to be a rolling boil. Watch carefully so you don't burn the sugars.
3) After 60 minutes, cool in ice bath to 80 degrees F or below as quickly as possible. It would be good to make lots of ice days in advance.
4) Pour wort into bucket or carboy, top off with water to 5 1/4 gallons. The wort should be in the 70s at this point.
5) Shake the hell out of the wort to aerate.
6) Pitch yeast and cover with bung, airlock filled with sanitizer. If you're using one of your 6 gallon wine carboys, I would use a blowoff tube instead.

If you purchased liquid yeast, you'll want to make a starter at least 24 hours before brew date. If it's dry yeast, you may want to rehydrate, but I personally haven't found a difference between rehydrating and just dropping it in. This is debatable.