A little lost w/ my homebrew kit (2nd time brewing)

[keithpence]

So I recently purchased an IPA kit from a homebrew supplier here in France (it's a specialized kit from the store, not coopers or the like)...the directions say to add the bittering hops to boiling water for 45 mins, then to remove the hops (they are in a hop bag), and add in the DME and brewing sugar and aroma hops...from everything that I've understood, it's best to add the bittering hops after the DME and brewing sugar to ensure that they flavor of the beer is hoppy...

I'm a bit confused on what to do here ... should I follow the kits directions or should I add the DME and brewing sugar and then wait for the hot break and then add the bittering hops for 45 mins, and then add the aroma hops? Hope this makes sense (and I also hope I posted in the right section)...thanks for any insight!

 

[wi_brewer]

How much DME does your recipe use? Some people use a late-boil extract technique where they add some DME at the start of the boil and save some to add toward the end. This can help reduce darkening and carmelization of the wort.

 

[keithpence]

How much DME does your recipe use? Some people use a late-boil extract technique where they add some DME at the start of the boil and save some to add toward the end. This can help reduce darkening and carmelization of the wort.

there's 2.5kg of different kinds of DME (1.5kg amber, 1kg pale malt) so about 5.5 pounds in total

 

[Derek1985]

Follow the directions.

Are you sure it doesnt say to add the DME first with your bittering charge THEN add LME and Sugar with 15 minutes left?

That sounds more accurate to me. Maybe post the directions here.

 

[keithpence]

Follow the directions.

Are you sure it doesnt say to add the DME first with your bittering charge THEN add LME and Sugar with 15 minutes left?

That sounds more accurate to me. Maybe post the directions here.

The directions are all in French, but translated to me by my partner / the guy who owns the brewery supply store...his directions are:
- AS you can see all the bags have a number on the sticker we will use that to give you the directions:

bag 1 (hops): It's for the bittering, juste place it in boiling water (4/5 litres) for 45 mn.

Bag 2/3/4 (DME and Brewing Sugar): After the 45Mn pour out the hop bag 1 and add all the content of the bags 2 to 4 (which are the DME and Brewing Sugar) and slowly to melt it in the water. (you can add a bit of water to adjust to 5 litres then start to boil the mix again (slowly because it's very sweet.

Bag 5: it's the aroma hops just add them to boil 15mn.

Bag 6: After the 5 first day of fermentation, put the hop bag 6 in a mug and pour some boiling water on it, wait 2 mn then open carefully the fermenter and let the water and the bag go in until the bottling. (5/7days)

 

[keithpence]

There is no LME in the recipe, although I have a can in the pantry if you think that would be good to add...

 

[keithpence]

My partners translation:
#1: Boil 4 litres of water
2: add bittering hops for 45 mins
3: cut flame and take out bittering hop bag
4: slowly add DME and Brewing sugar - it will dissolve, and bring back flame / to a boil for 5 mins, then cut flame again.
5: Add Aroma hops for 15 mins with flame out
6: Add wort to fermentator and add water to get to 20 liters, add yeast once wort gets below 25 celcius

 

[Derek1985]

My partners translation:
#1: Boil 4 litres of water
2: add bittering hops for 45 mins
3: cut flame and take out bittering hop bag
4: slowly add DME and Brewing sugar - it will dissolve, and bring back flame / to a boil for 5 mins, then cut flame again.
5: Add Aroma hops for 15 mins with flame out
6: Add wort to fermentator and add water to get to 20 liters, add yeast once wort gets below 25 celcius

Not sure. I'm not saying to do this but I would suggest at least a portion of the DME be added when boiling the hops. That's just me.

Without seeing your original source material I would say just follow the directions exactly and see where it goes.

 

[keithpence]

Not sure. I'm not saying to do this but I would suggest at least a portion of the DME be added when boiling the hops. That's just me.

Without seeing your original source material I would say just follow the directions exactly and see where it goes.

Yea, I think that's the best option as well...so would you suggest adding 500 grams of DME to the original boiling of the bittering hops (for 60 mins) and then adding the rest of the DME and brewing sugar, and then add the aroma hops? Thanks for your quick response!

 

[Derek1985]

Yea, I think that's the best option as well...so would you suggest adding 500 grams of DME to the original boiling of the bittering hops (for 60 mins) and then adding the rest of the DME and brewing sugar, and then add the aroma hops? Thanks for your quick response!

What kind of Hops for bittering?

 

[keithpence]

What kind of Hops for bittering?

It's 40 grams of magnum hops

 

[unionrdr]

It seems completely different from instructions over here. It's not necessary to remove the bittering hops. They'll do their thing normally during the full time of the boil. I do one German recipe that has a 45 minute bittering charge, but I start the boil timer at one hour just the same. And adding some 2lbs of the DME to the boil for all hop additions will do nicely. And aroma additions are about 3-5 minutes from the end of the boil. Adding them @ 15 minutes will be a flavor hop addition. Add the remaining extract @ flame out, since the wort's still boiling hot & pasteurization happens in seconds @ 160F.

