First recipe to brew...

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Verio

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Ok, so I'm going to post two recipes here that I need to pick for my first brew. I consider myself pretty intelligent and handy... so I'm not very scared of doing an extract+specialty grain. However, I'd like the opinion of others to assist me.

I love me some Belgian White Ales, so I was looking for a Wit Beer to start with. However, here are my two options -

Thanks

Easy Belgian Wit -

Recipe Type: Extract
Yeast: WLP 400
Yeast Starter: No
Additional Yeast or Yeast Starter: No
Batch Size (Gallons): 5.00
Original Gravity: 1.051
Final Gravity: 1.011
IBU: 14
Boiling Time (Minutes): 30
Color: 4
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 14 days at ~72
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 7 days at ~72
z987k said:
6.6 pounds of Coopers Wheat Malt Extract (boil 10mins)
1lb wheat malt (steep 30mins)
1 pound of clear Belgian candi sugar
.5 ounces of bitter orange peel (boil for 2 min)
1 ounces of tettnanger hops @ 4.2% (boil for 10 min)
1 ounces of styrian golding hops @ 4.4% (boil for 30min)
.75 ounces of coriander seed (boil for 2 min)
1 pkg of wlp400 or you could use wlp410.
0.75 cups of corn sugar (priming)

Everyone that has had this so far has loved it. I'll probably do it again as a partial mash.
Also the color is much darker than 4* since I used LME.


Quite a while since I made this up. For an outstanding white that is AG only, see my Killer Bee Wit.
Click to expand...

and

Raspberry Wheat Ale Extract Kit from Northern Brewer

http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/raspberry-wheat-extract-kit-2.html
 
Either one of those recipes would be equally difficult (or easy, depending on how you look at it!). You could easily do either.

If you need specific instructions with that first recipe, we'll be glad to type out step-by-step instructions for you if you want.
 
Yooper_Brew said:
Either one of those recipes would be equally difficult (or easy, depending on how you look at it!). You could easily do either.

If you need specific instructions with that first recipe, we'll be glad to type out step-by-step instructions for you if you want.
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot. I *think* I've got the steps down on how to steep the grains, as I've been reading the John Palmer book non-stop. Steeping is always at 155 or so degrees, correct?

I do have a few probably pretty dumb questions though...

I keep reading posts on people using iodine, bleach, and other abrasive chemicals to sanitize their equipment. How can you keep the equipment sanitized, since you have to rinse the equipment out afterward, using such abrasive chemicals? For example, how can I soak the tubing, and then expect to rinse it out? Do I have to boil all of that extra water for rinsing water?

The recipe calls for the Extract to only be boiled for 10 minutes... and that seems much shorter than what I usually read (60 minutes). Perhaps I'm miss reading the recipe?

The recipe also calls for Wheat Malt to be steeped... I was thinking of using the Rahr White Wheat Malt from Northern Brewery (http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/brewing-ingredients/grain-malts/rahr-white-wheat-malt.html). Would that work, or should I look at a different Wheat?

I really appreciate the help!
 
Verio said:
I keep reading posts on people using iodine, bleach, and other abrasive chemicals to sanitize their equipment. How can you keep the equipment sanitized, since you have to rinse the equipment out afterward, using such abrasive chemicals? For example, how can I soak the tubing, and then expect to rinse it out? Do I have to boil all of that extra water for rinsing water?
Click to expand...

I'll just tackle the sanitizer question: Get some StarSan - It's a no rinse sanitizer. You can put it in a spray bottle, spray anything you need sanitized, wait 1 minute, then use the equipment. No rinse.
 
Ugh... I missed the first part of the recipe, which I've just now added. Still seems odd having a 30 minute boil, with not adding the extract until 10 minutes remain.
 
Verio said:
The recipe calls for the Extract to only be boiled for 10 minutes... and that seems much shorter than what I usually read (60 minutes). Perhaps I'm miss reading the recipe?
Click to expand...
You're probably not reading it wrong... extract really doesn't have to be boiled long. Are you adding hops at any point though? I ask because if you are and they are bittering hops then they would need to be boiled for usually 60 min. If you are using hopped extract then that will be taking care of the bitterness; perhaps then maybe you're just adding an aroma hop for 10 min or less? Either way, the recipe "should" describe to you what to do... I seem to recall that recipe directions are not always so good though... What type of hops do you have and what does the recipe say to do with them?
 
Frodo said:
You're probably not reading it wrong... extract really doesn't have to be boiled long. Are you adding hops at any point though? I ask because if you are and they are bittering hops then they would need to be boiled for usually 60 min. If you are using hopped extract then that will be taking care of the bitterness; perhaps then maybe you're just adding an aroma hop for 10 min or less? Either way, the recipe "should" describe to you what to do... I seem to recall that recipe directions are not always so good though... What type of hops do you have and what does the recipe say to do with them?
Click to expand...

