What beer to brew first?

So about 3 solid years of being very deep in beer geekdom haha.


However I've never brewed.
I love BA imperial stouts and other big beers. I can appreciate most any style.

So a friend and I are thinking of a ten fidy clone to start with. But also want to do at least one other beer.

What's a simple beer to brew and ready to drink relatively fast?

Maybe a hef?

Ariza-Poet said:

So about 3 solid years of being very deep in beer geekdom haha.


However I've never brewed.
I love BA imperial stouts and other big beers. I can appreciate most any style.

So a friend and I are thinking of a ten fidy clone to start with. But also want to do at least one other beer.

What's a simple beer to brew and ready to drink relatively fast?

Maybe a hef?

Click to expand...

Pale ales can be very simple and ready to go fast.
2 row / crystal / yeast

You could also just do a SMaSH with a hops you want to test out or may be curious about.

What kind of brewing? Extract only? Extract and specialty grains? Partial mash? All Grain?

For a first one I would suggest a kit from one of the major online LHBSs. Learn the processes, then branch out into recipes and modifications.

Pale ales are easy and quick to finish.

The absolute simplest recipe not to screw up (in my opinion) for extract + specialty grains is a stout. A dry irish stout with its many roasted grains, relatively low alcohol and complete lack of hop complexity is hard to screw up.

Fermentation temp a little high...you will likely never know.
Scorched a little of the LME...no one will notice.
Carbonation a little low...claim it is the style.

About the only way to screw one up is WAY to high a fermentation temp or poor sanitation...or untreated chlorine in your brew water.

TheCADJockey said:

Pale ales can be very simple and ready to go fast.
2 row / crystal / yeast

You could also just do a SMaSH with a hops you want to test out or may be curious about.

Click to expand...

Thanks sounds good. Would I also use hops?

kh54s10 said:

What kind of brewing? Extract only? Extract and specialty grains? Partial mash? All Grain?

For a first one I would suggest a kit from one of the major online LHBSs. Learn the processes, then branch out into recipes and modifications.

Pale ales are easy and quick to finish.

Click to expand...

To be honest I'm not sure yet.
I've intentionally kept my self ignorant of home brewing so I don't get into it. Due to being very busy and not really having the circumstances to brew.

Now if of a homie that wants to brew and has a couple fridges we can use with some temp controls and he also has the space to brew. So we started seriously discussing it.

So in short, pretty much whatever's easiest

Ariza-Poet said:

Thanks sounds good. Would I also use hops?

Click to expand...

Absolutely. If you have a home brewing store near you, it wouldn't hurt to go down and just talk to them. They are usually quite helpful and can point you in the right direction to get started, or at least show you in person some things you will need and the price differences of your options.

Ariza-Poet said:

Thanks sounds good. Would I also use hops?

Click to expand...

Just to be clear, you'll (almost) always add hops to your beer. If you end up extract brewing, just make sure you don't pick up "pre hopped" extract (if they still make those things)

Also, if you want to get into all grain but don't have the space, look into Brew In A Bag (BIAB). All the fanciness of all grain without most of the equipment

Welcome to the forum

I think the OP had the right idea by starting with a hefe.

Ariza-Poet said:

What's a simple beer to brew and ready to drink relatively fast? Maybe a hef?

Click to expand...

Here's a REALLY basic, REALLY simple hefe that tastes fantastic:

6lb. Bavarian Wheat DME
1 oz. Hallertau hops (1/2 oz @ 60 min, 1/2 oz @ 10 min)
WLP380 yeast

Drink fresh. Bingo.

TheCADJockey said:

Absolutely. If you have a home brewing store near you, it wouldn't hurt to go down and just talk to them. They are usually quite helpful and can point you in the right direction to get started, or at least show you in person some things you will need and the price differences of your options.

Click to expand...

cool thanks. I think me and the wife are gonna stop by a local home brew store today after work.

Cheesy_Goodness said:

Just to be clear, you'll (almost) always add hops to your beer. If you end up extract brewing, just make sure you don't pick up "pre hopped" extract (if they still make those things)

Also, if you want to get into all grain but don't have the space, look into Brew In A Bag (BIAB). All the fanciness of all grain without most of the equipment

Welcome to the forum

Click to expand...