 

[Derek1985]

How about flavor hops and target IBU for recipe?

 

[keithpence]

How about flavor hops and target IBU for recipe?

There are some Simcoe and Cascade hops, as well as Pacific Gem for dry hopping. 40/50 is the target IBU

 

[keithpence]

It seems completely different from instructions over here. It's not necessary to remove the bittering hops. They'll do their thing normally during the full time of the boil. I do one German recipe that has a 45 minute bittering charge, but I start the boil timer at one hour just the same. And adding some 2lbs of the DME to the boil for all hop additions will do nicely. And aroma additions are about 3-5 minutes from the end of the boil. Adding them @ 15 minutes will be a flavor hop addition. Add the remaining extract @ flame out, since the wort's still boiling hot & pasteurization happens in seconds @ 160F.

I think it says to remove the bittering hops because they are in a hop bag for some reason...

 

[Yooper]

I think it says to remove the bittering hops because they are in a hop bag for some reason...

That's fine, they can be in a bag for the boil, as long as they are loose in the bag and not packed in. It makes no sense to remove them, though- the acids from the hops are already dissolving in the wort. I'd just leave them in, until it's time to put the wort in the fermenter.

 

[Derek1985]

There are some Simcoe and Cascade hops, as well as Pacific Gem for dry hopping. 40/50 is the target IBU

I would suggest (i'm stressing suggest here!):

500 g = ~1 lb of DME. 4 L = ~ 1 gal

Use 500g of your DME with your 4 L of water and you will have ~1.037 S.G. for your wort.

40 g = ~1.4 oz of Magnum hops.

12% AA * ~1.4 oz = 16.8 AAU.

16.8 AAU * ~.252 (utilization @ 1.037 S.G) * (75/5) = ~ 64 IBU from your bittering charge.

Follow the recipe from there and you should be good. Add flavor/aroma hops, DME and sugar as required by the recipe.

 

[keithpence]

I would suggest (i'm stressing suggest here!):

500 g = ~1 lb of DME. 4 L = ~ 1 gal

Use 500g of your DME with your 4 L of water and you will have ~1.037 S.G. for your wort.

40 g = ~1.4 oz of Magnum hops.

12% AA * ~1.4 oz = 16.8 AAU.

16.8 AAU * ~.252 (utilization @ 1.037 S.G) * (75/5) = ~ 64 IBU from your bittering charge.

Follow the recipe from there and you should be good. Add flavor/aroma hops, DME and sugar as required by the recipe.

So add 500 grams of DME w/ the original bittering hop boil?

 

[Derek1985]

That's my suggestion. If anyone else wants to chime in, please feel free.

 

[keithpence]

That's my suggestion. If anyone else wants to chime in, please feel free.

I'm going to just go for it - thanks for all of your help! I assume I should be stirring frequently for the original 60 mins to make sure the DME doesn't burn?

 

[Derek1985]

I'm going to just go for it - thanks for all of your help! I assume I should be stirring frequently for the original 60 mins to make sure the DME doesn't burn?

I think that's more of a concern with LME than DME but stirring wont hurt.

 

[unionrdr]

Add the DME when the water boils. It'll clump up, so I use a plastic paddle to break it up & get it mixed well. Otherwise, I stir occasionally to keep the gently rolling boil moving. When adding LME, remove the kettle from the heat when adding it, as it'll go straight to the bottom. Then put it back on the heat to continue the boil.

 

[keithpence]

I think that's more of a concern with LME than DME but stirring wont hurt.

Gotcha - if I have some LME sitting in the pantry, should I use some of it in substitution of some of the DME? I've read conflicting things that it can enhance the complexity of the beer, but others have said it really doesn't matter.

 

[unionrdr]

you can do that, as I think they bring different flavor complexities to the beer. Here's a handy conversion chart for DME/LME & grains when subing one for the other; https://www.jaysbrewing.com/2011/11/17/lazy-chart-for-converting-dme-lme-grain/

 

[keithpence]

you can do that, as I think they bring different flavor complexities to the beer. Here's a handy conversion chart for DME/LME & grains when subing one for the other; https://www.jaysbrewing.com/2011/11/17/lazy-chart-for-converting-dme-lme-grain/

Merci - I really appreciate all your time / help! I'll post in a few weeks about how it turned out.

 

[SmokeyMcBong]

If its only your second time brewing, I'd just add some dme to the bittering hops and water. Then just follow your recipe. They'll be lots of time for swapping ingredients and changing process' once you're comfortable with what you're doing. My 2c...

 

[Derek1985]

If its only your second time brewing, I'd just add some dme to the bittering hops and water. Then just follow your recipe. They'll be lots of time for swapping ingredients and changing process' once you're comfortable with what you're doing. My 2c...

+1 on this.