Question from first-timer

[sloosky]

I am planning on purchasing a recipe kit from Austin Homebrew Supply here in the next couple of days. I am just getting started in homebrewing. At AHS I know that you can purchase the extract kits and mini mash kits. First of all, is mini mash the same as partial mash? Second, is a mini mash kit ok for a newbie to get started with or should I start with an extract? Any recommendations on recipes from AHS?

 

[llazy_llama]

Mini mash and partial mash are the same thing, yes.

If you have all the required equipment, and feel comfortable enough to start out with partial mash, then go for it. I started with extract, and am sticking with extract until I'm positive that I have the method perfected before I "make the jump" to all grain brewing, but my way isn't everyone's way.

Good luck, either way.

 

[JMack]

I can't tell you what you SHOULD start with, but I can tell you that I started with a Belgian Wit Mini-mash kit and I was very happy with the kit and the results.

 

[A4J]

There may be some minor technicalities, but for all intents and purposes, the mini-mash is the same as a partial mash.

Starting out with partial mashes is highly dependent on your comfort level and skillset. I personally wouldn't have been able to start off with partial mashes.

AHS has good recipe kits. I've never had a bad one from them. As far as recommendations, is there a particular style you like/

 

[Shawn Hargreaves]

There are basically five levels of brewing:

• Prehopped extract: dump it in a pan, boil, done: doesn't taste very good though
  
• Extract plus fresh hops: dump in pan, boil, tastes much better!
  
• Extract plus fresh hops plus steeping grains: first you make tea from the grains, then you add hops and extract, boil, and the results are better still (fresher and more complex malt flavors)
  
• Partial mash, aka. mini mash: superficially similar to steeping grains (you soak crushed grains in warm water) but the chemistry is very different. This lets you use a wider range of grain types, and gives you more control over the resulting wort, but for it to work you need to be very exact about the right ratio of grain to water, and hold it at exactly the right temperature for an hour or so.
  
• All grain: same process as a partial mash, just you have more grain so you don't need any extract at all. This requires more equipment since the volumes of grain and water are larger.

Personally, I started with extract + steeping grains, and that worked well for me. But everyone has a different comfort level. Some find the idea of steeping grains too much, and want to start with something simpler. Others want to dive in all the way right from the start.

When I taught a friend how to brew a couple of months back, we made an extract + steeping grain IPA. That seemed about right for him: not too many steps to be intimidating, and no need for such exact measurement as with a partial mash, but still made great beer.

 

[spriggan486]

+1 for extract and steeping grains IF you're not comfortable with partial mash. I'm not yet comfortable with it, so this is where I'll be for a little bit.

Makes some great beer and way more fun than those canned kits.