I just bottled my first brew. True brew amber. It was pretty easy and I was wondering if anyone has a suggestion on a good second project? I love all beer so style is of no concern. I just want to try to brew something that is good but not extremely difficult. Thanks for all the great help on these forums. Thanks to you guys I have bottled a really clear looking amber. I hope it is as good as it looks.
What beer should be my next brew?
- Thread starter Frosty86
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philrose
Well-Known Member
american wheats are really easy crowd pleasers, just source some wheat malt extract and you're pretty much there for the recipe. I don't think that most of them even have a steeping grain, mine didn't IIRC.
Got a beer that "got you into beer?" Thats always a good place to go for inspiration.
Got a beer that "got you into beer?" Thats always a good place to go for inspiration.
jppostKW
Well-Known Member
You might move into steeping grains if you haven't, always try to expand your skill set! Try a good pale or ESB the recipe database has some good ones
Thank you for your responses. I want to try a recipe that I need to steep grains for because I want to challenge myself a little more. Also, IMO you should be able to purchase quality ingredients cheaper than just buying kits. So if anyone could suggest a recipe for a good Light German Lager and a good site to find bulk ingredients?!? Just enough for a few batches.
Random_Guy
Well-Known Member
I just brewed this kit the day after Christmas as it was a gift...
http://www.monsterbrew.com/Prod_NutBrownAle.cfm
It came out awesome and I already drank it all. I recommend it!!!
http://www.monsterbrew.com/Prod_NutBrownAle.cfm
It came out awesome and I already drank it all. I recommend it!!!
Frosty, is there no homebrew shops near you that sells things beyond kits? beeradvocate lists over a dozen shops in VA. Also, unless you have the capabilities to ferment your brew around 50F and then lager it around 40F for weeks, I'd stay away from trying a lager for now.
There are only two shops in my immediate area. One sells more gourmet cooking equipment then anything and has a little angry old lady there that Ive tried to ask questions and she just tells me to buy her brewing books. They do carry fresh hops in their freezer, malt extracts, sugars (priming and brewing), ect.......... As for the other store. They are only open from 12-2 and 7-9. So its hard to get there. thier website said they have $14.00 kits that look like everything comes in a can. Kind of cheap looking. I will have to go check them out to see if they have better customer service.
Ya unfortunately some of the LHBS stores (at least in my experience) aren't too helpful when it comes to beginners. Aside from the angry old lady, it sounds like that place has everything you need and you can just get your questions in here at the forum.
Random_Guy
Well-Known Member
I am telling ya Frosty.... Go with the kit I posted. It was delicious and easy to do.
craven_morhead
Well-Known Member
Also, once you have the skill set for steeping grains and have your process down, I would say you can brew just about any extract ale recipe (no lagers) that comes in under 8% alcohol (really big beers take some new techniques), doesn't use adjuncts (though that's not a big new step), and isn't a belgian (their yeasts are a little more finicky; not impossible to work with though). Most ales that come out to 5% alcohol follow the same process, so just brew what sounds interesting to you.
Thanks for all the great insight. Lucky for me a fellow homebrewer in the area told me of a store about 20 minutes from my house that actually distributes to the "angry old lady". He also told me that the drive is worth it for knowledge alone. He also said Ive been getting my supplies from the "angry old lady" way overpriced. So I checked the website http://weekendbrewer.comand it looked like a great store. Can you guys check out the site and give some feedback? Thanks again for spreading knowledge about brewing.
The site sucks, IMHO, but the prices are about like any other shop in the U.S. Go there and check it out. They probably have some good recipes and tips, and if they do any volume, there will be other brewers there glad to help. Maybe even a club that meets there.
My local guy is 60 minutes away, otherwise I'd buy from him more. Prices are higher than the best mail order, but the advice is free, the prices reasonable, and they are always helpful. The owner has recipes for almost every style in both extract and all-grain, and has an appreciation for good beer.They let the local homebrew and wine clubs meet there. That's all you can want in a shop. It's quite possible that this new one you found is the same. Go there!
philrose
Well-Known Member
I love my lhbs. (Larry's In Kent, WA)
Example, I walked in on friday wearing a suit and tie. Weighed out ingredients for my weekend batch and started to walk over to the big, badass mill. One of the owners stops me and says, "why don't I do that so you dont get that suit dusty" I hadn't even thought about it, usually I'm in there wearing jeans/tshirt etc.
if your lhbs makes an effort, then sure support it. If its some cranky lady with a few cans of coopers on the shelf then screw it.
I say check out the place, if its good...you'll know.
