I made beer!

Brewed my first batch ever a week ago, and man was my sample delicious last night!

Brewed a strong Hefe with a 1/4lb flaked oat added for a little more body.

Original recipe was supposed to be 1.064 OG at 75%, but I got 70%, modified the recipe to suit.

OG was 1.061, sample last night was 1.018 still needs a few more points.

I caught the bug though... Went to the homebrew store yesterday and picked up a second fermenter and all the ingredients I need for Yooper's Oatmeal stout with a little added twist. I have 2 oak chips, and 4 pieces of vanilla bean soaking in some Bulliett Bourbon to add to the secondary. I'll be brewing the oatmeal stout tomorrow.

I hope my hefe turns out good since I'm already thinking about recipes for a 3rd batch, maybe I'll have 15 gallons fermenting before I ever bottle!

Oh yeah, accidentally added .5 oz of sorachi instead of .25 at the beginning of the boil, modified it in my recipe... a bit too bitter for the style, but its still beer!

Any tips / advice for someone that's never brewed extract?

Here's my Hefe recipe:

HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: My Hefe

Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: Weizen/Weissbier
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 5.5 gallons
Efficiency: 70% (brew house)

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.061
Final Gravity: 1.014
ABV (standard): 6.15%
IBU (tinseth): 25.08
SRM (morey): 4.77

FERMENTABLES:
6.5 lb - American - Pale 2-Row (55.3%)
2 lb - German - Pale Wheat (17%)
3 lb - German - Vienna (25.5%)
0.25 lb - Flaked Oats (2.1%)

HOPS:
0.5 oz - Sorachi Ace for 60 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil (AA 11.1, IBU: 20.04)
1 oz - Domestic Hallertau for 5 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil (AA 7, IBU: 5.04)

MASH STEPS:
1) Temperature, Temp: 158 F, Time: 30 min, Amount: 20 qt

YEAST:
White Labs - Hefeweizen IV Ale Yeast*WLP380
Starter: No
Form: Liquid
Attenuation (avg): 76.5%
Flocculation: Low
Optimum Temp: 66 - 70 F
Fermentation Temp: 72 F
Pitch Rate: 1.25 (M cells / ml / deg P)

 

Welcome to the fold! Brewing with extract is pretty easy if you're already done all grain.

If you brew that again, I'd like to see the hops switched, give it some nice lemon notes for the summer!

 

Yeah... kinda made up my own recipe without knowing what the hops would taste like... what would you suggest?

 

Well I love the flavor profile of Sorachi Ace. I always have a Sorachi beer on tap in the summer. Usually it's a wheat base, but I've also brewed many Sorachi IPA's and even a couple of lagers.

 

I used the Sorachi for bittering... Should I have switched the aroma Hallertau to Sorachi then?