Beginner Ready To Brew

[jtf3456]

I am just getting into brewing my own beer and need some help. I have researched and talked to friends and know a bit about it, but still need some help. I am looking to brew a simple and easy lager beer, something very similar to "Miller Light". I am not looking to buy any kits though. Can anyone tell me a good recipe and exactly what I will need to make this and how to make it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[MyNameIsPaul]

Just buy the Miller Lite.

 

[NineMilBill]

By that, Paul means that Miller Light and other BMC beers are very difficult to brew as a first beer. There is no room in such a style to hide the slightest mistake made in any step of the brewing process. It is much easier to buy a Miller Light and avoid the inevitable off-flavors from FNG mistakes. I'm new at this myself, however, it is generally accepted to suggest an ale as a first beer. Once you get the hang of it - you may or may not decide that BMC clones are right for you.

 

[midlo-brewer]

by that, paul means that miller light and other bmc beers are very difficult to brew as a first beer. There is no room in such a style to hide the slightest mistake made in any step of the brewing process. It is much easier to buy a miller light and avoid the inevitable off-flavors from fng mistakes. I'm new at this myself, however, it is generally accepted to suggest an ale as a first beer. Once you get the hang of it - you may or may not decide that bmc clones are right for you.

+1

 

[jetmac]

Lager beers are not as simple and easy as ale's.

Try this American Pale ale

11.5 lbs American 2 row
.75 lbs Munich
.5 lb red wheat
.75 lbs victory

.66 oz Horizon hops 60min
.25 oz Cascade 10 min
.25 oz centennial 10min
.5 oz Cascade at flame out
.5 oz centennial at flame out

2 pkg of properly rehydrated Safale us-05

Mash at 152F

 

[SittingDuck]

Miller Light and that style are not just hard for a first brew, they are just plain hard to get right, regardless of experience. More importantly, lagers are much more difficult than ales and require you be able to maintain your fermentor at a consistent cold temperature, something most new brewers don't have the equipment to do. To get close with a much easier beer, I would look to a lightly hopped pale ale or a cream ale. Search on here for recipes and I am sure you will see something you like.

Edit: or just try the recipe above, which got posted while I was slowly typing.

 

[agentEhrman]

Pale malt and noble hops, I think. And probably some corn sugar as well to dry and thin it out, not to mention make it cheaper to produce. No clue on the yeast, something very clean.

Good luck, these guys are right about it being very difficult (from what I hear). I can tell you from my own experience that anything lighter (wheats for me)were more difficult until I had my sanitizing and fermentation temps down..

 

[jtf3456]

Thanks for the quick replies. I guess I will not be able to brew a beer like that then. If ale is the easiest, I will start with that. Would I be able to just use a 5 gal bucket to ferment and 2L soda bottles to bottle it? I just want to try something very easy, cheap, DIY, but good tasting, just to start off and introduce myself to home brewing. What would be an easy recipe? and what all would I need to do it and specifically how do I do it?

 

[MyNameIsPaul]

By that, Paul means that Miller Light and other BMC beers are very difficult to brew as a first beer. There is no room in such a style to hide the slightest mistake made in any step of the brewing process. It is much easier to buy a Miller Light and avoid the inevitable off-flavors from FNG mistakes. I'm new at this myself, however, it is generally accepted to suggest an ale as a first beer. Once you get the hang of it - you may or may not decide that BMC clones are right for you.

Thanks! I'm on a phone and couldn't type it all out.

 

[dkennedy]

Thanks for the quick replies. I guess I will not be able to brew a beer like that then. If ale is the easiest, I will start with that. Would I be able to just use a 5 gal bucket to ferment and 2L soda bottles to bottle it? I just want to try something very easy, cheap, DIY, but good tasting, just to start off and introduce myself to home brewing. What would be an easy recipe? and what all would I need to do it and specifically how do I do it?

I'd defer to others on the soda bottles, but general feedback seems to be that 5 gallons is too small, not enough headspace (to fill with CO2, krausen, etc), at least not for a 5 gallon batch.

