3rd batch of beer

[sorefingers23]

hey guys, so far ive made 2 batches of beer, the 1st with a coopers kit, and the second also with a coopers kit, but i added some malt grains, some liquid malt extract and some hops, and now for my 3rd one the guy at my lhbs thinks i should ditch the kits, and make an all grain beer, and i was just wondering what some of you thought about that?

should i do a few more kits, or should i go for it and dive right in??

 

[Yooper]

Well, All grain requires more equipment but if you have the equipment, you can do it.

I'd do some extract with steeping grains recipes, with several hops additions first. In my mind, it's a LONG way from Cooper's kits to all-grain.

I'm not sure what you have available in your area, but I like the idea of finding a partial mash recipe here on this forum, and getting the ingredients and making it. It's not a kit, but it's much less to think about than an all grain brew.

 

[NJtuna]

I'm new to this too. I brewed 9 extract batches. I suggest you try kits from Midwest, Austin Homebrew Supply or Northern Brewer. Try full boils (if you have a large enough pot), going to DME instead of LME, and adding half the DME or LME at beginning and end of boil. I figured I will keep it simple and with no additional brewing equipment as of now.

 

[sorefingers23]

thats what i was thinking too, im just gonna keep it simple for now.

does anyone have any partial mash recipes that they recomend??

do i need anything other than my starter kit to do a partial mash?? if so what do i need??

 

[JJL]

thats what i was thinking too, im just gonna keep it simple for now.

does anyone have any partial mash recipes that they recomend??

do i need anything other than my starter kit to do a partial mash?? if so what do i need??

You should read the sticky post in this forum on easy part mash brewing. It's a great tutorial on the high points of doing PM on your stove top with the equipment you probably already have.

 

[Yooper]

thats what i was thinking too, im just gonna keep it simple for now.

does anyone have any partial mash recipes that they recomend??

do i need anything other than my starter kit to do a partial mash?? if so what do i need??

And just about any recipe can be a partial mash! Take a look at the recipe database, and see what looks good. If it's an all grain or an extract batch, that's fine- it's easy to convert to a partial mash.

 

[sorefingers23]

how come i see people converting coolers for their partial mash, whats that used for?

 

[Yooper]

how come i see people converting coolers for their partial mash, whats that used for?

It's an easy way to maintain mash temperatures, especially with a larger amount of grain. You can do a small amount of grain in a grainbag on the stove, no problem. But it gets harder to do with 5 or more pounds of grain. You want the grain "loose" in the bag, but you need an easy way to separate the grain from the resulting liquor. A pound or two of grain in a bag lifts right out, but it's not easy with 10 pounds of grain! So, instead of using a bag, many of us use converted coolers with some sort of false bottom so the temperature is held well (coolers are insulated) and it's easy to drain off the wort when it's finished.

It's not necessary, but it makes it easier. For my first few PMs, I lined my bottling bucket with a huge mesh bag (from winemaking) and added the grain to that. It worked ok but it didn't hold the temperature very well. I wrapped it in a sleeping bag, and it helped.

It doesn't matter if you use a cooler, a pot, a bucket, etc, as long as you have a way to separate the grains and liquid when the mash is done.

 

[sorefingers23]

ok so ive decided to try out a partial mash this week end, and i was wondering if anyone knew a good english brow ale or a new castle clone type recipe??

 

[Yooper]

If you look in the recipe database, there are dozens and dozens. A quick glance showed me this one: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f67/bbd-brown-biscuit-121279/

That one looks pretty good to me!

 

[Homercidal]

Sounds like you are enjoying the hobby! I would seriously consider building a cooler MLT large enough for full batches of AG. You will save money in ingredients, and when you are able to purchase a barley crusher, you will save even more.

But you will also be able to fully control the fermentability of your wort, and some other aspects of your beer that extract or PM brewing don't allow for.

Also realize that AG brewing will require a kettle large enough to boil the full amount of wort (7 gallons or more) generally, and of course a flame big enough to boil it. Your stove might not be big enough to do it, and it might not be strong enough to hold the weight of that much wort.

A turkey fryer is an inexpensive way to get both a kettle and a burner to boil on.

Just some words of warning before something bad happens to your stove! (althought some stove tops will just push right back into shape...)

 

[sorefingers23]

im looking at a 30 quart turkey cooker from walmart would that be good enough.

also im going to be doing partial mash for a while, cuz i just dont have room for a giant brewing kettle in my apartment, and im pretty sure i cant use those turkey cooker indoors, so i was wondering how big of a pot i need to do partial mash on my stove?? if its even possible??