Ok thanks figured that with the hops and thans for the welcome

GHBWNY said:

Here's a REALLY basic, REALLY simple hefe that tastes fantastic:

6lb. Bavarian Wheat DME
1 oz. Hallertau hops (1/2 oz @ 60 min, 1/2 oz @ 10 min)
WLP380 yeast

Drink fresh. Bingo.

Click to expand...

right on.
I'm not a big fan of Hef's but I heard they're relatively easy and I know quite a few ppl like them so it'd be easy to share.

Make a beer that you'll enjoy drinking. Start there. If you prefer an APA over a hefe then don't waste time and money making the hefe. Tell the guy at the LHBS what you like and he/she will most likely direct you to a good recipe and sell you the ingredients you need.

You can also go online to MoreBeer, Northern Brewer, or any of a number of other good online brewing supply sellers, browse through their kits for extract or partial extract brews. Pick one that sounds good and order it. Most of those kits come with about everything you need in the way of ingredients. Most of the sites also have helpful pages that will tell you what equipment you'll need to either purchase or round up from around your kitchen.

First choice, IMO, is the local brewshop. They have the bucks invested in your community and can give you personal hands-on advice. You probably will spend a bit more than mailorder but their advice and personal assistance is worth something.

Cheers and good luck!

If you're just starting out I like to recommend the American Cream Ale kit from Brewer's Best. It's a very simple kit to make and in my opinion makes a tasty brew.

My first beer will be some sort of imperial stout.
Prob a ten fidy clone
But I've heard it takes a couple months to cool down.

I love big imperial stouts like parabola, bcbs, stone IRS, founders IS etc.


But I'd like to brew something at the same time as the ten fidy clone that I can enjoy quickly.

And I'd prefer a nice hef to PA

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brewing/recipe-kits/extract-kits?beer_style=360

I've brewed a few of these. The basic imperial stout is good. Better secondaried on cacao nibs with cold brewed coffee added at bottling.
Keep in mind, my experience with stouts is 3 or 4 months minimum aging before they're ready. 6+ months just gets better

Ariza-Poet said:

My first beer will be some sort of imperial stout.
Prob a ten fidy clone
But I've heard it takes a couple months to cool down.

I love big imperial stouts like parabola, bcbs, stone IRS, founders IS etc.


But I'd like to brew something at the same time as the ten fidy clone that I can enjoy quickly.

And I'd prefer a nice hef to PA

Click to expand...

High gravity beers can be complicated and take a while to mature and carb. I'd go with something simple for your first beer, and get the basics of creating a yeast starter down first.

Also, if you make a mistake with a lower gravity beer it's not as big of deal since it probably didn't cost as much as a high gravity beer would.

Up to you though, just my 2¢

Mexibilly said:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brewing/recipe-kits/extract-kits?beer_style=360

I've brewed a few of these. The basic imperial stout is good. Better secondaried on cacao nibs with cold brewed coffee added at bottling.
Keep in mind, my experience with stouts is 3 or 4 months minimum aging before they're ready. 6+ months just gets better

Click to expand...

Right on thanks.
I was thinking of getting some vanilla beans and adding that.

As for time I know it takes a while.
Even commercial beer needs some time for a lotta these big beers.

Resonator said:

High gravity beers can be complicated and take a while to mature and carb. I'd go with something simple for your first beer, and get the basics of creating a yeast starter down first.

Also, if you make a mistake with a lower gravity beer it's not as big of deal since it probably didn't cost as much as a high gravity beer would.

Up to you though, just my 2¢

Click to expand...

Good point. Hadn't thought of that.

Ariza-Poet said:

Right on thanks.
I was thinking of getting some vanilla beans and adding that.

Click to expand...

Forgot to mention vanilla beans. Those go in too. 3 or 4 split lengthwise, guts removed, chopped into 1/2" pieces and all of it soaked in enough vodka to cover for 48 hours to a week, then I put it all in the secondary with the nibs and rack on top of it.

Mexibilly said:

Forgot to mention vanilla beans. Those go in too. 3 or 4 split lengthwise, guts removed, chopped into 1/2" pieces and all of it soaked in enough vodka to cover for 48 hours to a week, then I put it all in the secondary with the nibs and rack on top of it.

Click to expand...

nice that sounds good homie.

Hopefully I can get going with the brewing by October, if not sooner, and see how it goes.