Opinion of best extract Brew to start on.
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I started about a year ago and agonized about what to make first.
The ONLY IMPORTANT THING about your first homebrew is that it should be a style that you like. Nothing else matters.
Like IPA? brew an IPA. Like stout? brew a stout.
It's nice to go with something that will be ready quick, everyone is impatient with their first batch, so don't do a lager unless that what you really like. Wheat beers tend to be done quick, so if you like those, that's great.
It's also nice if the people you'll be sharing it with like the style, but they aren't making it, are they?
Within the style, don't get too crazy, you're more likely to get frustrated if you get too ambitious, so don't try to clone a big crazy commercial craft beer. Just pick the style, pick up an ingredient kit and go for it!
It won't come out perfect, but I'll bet you love it no matter what. My first batch had some off flavors to it, but as far as i was concerned, it was fantastic.
The ONLY IMPORTANT THING about your first homebrew is that it should be a style that you like. Nothing else matters.
Like IPA? brew an IPA. Like stout? brew a stout.
It's nice to go with something that will be ready quick, everyone is impatient with their first batch, so don't do a lager unless that what you really like. Wheat beers tend to be done quick, so if you like those, that's great.
It's also nice if the people you'll be sharing it with like the style, but they aren't making it, are they?
Within the style, don't get too crazy, you're more likely to get frustrated if you get too ambitious, so don't try to clone a big crazy commercial craft beer. Just pick the style, pick up an ingredient kit and go for it!
It won't come out perfect, but I'll bet you love it no matter what. My first batch had some off flavors to it, but as far as i was concerned, it was fantastic.
I would really suggest you do your second best type of beer just so you don't get mad at it. You might have trouble with the process the first time.
All the extract kits you will find on different website will have the same process (or with very few differences). You will have the recipe and instructions. Follow them as much as you can for the first time! After that you will learn which part could be done faster or if you could replace it by something else. It is impressive how changing a small step in a process can affect the beer. You will learn! Good luck! And enjoy the first brew
All the extract kits you will find on different website will have the same process (or with very few differences). You will have the recipe and instructions. Follow them as much as you can for the first time! After that you will learn which part could be done faster or if you could replace it by something else. It is impressive how changing a small step in a process can affect the beer. You will learn! Good luck! And enjoy the first brew
For the first one, pick an ale style you enjoy that is also a pretty basic, straightforward brew. Pale ale, amber ale, brown ale, ESB, red ale, etc.
Save for later:
- lagers (unless you can ferment at a steady 50*F)
- high gravity (above 1.060)
- a variety that requires a style-specific liquid yeast (dry is much easier and turns out some great beers)
- any style that uses fruit or needs dry-hopping
Get used to the whole process before getting too ambitious. Focus on sanitation, chilling wort into the low 60's before pitching, and keeping the ferment cool (low-mid 60's) the first 4-5 days.
"First learn walk, then learn fly." - Mr. Miyagi
Save for later:
- lagers (unless you can ferment at a steady 50*F)
- high gravity (above 1.060)
- a variety that requires a style-specific liquid yeast (dry is much easier and turns out some great beers)
- any style that uses fruit or needs dry-hopping
Get used to the whole process before getting too ambitious. Focus on sanitation, chilling wort into the low 60's before pitching, and keeping the ferment cool (low-mid 60's) the first 4-5 days.
"First learn walk, then learn fly." - Mr. Miyagi
I recommend something flavorful, so if there are minor flavor issues, they're less noticeable than a very light flavored beer. I did a Black IPA, it was great.
Sir-Hops-A-Lot
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Listen to what BigFloyd said about what to avoid: no lagers or fruit beers.
Brew a basic brown ale. They are very hard to screw up. Any errors you make that create off flavours will be well hidden by the dark taste.
And fer cryin' out loud, just go do it. We all learn from mistakes.
Remember: ABB- Always Be Brewing.
Brew a basic brown ale. They are very hard to screw up. Any errors you make that create off flavours will be well hidden by the dark taste.
And fer cryin' out loud, just go do it. We all learn from mistakes.
Remember: ABB- Always Be Brewing.
lgilmore
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Irish Red Ale from Midwest. A good first beer, very popular first brew.
pondochris
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Brew what you like!
I teach guitar and beginners who learn to play a song they love always stick with it.
Same thing here.
I teach guitar and beginners who learn to play a song they love always stick with it.
Same thing here.
What Floyd said and.....then add.. if you are not able to, or planning fermentation temp control,, consider a beer that uses a very heat tolerant yeast (Saison)
A simple extract Saison ale can be brewed with high success rate
A simple extract Saison ale can be brewed with high success rate
If you go this route, toss whatever yeast packet is in that off the shelf "cheaper kit", likely it's old.... Ask a LHBS place to provide a fresh dry yeast packet suitable for the style of beer being brewed
EarlyAmateurZymurgist
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+1,000
Brewing a porter or a stout pretty much ensures that a new brewer brews something that is drinkable. Porters and stouts are so flavor positive that they hide a multitude of brewing sins. At the other end of the equation, American light lager highlights fermentation and brew house technical errors like a 1,000,000 candle power light.
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