What to brew for my official 2nd batch of beer?

Hello to all!! My name is Evan and I am new to the forums. I just recently got into brewing and I'm already hooked. For my first batch (officially unofficially titled Batch #00001) I went with a Brewer's Best kit in an English Brown Ale style. I'll be bottling this weekend.

I'm ready to start my second batch right away and I need a suggestion for a good recipe. I'd like a good recipe that does not involve buying another kit, but I also need to keep it simple. Right now I would say my capabilities are Extract PLUS (I am capable of steeping grains, adding LME and DME, and hops).

Also whatever recipe I choose is going to be in honor of my favorite show's last season: LOST!! :rockin:

I highly suggest going with another kit. Good kits make great beer.

What do you like to drink?

PS LOST is the BOMB! I can't wait to see what happened. I sure hope John Locke is still alive. He's my favorite character.

I don't know anything about LOST but St. Patty's day is coming so how about a stout?

Hoppus_Poppatopolis said:

I don't know anything about LOST but St. Patty's day is coming so how about a stout?

Click to expand...

That's probably a better idea! So I'm officially now looking for a good stout recipe. Something a little bit different than the norm preferably.

Good to see a fellow southeastern PA'er in the house!!

evsjeep527 said:

Also whatever recipe I choose is going to be in honor of my favorite show's last season: LOST!! :rockin:

Click to expand...

You and I have a lot in common, friend. I too just bottle my first brew (two weeks ago). It was also Brewer's Best English Brown Ale. And my favorite show? You guessed it! For my second brew, I chose another BB kit. Red Ale.

ps.. spoiler alert...


OMG! Neo-Locke is the smoke monster!

Midwest supplies has a pretty good Oatmeal stout a buddy of mine made a couple of months ago. Just a suggestion is you buy from Midwest is to buy more than one if you can because you save a BUNCH on shipping.

I too am a beginning brewer with 3 batches under my belt and another in the fermenter. I took the approach to identify the problems I had in the brewing process, then brew another batch of the same thing, fixing the problems. Note the defects in the brew, try to find the causes and fix them. After I get it consistent I intend to vary types and amounts of extract, hops, and yeast. I am using the Australian Sparkling Ale recipe from Papazian, he calls it Fair Dinkum something or other.

I think that brewing the same recipe until you get it consistent will reduce the number of variables in trying to optimize your brewing process. It is hard to find out what you need to improve if you can't compare the same thing from batch to batch. So brew another Brewer's Best Brown Ale. You may wish to procure the components separately as the yeast and hops may be fresher direct form the homebrew supply store's refrigerator than in the kit on the shelf.

My 12 oz worth. - Duffey

One of my homebrewing buddies made an Imperial Stout that was freaking amazing. It took about 3 months to get there, but it was awesome.

Check out this link to see what the brew looks like and a link to the kit. It was awesome!

Review of Northern Brewers Imperial Stout Kit

What kind of stout do you like? There are several varieties including dry stout, sweet stout, American stout, foreign extra stout, Russian imperial stout, and several other variations of those.

What commercial stout do you like?

Eric

EricCSU said:

What kind of stout do you like? There are several varieties including dry stout, sweet stout, American stout, foreign extra stout, Russian imperial stout, and several other variations of those.

What commercial stout do you like?

Eric

Click to expand...

To be honest I've never met a stout I didn't like. Commercially I'll drink Guiness, Victory Storm King, Troegs Oatmeal, and one of the most interesting beers I've ever had was Blue Point Sour Cherry Imperial Stout.

I think I'm leaning towards making an oatmeal stout.

Williams Brewing has a double stout that I am wrapping up now and it is FANTASTIC! I will definitely do it again, but probably a PG next time..

OOOOOH- I have the perfect oatmeal stout recipe. Well, actually, it's not my recipe. It's Jamil Zainasheff's recipe, from Brewing Classic Styles. I did the all-grain version, but he has a partial mash version as well.

