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I knew everyone would have beaten me to it-- the honey malt needs to come down. I typically use 4oz in a 5 gallon batch.

When doing all grain batches, especially just starting out, take plenty of notes with everything you are doing so you can really nail down your process and make it predictable. It will take you a few batches to really zero-in on a predictable method and process. Having said that... Low...

It'll work fine on its own. But generally, after pitching the yeast, you should agitate the wort to oxygenate it. Some people use a stir stick attached to a power drill but generally I just shake the carboy / bucket for a minute or so.

Not a dumb question at all. "Chocolate fines", according to a recipe book from Brooklyn Brew Shop, are the unprocessed shells and nibs of the cocoa bean. They mention getting theirs from Taza Chocolate, but I couldn't find them for sale on their web site. However, Amazon.com does sell...

Sorry for the late reply. As a rough calculation, I figure you lost about 22% of the bitterness. But this is just an estimate. I have seen in a few different articles online that you can expect to lose anywhere from 20-30% when doing a concentrated boil instead of a full boil, and this number...

Yes, there will be a difference in IBU from what the recipe expected and what you will get based on the lower boil volume. Dry hopping will not add bitterness, only aroma characteristics. So that won't help you. If you tell me the hop schedule you used (type, alpha acid, and when you added...

I'm not sure if this is a typo or not. DME should all be added at the start of or before the boil. Adjusting when you add the DME doesn't serve any purpose and can actually lead to problems.

It's been a while since I've done an extract batch, but here's what I can tell you: 1. Your boiling kettle doesn't need to be sterilized. Yes, sanitation is very important in the overall process of making beer, but you're going to be using the kettle to boil for a long time. Wash it with...

I think this thread over here will answer your questions.

The purpose of the mash out is to denature the enzymes and stop any further conversion. You can do this by adding water in a volume and temperature that will raise the entire temperature of the mash to 168F, or you can use your heater. Either way is fine. Personally, I fly-sparge and don't...

In his initial post, down past the list of hops, there's 1lb of sucrose listed. If you add that the the 11.2 pounds of grain he used, BeerSmith does predict 1.071 OG with a 75% efficiency.

The protein rest isn't really necessary unless you are using unmalted wheat. In fact, doing a protein rest may have some undesirable side effects such as harming head retention and robbing your beer of some body. However, you can do a "beta glucanase" rest in the temperature range of 98 - 113*F...

No problem at all. When it comes time to think about water profiles in the future, or if you have questions about the mash / sparge process, feel free to message me.

I couldn't track anything down for that area. I don't know if you have any gypsum or other salts on hand for water additions, or even a pH meter, but if you did we could build a profile off of distilled water. Up to you. Otherwise, just use tap like you normally do for this batch and maybe...

I typically use ordinary distilled water that you can buy in a gallon jug at the local supermarket. Nothing special. But if your tap water has been making fine tasting beer already with partial mashes, don't do anything special this time around. If you like, I can have a look at your water...

The main reason I was asking about the water was because of the efficiency of the mash and how it pH can affect it. I can help with that a little bit if you like. Water chemistry doesn't have to be really complex. But if you'd rather put that off and just focus on doing your first mash, it won't...

There are a lot of things that can affect efficiency, but I think expecting 70% on your first try is acceptable. When you say this is the first time using your MLT, does that mean this is your first all-grain mash? Also, while on the topic, are you using distilled / RO water, or water directly...

I'm not sure if I am missing something, but if I enter your recipe into Beersmith *with* the LME included, I get something different. I'm assuming a 70% efficiency: 11# 2 Row 8oz Honey Malt 4oz Crystal 40 4oz Crystal 20 3# LME 1.094 OG 69 IBU 9.2 SRM That seems to make the OG a bit high and...

I'm thinking you'd be pretty happy with that recipe. As for the dry hopping, go ahead and toss that extra ounce in if you have it. Maybe more. I just did an IPA with 4 oz of dry hops, but I think 2 would have been fine.

Well, theoretically, if everything was already milled and mixed uniformly, removing half and adding the extra 4# of 2 Row would give you: 10# 2 Row 8oz Honey Malt 4oz crystal 40 4oz crystal 20 1# Real Honey into primary On a 5 gallon batch that gives you 1.070 SG or thereabouts (including the...