Calls for the Bittering Hops to be boiled for 30 mins, and the aroma hop for 10 minutes.

1 ounces of tettnanger hops @ 4.2% (boil for 10 min)
1 ounces of styrian golding hops @ 4.4% (boil for 30min)
 
That's a very low IBU recipe- you can use 1 ounce of bittering hops at 30 minutes, and get enough bitterness. I'm sure that the recipe takes it into account, but one of us can run it through some brewing software to check if you don't have any.
 
What would be the different effects you would get in a beer, using Belgian Candi vice Honey, in the case of a Wit?
 
Ok I see the recipe. Sorry I neglected to see the recipe above before... So here are some rudimentary directions (someone please correct me if any step is wrong, it's been a while since I did an extract/steep recipe, but here goes):

1) Steep the grains for 30 min
2) Remove the grains from the liquid (now called wort) - Try to rinse them off a bit if you can with 170F water to get the most sugar out of the grains as possible. You could have a second pot with the 170F water to dunk the bag in to rinse the grains. Then I'd hang the grain bag over the kettle (like on a cabinet handle over the pot) so they drain well (they'll be really friggin hot too, so the bag is hard to hold if you try to hold it by hand). You may or may not want to squeeze the wet grain bag, but if you squeeze you risk adding some husk tannins to your wort. Best to let it drain completely (mostly) by itself.
3) Bring the wort to boiling. (Watch for boilover. Be ready to turn the heat down as it approaches boiling. You can also use a spray bottle of water to knock the building mass of hotness down if you need to.)
4) At boiling add the Styrian Goldings (this is the 30 minute mark)
5) At 10 min left, add the extract, the candi sugar, and the Tettnanger hops.
6) At 2 min left, add the orange peel and coriander.
7) Kill the heat at 0 minutes. Cool down as quickly as you can (ice bath in sink works decent).
8) Depending on the volume of your boil, you'll probably need to add some water to the fermenter, then add your wort to that, then top up with more water to 5 gallons.
8) When at pitching temp, pitch your yeast. But here's another question: Do you plan to make a starter for your yeast? The easiest method in your case might be just to pitch 2 vials...
 
Frodo said:
Ok I see the recipe. Sorry I neglected to see the recipe above before... So here are some rudimentary directions (someone please correct me if any step is wrong, it's been a while since I did an extract/steep recipe, but here goes):

1) Steep the grains for 30 min
2) Remove the grains from the liquid (now called wort) - Try to rinse them off a bit if you can with 170F water to get the most sugar out of the grains as possible. You could have a second pot with the 170F water to dunk the bag in to rinse the grains. Then I'd hang the grain bag over the kettle (like on a cabinet handle over the pot) so they drain well (they'll be really friggin hot too, so the bag is hard to hold if you try to hold it by hand). You may or may not want to squeeze the wet grain bag, but if you squeeze you risk adding some husk tannins to your wort. Best to let it drain completely (mostly) by itself.
3) Bring the wort to boiling. (Watch for boilover. Be ready to turn the heat down as it approaches boiling. You can also use a spray bottle of water to knock the building mass of hotness down if you need to.)
4) At boiling add the Styrian Goldings (this is the 30 minute mark)
5) At 10 min left, add the extract, the candi sugar, and the Tettnanger hops.
6) At 2 min left, add the orange peel and coriander.
7) Kill the heat at 0 minutes. Cool down as quickly as you can (ice bath in sink works decent).
8) Depending on the volume of your boil, you'll probably need to add some water to the fermenter, then add your wort to that, then top up with more water to 5 gallons.
8) When at pitching temp, pitch your yeast. But here's another question: Do you plan to make a starter for your yeast? The easiest method in your case might be just to pitch 2 vials...
Click to expand...

I forgot a crucial step: Once your wort has cooled to pitching temp, AERATE the wort by shaking the fermenter vigorously for a couple/few minutes. Then pitch yeast.
 
Oh and you don't HAVE to pitch 2 vials (I'm guessing it's just 2 based on an OG of around 1.050), or make a starter... but it will make the beer better. It will be fine if you just pitch the one vial for simplicity if that's what you'd prefer to do.
 
Ugh... so torn on what recipe to start with... I think I'm just going to try and take a combination of a few of them, make sure it looks right, and go with it.

It's difficult to know what difference Chamomile will have, or Honey vice Belgian Candi... etc. I guess only time will tell, and lots of brewing/sampling :)
 

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