First time: What can I make/plan with these?

Hello all, been shadowing these and other forums for awhile looking to get into home brewing. I've been thinking about it for years and just never had the time or motivation. Well this year when my birthday came around and I asked for a few ingredients to get started (Will be brewing for several relatives). These forums seem pretty resourceful and friendly, so this is what I have to work with:

6.6 lb Briess golden light LME
1 lb " " golden light DME
1 lb " " sparkling amber DME
1 lb " " special roast malt

1 lb fuggle hops
1 sachet Saflager W34/70

Gypsum, sugar, honey, etc. I have or can get relatively easily. Anything else would probably have to be ordered.

So really I'm just wondering what I can do with this, or if I need to get some extra ingredients. I'll try anything once, and as I just want to get started homebrewing, I'm not aiming for anything specific just yet ... though I am a fan of darker and/or hop-heavy beers.

Thanks in advance!

Well with that stuff, you could make a nice stout, with the extracts. Now dark roast malt,.I'm not familiar with, but a roasted barley, would be good for a stout, with some chocolate and black patent malts. See if the dark roast is close to any of those. The Fuggles is good for stouts. It just depends with all your extracts, where you want the OG to be at.
I'm sure a porter would be one list with that stuff as well.

Seems like a workable recipe to start with. You'd have to steep the special roast grains, add the LME near the end of the boil to prevent scorching, and I guess this is for a 5 gallon batch though I'm not used to the LME poundage correlation to batch sizes. Problem though, is the yeast. Get yourself some English ale yeast. You have lager yeast which you should keep tucked away for another time. Double check a recipe tool to ensure this recipe in a 5 gallon batch would have a gravity of about 1.038-1.050, or get more fuggle/kent golding hops to stay balanced. Look at ESB/stout recipes to get an idea. Just guessing here.

Thanks for the advice about the yeast... yeah, I suggested some recipes and pretty much got a box of "what was on sale... sounded nice," so trying to make due... and can't complain about free ingredients. The proportions at least seem about right for a 5 gallon batch.

I've been looking at stouts, and found things might go pretty well towards making a porter too, judging by some recipes out there with roasted malts.

I do have some, and regularly drink, excellent coffee and like the idea of a coffee stout. With the roasted barley and the english ale yeast you both mentioned, I think that sounds doable, if a bit adventurous.

Pretty much got the "You're on your own mad scientist" look from everyone I know, so I appreciate all the insight.

Sounds like it will work out great.

I have made three batches of a dark mild which is about 3.5% ABV is this is one of my favorite brews. It is pretty dark but not filling, and awesome... just for your comparison because I think you need another ounce of hops for a 5 gallon batch.

Maris Otter 6 lb
Brown Malt 1.8 lb
Chocolate Malt .5 lb
Special B .25 lb

Hops are 2oz fuggle or kent golding split between 60 and 30 minutes (and it's still very moderately low hopped)
English ale yeast

Looks like he said 1 lb (pound) of hops. Is that a typo or do you have 1lb (16oz) of hops?

grem135 said:

Looks like he said 1 lb (pound) of hops. Is that a typo or do you have 1lb (16oz) of hops?

Click to expand...

Oh yeah.. thanks, I was definitely reading 1 oz.

Yep, got a pound of the fuggle. No variety but definitely quantity and then some. Will probably use 2-2.5 oz. Saw a porter recipe go as low as 0.5 and a stout up to 4 oz with different combos but I think I'll keep it even keel. I love hops, but want to keep it down in case I decide on the coffee part and want those flavors to stand out more. So possibly something like this:

6 lbs golden light LME
12 oz. golden light DME
12 oz. sparkling amber DME
8-12 oz. roast malt
(8 oz roasted barley if i can get it)
2 oz fuggle (.5 kent or other if I can get it)

1 English ale yeast
1 pot o' good cool black coffee

Any tips on primers? A little unsure whether I should use one or not. I've got access to standard corn sugar, honey, molasses, even some good quality maple syrup. Anyone have experience using the latter?

Those ingredients might turn out something similar to 1554 by New Belgium. It uses a lager yeast at ale temperatures....
I'd probably still go with S-04 or the like though.

As for primers, I would save about 5oz of your DME to prime with. All the sugars you list (even table sugar) will work though. Check out Northern Brewer for quantities.

Your list is similar to something I just brewed. Im moving at the end of the year and wanted to use up stuff that has been taking up shelf space in the kitchen/fridge. Its something of an ESB:

6.6lb. golden light LME
2lb. sparkling amber DME

1.5 oz fuggles (60 min)
1 oz fuggles (15 min)

S-04

I might bottle half as is and maybe add hazelnut extract to the other half for Christmas.