Example, I walked in on friday wearing a suit and tie. Weighed out ingredients for my weekend batch and started to walk over to the big, badass mill. One of the owners stops me and says, "why don't I do that so you dont get that suit dusty" I hadn't even thought about it, usually I'm in there wearing jeans/tshirt etc.
if your lhbs makes an effort, then sure support it. If its some cranky lady with a few cans of coopers on the shelf then screw it.
I say check out the place, if its good...you'll know.
I agree about the site.............it does look like it was designed by a kid with a crayon, but do they carry a sufficient amount of equipment and ingredients? It looked pretty good to me, but I'm a noob so I dont trust my own opinion quite yet. I learn at an exceptional rate..............or I have a horse shoe in my rear. Im great at researching online and diy. So Im confident that with good guidance I could brew just about anything (with proper instruction and sufficient research). But of course I want to start with baby steps. I want to slowly make steps toward AG brewing. Thanks for all the info and opinions.
If you want to make baby steps toward AG brewing, stay far away from the "everything in a can" kits. They might make tolerable beer, but there isn't any boil or grains, so it's like making campbell's soup out of a can.
I'd highly recommend something like this: http://www.austinhomebrew.com/index.php?cPath=178_452_43&osCsid=35f8b9ffe36a7d86fdf360c0a2560eef
Pick an extract batch, pretty much any ale kit. Maybe you'd like Fat Tire? http://www.austinhomebrew.com/produ...=1113&osCsid=35f8b9ffe36a7d86fdf360c0a2560eef
They have all the ingredients you'd need for the beer, great instructions, and all you need to purchase is the yeast (dry is fine). They have hundreds and hundreds of kits, that's just an example.
They have flat rate shipping, too, so you could buy two kits for the same $7.99 shipping.
There are other stores, too, that have similar products and prices. But I know from my own experience how AHS kits are, as I've purchased some. The intructions are clear, the ingredients are clearly marked, etc. It's a great introduction to making extract kits.
Once you're really comfortable with the process, you can step out and make your own recipes, based on the processes you learn in these kits.
Of course, we're always here to help, too!
Rubberband
Well-Known Member
At this point you just need to get off the porch and brew. There are a lot of good pointers for you in this thread, I doubt you could go wrong at this point. So what's it going to be?
Go over to the all-grain section and read the sticky's on all-grain. Then do searches in that forum section for anything you have questions on. If you don't find the answer, just ask. You'll learn plenty quick, if you spend several hours doing that. Then do some more after your first brew. Also check out Palmer's site:
http://www.howtobrew.com/
and/or buy his book.
For my own experience, I only started all-grain about a year ago, although I did extract, extract plus steeping, and partial mash beer off and on dating back to the 70's-80's. Now I'm hooked again! Ramp up by reading, searching, and asking here was quite rapid, so much so I now prefer my brews to over 80% of the Microbrewery beers in the same styles I am making. (There are several geniuses out there who make better beer). And I gotta credit this site and Palmer's book for most of the improvement, as the stuff I learned in the 70's and 80's was pretty out of date and incomplete.
My point is you can get there, just do it!
Rich
You guys are awesome. I learn alot from forum research. Im a big DIY type of guy, so I know brewing beer will be another one of my passions. I taught myself Mycology through hours and hours of internet research and forums like this. If I can clone mushrooms through tissue culture I am sure I will brew a mighty fine brew one day. The thing is I dont like to waste money or make mistakes, so I ask alot of questions. Sometimes I just gotta close my eyes, pull the trigger and see what happens.
Exciting news!!!!!!!!!! The LHBS Ive been talking about I finally got a day off and went. Lemme tell you. .........every person that works at the shop is a walking talking dictionary of brewing knowledge. They make their own kits (No True Brew Stuff)and they will work with you to create your own beer depending on your taste. So, I told them my wife cant stand a bitter beer and I love Hops (IPA's and such) so together we came up with a Blueberry Belgian Wit. I hope Its Good. The owner of the store said that I have a very interesting recipe and if I bring him a bottle he will trade me one of his personal fav's and if he likes it he will carry the recipe and name iit after me. Between this website and my LHBS Im sure I will eventually have some killer original recipes. My LHBS also gave me a list of HomeBrew Clubs and meeting Places in my area so I will also be joining those as well. I love this and Im diving in head first............let's see what happens.
Amber True Brew Kit has finally bottle conditioned and lemme tell you.....................Heaven. Its my first HomeBrew and I'm hooked. Next month the local HomeBrew Club meets and I am going to join. Thanks to everyone who posts on this site for helping my first HomeBrew be a success. Cheers
