Simple Beer Recipe

Well this being my first post i'll introduce my self a bit. I just recently started brewing beer. If finished one batch and as we speak am drinking my second. My third is a cherry wheat beer. All so far have been kits from the Mr. Beer kegs. All of which i have modified a little bit (the cherry beer more than the others). But now that i've brewed some of these kit beers, i would really like to start getting some more control over the beers. So i got some malt extract and was wondering if anyone had some simple recipes or just some tips on how to move up to just the next step (what ever that may be)

Sure, there are lots and lots of easy recipes! I suggest you start here: howtobrew.com. Great beginner information, and important to read before starting.

We can help you pick a recipe if you tell us what kind of beer you like!

It depends if you want to use hops and grains or jsut stick with LME kits.

I have begun to read the howtobrew.com ebook and there has been alot of good information in there so far, very good read. I've also bought a book online a little bit ago and it should be here withing a couple days. Well for right now i would like to stick with LME. I like a beer that isn't too bitter, nice aroma, light or dark doesn't really matter, but fairly rich and a little sweet.

Why not demystify brewing by using the extract to make a bunch of quarts of sterile wert and make AG right off?
My first tun was a round trash can - indoor office - and the very bottom of a five gallon bucket with over two hundred holes in it and a spigot from hardware, had to move the mash into it from my main kettle - made dbl batches this way
just a thoght

distrex said:

I have begun to read the howtobrew.com ebook and there has been alot of good information in there so far, very good read. I've also bought a book online a little bit ago and it should be here withing a couple days. Well for right now i would like to stick with LME. I like a beer that isn't too bitter, nice aroma, light or dark doesn't really matter, but fairly rich and a little sweet.

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I've made an English Brown Ale (aka Newcastle clone) that sounds like it may be what you're looking for. It was extract with steeping grains, very easy. Do you want me to go find it and type it out for you? (I made it before I started using my computer for brewing!)

lefteye, I'll be moving on to all grain here some time soon but for a bit i'd like to get to know a little bit more of the easy stuff and kinda get a good footing before i get all the way in. I guess I'd just like to stick my foot in the water before i dive right in.

Yooper Chick If you wouldn't mind i'd like to get the recipe. Thanks for all your help guys

Is it something like this Lorena?

From Clone Brews: Newcastle Brown Ale

2 oz. 55°L Crystal Malt
2 oz. Chocolate Malt
1 oz. Black Malt

Steep grains in 150° water for 20 minutes. Strain grain water in your brewpot and sparge with 1/2 gallon 150° water. Add water to brewpot for 1.5 gallons total volume. Bring water to boil, remove from heat and add:

5.75 lb Light DME
4/5 oz. Target Hops (8%AA, 6.5HBU)

Add water until total volume is 2.5 gallons and boil 45 minutes then add:

1/2 oz. E Kent Goldings
1 tsp Irish Moss

Boil for 15 minutes, remove from heat and cool to under 80°. Strain cooled wort into primary and top up to 5 gallons. Pitch Yeast

Wyeast 1098 British Ale or 1028 London Ale

Ferment 1 week in primary
2 weeks in secondary
bottle with 3/4 cup corn sugar.

Enjoy!

I had to go find the recipe- I couldn't remember! No, it's different than yours, Don. It's:

3.3 Lbs Amber Malt Extract (LME)
2 Lbs Amber Dry Malt Extract (DME)
8 oz Crystal 60L

1 oz Willamette- bittering (60 minutes)
1/2 oz Willamette- finishing (5 minutes)

Dry Nottingham Yeast

Pour two gallons into 4 gallon or larger pot. Pour crushed grains into grain bag, and tie to close it. Put grainbag into water, and heat to 160 degrees and steep 20 minutes. DO NOT BOIL THE GRAINS. Carefully remove grain bag and let it drain into brewpot. Do not squeeze. Discard the grain-filled bag.

Heat pot to boiling. Remove from heat and add malt extract syrup and dry extract. Stir constantly until dissolved completely. Put back on heat and bring to a boil. Add bittering hops. Boil for 55 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add finishing hops and boil for 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Cool wort quickly by immersing pot in an ice bath in the sink. When wort reaches 70 degrees, siphon or pour into fermenter and add 3 gallons cool water to make 5 gallons total. Stir well with sanitized spoon. Check the s.g. (should be around 1.046), pitch yeast, cover, fill airlock and leave in primary for one week. A secondary is optional, but recommended.

Bottle with 5 oz priming sugar dissolved into 2 cups boiling water for 5 minutes. Pour this mixture into bottling bucket and siphon beer into it. Submerge the tip as to not aerate the beer. You should have a swirling action to mix the priming solution and the beer. Bottle and store at 70 degrees for 2-3 weeks.

That's it- it was very easy and very good/drinkable. Not my favorite beer but a nice beer and ready pretty quickly.

Distrex, you mentioned that you have begun reading Palmer's "How To Brew" online. Just in case you hadn't gotten toward the end of the book I wanted to let you know that there are some nice basic recipes for several beer types in Chapter 19. Palmer also gives you a some options for most recipes. For example, he gives the option of a pure extract version, or a version you can use if you want to go the extra step of steeping specialty grains.

Good luck.

Thanks a bunch yooper chick, I see about giving that recipe a go.
bitteral, thanks for that. I didn't know that there were some recipes like that towards the end. Those seem like some pretty good but still really simple recipes. Thanks again everyone for all your help.