1st time brewing, need a little info

[Mark_Y]

Hello, my name is Mark and I am introducing myself to the group. I have been making wine for a couple of years, but decided to try a brew for the 1st time. I thought the directions with the kit would have been a little better. Maybe someone here could clarify this for me.

Kit is BSG Nut Brown Ale , it has 3 times of grain, 2 dry malt extracts ( 1 amber and 1 pale), 1 can of liquid hopped extract, aroma hops, and 1 lb of dark brown sugar.

This is what I have so far: warm 2.5 gal of water to 155 deg. and put the 3 grains in the bag into the pot for 15 min. The kit says put the extract in at a boil for 45min. It does not say if that is all of the extracts or just the dry. It also does not even mention the brown sugar.

Maybe there is a set of instructions missing. I have the ingredient kit sheet, but that is all. It lists the basic steps to brewing great beer, but no specific instructions for these ingredients. Any help will be appreciated, the guy at the brew shop told me that I should only add the liquid extract when the brew time was complete and ready to be cooled before transferring to the carboy, also adding the brown sugar at this time. Any thoughts?

 

[DoWBrewer]

You are not missing anything. The instructions on the kits are pretty bad. I would boil the wort produced from your grains for 45-mins. Add your hops as directed. Turn off your flame and add all of your extract. Boil for 10-mins. Also, make sure to rehydrate your dry yeast for 15-mins (no matter what the instructions say) before pitching your yeast.

 

[Mark_Y]

So, the actual boil for the dry malt extract is only 10 min?
15 min for grain in 2.5 gal water
45 min boil after grain removal
Add 2 dry malt extracts and liquid malt extract and boil 10 more minutes.
Add aroma hops just before end of boil
Add brown sugar at end of boil ?

 

[HB_in_Subic]

When using DME for a brown or dark beer you can get away with adding the DME in the beginning of the boil. You run the risk of caramelization if you boil too hard. So that is why he is saying to add at the end of the boil. You could add half up front and the other at the end (after flameout).

All of the kits and recipes that I have used to date, call for steeping the grains for 25 minutes and boiling for 60 minutes. Aroma hops are typically added at 5 minutes before end of boil. You could add the brown sugar after you take off the flame. No reason to boil it.

If you have a large enough kettle (8 gallon and up) you can do a full boil (5 gallons).

 

[Mark_Y]

I think the owner of the brew shop said to use 2.5 gal so that it would be quicker to cool packed in ice water. Does it affect the brew to use 2.5 gal vs the full 5 gal?

 

[HB_in_Subic]

No it does not affect it. It is whatever is your preference. It will cool down quicker. Also cool down the top up water while you are boiling the wort. When chilling in the ice bath, stirring the wort will help it cool quicker.