What other types of beer are you into, may help with suggestions?
Great resource if you're dipping your toe in would be How to Brew, 1st edition (it's a book) is at How to Brew - By John Palmer - Introduction

I found it to be really great as a beginner reference, explains gear and science behind brewing in an easy-to-understand manner. And gets detailed enough to really get you hooked on the art/science behind the wonderful beverage.

Good luck!
DK

 

[bighorn_brew]

Cream Ale Extract Kit w/ Specialty Grains : Northern Brewer

^I know you said you didn't want to purchase a kit, but, for 25 bucks do something like this, or print this out, and take it down to your local homebrew store and ask for them to put together a DIY kit that yields something to the effect...If you have a place to ferment the yeast that is us-05 you will get a yeast profile that is very clean (no off putting esters or phenols (("weird" tastes))). If you can lager a good portion of this in your fridge for a month after bottling you will be surprised at just how good homebrew beer can taste, I found a couple bottles of "rocky racoons honey lager" in my parents fridge from about 05 (no ****) over thanksgiving, and was blown away by how good it was. After fermentation is done, and bottles are carbed, try and save a sixer in your fridge and try one ever month or every other month, it will blow you away. I keg my beers now, so I don't get to savor the aging process like I used to but I think I am going to start bottling a sixer of swing tops here on out so I can get a feel on my beers and "best by" dates.

 

[bighorn_brew]

Oh, btw, you can likely get your buckets for free, bakeries use 6 + gallon buckets, as do other food business, just make sure it held food or ingrediants of some sort, and give it a good scrubbing with lots of soap, as well as a nice long hot rinse...

 

[midfielder5]

There is an ale version of Miller Lite in the recipe section. He calls it "Really triple hopped".

 

[jtf3456]

What do you guys think would happen if I made a batch with DME, rapid rising yeast from the grocery store, hops, fermented it in a bucket for about 10 days and then put it in bottles. Would it be anywhere near decent?

 

[NineMilBill]

Don't ferment based on a set amount of time...ferment until your FG readings stay consistent. As long as you have the 4 ingredients, you'll get beer.

And yes, odds are, it'll be pretty good.

RDWHAHB!

Edit: Rapid rising yeast? Use beer yeast, from your LHBS. Like the stuff the recipe will call for.

 

[Mrcrowley269]

Yeast makes a big difference. It would be beer. I would get a recipe.

 

[jtf3456]

I am going to need some sort of a recipe. Can someone throw one together for me just using :
Yeast
Hops
Extract
Water

Including the boil times and how much of everything I need and everything I will need to do and know to make the beer

 

[SittingDuck]

Not so sure about the bread yeast, but the rest looks OK. 10 days might be enough, or it might not. Go by your hydrometer and your taste buds, not your calendar. And I would get some proper yeast, if it was my beer.

 

[bighorn_brew]

Get a packet of proper yeast, even "muntons" which I have a packet of from a kit I purchased would be better than bread yeast. Hell, give me your address and I'll drop it in the mail for you...

 

[dkennedy]

I am going to need some sort of a recipe. Can someone throw one together for me just using :
Yeast
Hops
Extract
Water

Including the boil times and how much of everything I need and everything I will need to do and know to make the beer

If you're like me, you can check out the recipe section on here (Recipe Database - Home Brew Forums), they are usually marked Extract vs. Partial vs. All Grain...emerge several hours later with your head swimming with all sorts of ideas . Often folks trade comments/experiences on the recipes as well, so you get some ideas.

Here is an interesting one, a Coors/Bud clone of sorts. Or your local shop might be able to help you put together a recipe, the guy at my local (Bald Brewer) is pretty awesome like that- give him ideas and he'll give you a hand with tuning.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f66/bud-like-281855/

(10 minutes later, got sidetracked looking at a clone of a local brew)
Another option, sounds pretty light:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f62/wow-now-thats-light-beer-167718/

 

[jetmac]

You may want to try this 1 gallon all grain kit from Brooklyn Brew shop.

From what I hear the beer is good. You can start on a small scale but continue to use the equipment no matter what level you're at. It comes with good instructions. (and a DVD I think)