He has the recipe set for a full boil, starting with 7 gallons and boiling down to 5.5. It can easily be changed for a smaller sized boil, though, if your pot is smaller. What size boil will you want to do?

YooperBrew said:

OOOOOH- I have the perfect oatmeal stout recipe. Well, actually, it's not my recipe. It's Jamil Zainasheff's recipe, from Brewing Classic Styles. I did the all-grain version, but he has a partial mash version as well.

He has the recipe set for a full boil, starting with 7 gallons and boiling down to 5.5. It can easily be changed for a smaller sized boil, though, if your pot is smaller. What size boil will you want to do?

Click to expand...

While not a stout, The JZ chocolate hazelnut Porter kit from morebeer is freaking awesome. Probably the best chocolate beer I have ever had!

YooperBrew said:

OOOOOH- I have the perfect oatmeal stout recipe. Well, actually, it's not my recipe. It's Jamil Zainasheff's recipe, from Brewing Classic Styles. I did the all-grain version, but he has a partial mash version as well.

He has the recipe set for a full boil, starting with 7 gallons and boiling down to 5.5. It can easily be changed for a smaller sized boil, though, if your pot is smaller. What size boil will you want to do?

Click to expand...

My brew pot is 5 gal. My first batch I did a 2.5 gal partial boil for a 5 gal. batch. I could probably boil up to 4 gal. I'm thinking?

I'm glad you brought up that Oatmeal Stout Yooper. I have been wanting to make it, but I have been hot and cold with the commercial examples. I will probably stick that in the lineup right after the american stout. That is a style I know that I love. Have you made that one Yooper?

Eric

EricCSU said:

I'm glad you brought up that Oatmeal Stout Yooper. I have been wanting to make it, but I have been hot and cold with the commercial examples. I will probably stick that in the lineup right after the american stout. That is a style I know that I love. Have you made that one Yooper?

Eric

Click to expand...

The only recipe I tried for an oatmeal stout was Jamil's. It was terrific and everybody loved it.

The recipe is here: http://beerdujour.com/Recipes/Jamil/JamilsOatmealStout.htm

To make that an extract recipe with a 3 gallon boil, I'd do this:

3 lbs Pale Liquid Extract (8.0 SRM) Extract

2 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Liquid Extract [Boil for 1 min]

1 lbs Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM)
2 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)
12.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM)
12.0 oz Victory Malt (25.0 SRM)
8.0 oz Black roasted barley
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L

1.50 oz Goldings, East Kent [6.20 %] (60 min)

Ale yeast, like London ESB yeast, WLP002 or Nottingham.

Put grains in grain bag, and place into 8.25 quarts of 165 degree water. Stir well, and check temperature. Keep temperature during the mash at 153-155 degrees. After 60 minutes, lift the grain bag and place into a second pot or into a colandar over the brewpot. Pour 170 degree water over, to reach 3 gallons. Throw away grains. Add 3 pounds liquid extract, and bring to a boil.

At boiling, add the hops and set the timer for 60 minutes. After the time is up, turn off the flame add the remainder of the malt extract. Stir well, and allow to sit to pasteurize for 5 minutes. Cool wort, then top off to 5.5 gallons. Add yeast.

YooperBrew said:

After 60 minutes, lift the grain bag and place into a second pot or into a colandar over the brewpot. Pour 170 degree water over, to reach 3 gallons.

Click to expand...

Sorry, I'm a little bit confused by this step right here. Here is what I think you are telling me:

I should have another pot of water ready that is preheated to 170F. And then pour that preheated water over the grain bag into the brew pot to reach 3 gallons for my partial.

EDIT: I see what you are saying now. This is a partial mash, I must have missed that before.

Sounds like it would make a good beer, although I don't know that I'm ready to step up to partial mash yet. I need to get a couple of good extract brews under my belt first. Thanks for the recipe though.