Partial mash.
- Thread starter Jbird
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DME won'd increase the quality of your brew. Assuming it's fresh, LME preserves more of the original malt character than the dry stuff. Have you tried steeping some crystal or toasted malts before adding your extract? This can add some nice flavors and beers made in this way win their fair share of ribbons in competitions....
Demus said:
No I have not done that. So I can just buy some crystal or malts and steep them for like 45min? How much would you say I use for a 5 gallon batch? And it would be ok to do with LME or DME? And any style of beer?
Pretty much. Search recipe section, there should be lots of "extract with steeped grains" brews. Crystal malt is malt that's had its starch converted in the husk so it's perfect for steeping. 30 minutes at about 155 should do the trick. It comes in many varieties with a number that corresponds to the color in lovibond. 10 is pretty light, 60 medium, 120 dark etc. Flavor ranges from sweet to caramel to roasty. You can also use roasted malts like "special B" and chocolate malt as they don't contribute much fermentables anyway. Depending on style a few ounces up to a pound or two should do the trick. What ya thinking of brewing?
So I want to brew a nut brown ale. http://morebeer.com/view_product/18337
I was thinking just to add 1 pound of crystal @ 30min.
Let me know what you think of this kit. I would like to add something, anything to make it my own.
I was thinking just to add 1 pound of crystal @ 30min.
Let me know what you think of this kit. I would like to add something, anything to make it my own.
Ok so the ingredients for this kit comes with steeping grains. I have never bought from morebeer only from monsterbrew and they don't usually have steeping grains. Morebeer.com seems to have it spot on with what I want. It has Crystal 60L so I don't think I'll add anything now after I just downloaded the full recipe.
Still let me know what you think of the kit.
Still let me know what you think of the kit.
Looks good, I wouldn't change anything. Nut brown is supposed to be pretty mild and mellow, so adding too much would probably take away from final brew anyway. Looks like a good kit. What's your plan yeast wise? Liquid, dry? Starter, hydrate? Temperature control? I find that proper attention to the needs of the yeast is actually more important than the recipe...
Keep in mind that while liquid yeast is generally higher quality, it has fewer yeast cells in a vile or smack pack than a packet of dried yeast. Have you read at all about "starters"? It's a way of increasing the amount of yeast (generally liquid) you are pitching. Most brewers who use liquid yeast also make starters. Your nut brown recipe is fairly low gravity, so you could probably get away without one, but it would still turn out better assuming you executed the starter process properly. If you don't want to take that on and are set on using liquid yeast, I'd recommend Wyeast. Their smack packs at least allow you to see that the yeast is active by swelling a few hours after you pop the internal yeast nutrient bag. For beers of higher gravity, I recommend you learn about making starters, or just use dry yeast...
I really think you'd be better off with Wyeast if you're not using a starter. The thing about brew shops in person or on line is they seem to make recommendations based on their best interests, not necessarily yours. You were wise to reach out to experienced brewers on this forum who have no bias like profit margin, overstocked items and such. The fact is any ale yeast will do the trick, and your best choice would really be an English style dry yeast, but since you're intent on using liquid without a starter you have a better chance of success with Wyeast. White Labs yeast is more conducive to use with starters, and doesn't perform as well without one. For my lower gravity ales I still sometimes skip the starter, but I use fresh Wyeast and make sure it swells up within a few hours. I also aerate with pure oxygen to ensure proper levels (8 to 10 ppm) so even if I've underpitched somewhat the conditions are ideal for the yeast to multiply. Ignore this advice to your own peril; but you will learn it one way or another...
My guess is steep for 30 min? but just making sure you didn't plan on adding the grains to you're boil @30 min?
hopmonster2189
Well-Known Member
Jbird said:
As long as you pitch enough yeast in your first brew. This would probably require more than a 1L starter to be able to pitch enough and save some for your next brew. Another alternative to reusing that same yeast is washing it once fermentation is complete, there is plenty of yeast after fermentation of that nut brown you'll be doing to use for at least another 3 or 4 batches. For details on washing yeast look at the "yeast washing illustrated" sticky in the fermentation & yeast section of this forum
CDGoin
Well-Known Member
OK.. not to steal the thread as much as avoid starting a new one..
I started out using Brewers Best kits (on my third one).. Thus I thought I was extract brewing.. (There is extract in the box and its a kit..)
Then when I came across MR. Beer forums (Still trying to figure out where my fermenter came from but thats another story). Then I realized with Mr Beer kits there are no grains, hops, etc. its all extract.
So have I been using the terminology wrong, and even though I am using a kit. I am Partial Mash Brewing.. and skipped the whole "Extract brewing" part of being a noob..
Just curious more than anything else.
I started out using Brewers Best kits (on my third one).. Thus I thought I was extract brewing.. (There is extract in the box and its a kit..)
Then when I came across MR. Beer forums (Still trying to figure out where my fermenter came from but thats another story). Then I realized with Mr Beer kits there are no grains, hops, etc. its all extract.
So have I been using the terminology wrong, and even though I am using a kit. I am Partial Mash Brewing.. and skipped the whole "Extract brewing" part of being a noob..
Just curious more than anything else.
hopmonster2189
Well-Known Member
CDGoin said:So have I been using the terminology wrong, and even though I am using a kit. I am Partial Mash Brewing.. and skipped the whole "Extract brewing" part of being a noob..
Just curious more than anything else.
Yes the terms are confusing, The term "mash" is used when your grain bill has a base malt with some diastatic power that will help convert starches in the grain into fermentable sugar. Steeping a pound of crystal 60L typically gives you (Edit: some) ferment able sugar, that's why the ferment able extract is added. A partial mash uses about half the normal amount of extract (say half of 6 or 7 lbs) and a few pounds of 2-row base malt to get the other fermentables. Unless you're mashing your grains with a base malt it's not considered a "mash", just better extract brewing. Still delicious though either way!
hopmonster2189 said:
This is not accurate. A mash converts the starches in grains to fermentable sugars. In the case of crystal malts that process has already been completed for you inside the grain. Steeping crushed crystal malt does impart both grain character and fermentable sugar. Crystal malts also have a lot of non-fermentable sugar, so using too much of them can leave a brew tasting syrupy sweet, so they are not suitable for an entire batch. Think of them as flavor and color enhancers to otherwise boring extract batches...
Well, sometimes LME comes in cans, and if that's the case I far prefer DME over LME. Fresh LME from a store that has a high turnover is great. But most of the time, I prefer DME due to not being able to get LME. It really depends on the source.
So have I been using the terminology wrong, and even though I am using a kit. I am Partial Mash Brewing.. and skipped the whole "Extract brewing" part of being a noob..
Just curious more than anything else.
"Extract brewing" uses extract for the bulk of the fermentables, but will often use steeping grains such as crystal malt or chocolate malt for color and flavor.
Partial mash brewing means using "base malt" to replace a portion of the extract ("partial mash" instead of full all-grain brewing) so it still uses specialty grains but will use some base two-row to replace some of the extract in an extract beer.
I hope that helps!
CDGoin
Well-Known Member
It does.. and it also means in some cases the Brewers Best kits maybe either.
The describe some as "Easy" and some as "Expert" I am thinking the Oktoberfest was one of the harder ones.. and was more specific on the times and temps of the grains.. so it may have been a partial mash, while my stouts have been technically extracts..
As long as they make Beer who cares
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