I am confussed about brewing styles and beer recipies

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recordsmith

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Hello all, I am new to Homebrewing if you could not already tell. i have brewed 3 batches. The first was great the second massive failure, and the third was good. Here are my questions. The first is what kind of brew style is it when you combine malt extract and grain? Is that partial mash? or is it still extract brewing? The first recipe I made was the "good bew" from good eats. It has both grain and malt.

Ok so I am rambling, but the other question is his method for brewing seems to be rather unorthadox. I guess i am just looking for a basic process that all recipes follow.

Thanks so much,
Jon
 
Welcome to the hobby Jon, you'll fall right in in no time.

I would consider your first kit an extract recipe, with specialty grains. I would say it is only partial mash if you are getting fermentable sugar from your grain (ie. some 2 row barley). Many grains will yield non-fermentable grains that add to taste and mouth feel, but not alcohol content.

All of the batches that I have made so far are extract with specialty grains. This is the basic method that I use:

Steep grains in 155 degree water for 30 - 45 min.
Remove grains and bring water to boil.
Take kettle off heat and stir in extract.
Put kettle back on heat, when boiling again add bittering hops.
Add the rest of the hops and any other ingredients as per recipe.
Chill wort. This can be done using an immersion or counterflow chiller or by simply putting the kettle into a sink of ice water.
Pour wort into fermenter and top of to 5 gallons.
Aerate using an aquarium pump, or shaking the fermenter, or splashing the wort as it enters the fermenter.
Pitch yeast and attach airlock.
Wait.
After about a week, transfer to secondary fermenter, this aids in clarification.
Wait.
After a few more weeks bottle using 3/4 cup corn sugar dissolved in a cup of (sanitary) water.
Wait.
Beer should be ready after at least two weeks in the bottle.
Drink.... Finally

There are an infinite number of variations you can use, but this is a basic overview. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

Out of curiosity, what went wrong with your second batch?

- magno

PS Sanitize, Sanitize, Sanitize
 
Thanks so much for the reply. This really clarifies things. My second batch... Well I was jazzed about my initial success that I decided to do a honey ale. i am not even sure if I have the recipe still. But I either I did not let it ferment enough or I didn't prepare it right. But it was overly sweet and basically nasty in every respect when I tasted it. I guess that is why I brought up the basic brew method. I find a lot of recipies that i would like to to try but some do not have a process to follow so I am never sure how to approach it.

Thanks again!
Jon
 
If you haven't already, buy Charlie Papazian's book The Complete Joy of Homebrewing. He talks about every style and why it is what it is, and comes with a crapload of recipes that have step-by-step instructions throughout the entire brewing process.
 
All extract - obvious

Extract and specialty grains (a pound or two steeped in a lot of water. Mainly for flavor)

Mini-mash - Specialty grains are combined with two-row and mashed. A mini-mash can run anywhere from 3-6 pounds for grain. 4-6 pounds of extract. You can do a mini-mash in your extract equipment with nothing more than a really big grain bag.

Partial - I separate this from a mini-mash, even though they are much the same. A partial, to me, is using extract to boost the gravity when you are at the practical limits of your grain capacity. I make my barleywines as partials, 10-12 pounds of grain and 6-10 pounds of extract.

All Grain - obvious
 
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