Baby's First Beer

[MikeRLynch]

Alright, I'm going to try to do an extract brew...emphasis on try.

Here's what I've got lined up on the counter:
- 1 can (3.3 lbs) Briess Unhopped Pilsen Light Malt Extract
- 1 can (3.3 lbs) Coopers Wheat Extract (50%-50% Wheat to barley)
- 2 oz. Hallertau hop pellets
- 1 oz. Saaz hop pellets
- Coopers brewing yeast (dry)
- Blueberry extract (nonfermentable LHBS)

Here's what I'm hoping to do:
- Boil three gallons of water with the two cans of extract, adding 1 oz. Saaz. Boil 60 min.
- Add 1 oz. Hallertau at 30 min.
- Add 1 oz. Hallertau at 0 min.
- Add wort to 2 gal ice (frozen gal jugs) in primary. When temp is lowered, add yeast (from starter).
- When transferring to secondary after primary ferment, add blueberry extract to specs (on bottle).

What do you guys think? I'm just guessing on the amount of hops to add, so any help would be greatly appreciated. This is my very first time brewing, so any tips would be awesome.

mike

 

[Cheesefood]

Alright, I'm going to try to do an extract brew...emphasis on try.

Here's what I've got lined up on the counter:
- 1 can (3.3 lbs) Briess Unhopped Pilsen Light Malt Extract
- 1 can (3.3 lbs) Coopers Wheat Extract (50%-50% Wheat to barley)
- 2 oz. Hallertau hop pellets
- 1 oz. Saaz hop pellets
- Coopers brewing yeast (dry)
- Blueberry extract (nonfermentable LHBS)

Here's what I'm hoping to do:
- Boil three gallons of water with the two cans of extract, adding 1 oz. Saaz. Boil 60 min.
- Add 1 oz. Hallertau at 30 min.
- Add 1 oz. Hallertau at 0 min.
- Add wort to 2 gal ice (frozen gal jugs) in primary. When temp is lowered, add yeast (from starter).
- When transferring to secondary after primary ferment, add blueberry extract to specs (on bottle).

What do you guys think? I'm just guessing on the amount of hops to add, so any help would be greatly appreciated. This is my very first time brewing, so any tips would be awesome.

mike

2 gallons of ice will take forever and a day to thaw. Use a half-gallon of ice and 1.75 gallons of cool water.

Don't forget to hydrate your yeast.

 

[ColoradoXJ13]

I would skip the blueberry extract and go with fresh berries, steep them at 160*F for about 20', crush them up, and put in the secondary or primary...you could also use frozen or pasteurized berries too.

I just didnt like the flavor that an extract gave to my apricot ale much, I won't be using it again, only real fruit (going to rack my chocolate milk stout on raspberries this weekend)

 

[Beerrific]

You can put ice in the sink/tub. Chill the water but don't let it freeze. Freezing can pick up flavors from the freezer.

Do you think this might be much hops? Others can comment here, but I think it might be too assuming you want the blueberry to stand out.

 

[LouT]

Do you think this might be much hops? Others can comment here, but I think it might be too assuming you want the blueberry to stand out.

I concur, will be a bit hoppy, blueberries may seem like an afterthought.

 

[BierMuncher]

Put your 1-gallon jugs in the freezer just as you start your process. They'll be nearly frozen, but still pourable.

WHen your wort is done boiling, move the pot to a sink of cold tap water. Keep it in that cold "bath" until the surrounding water is warm (gently agitate the wort and the water around the pot). Then either replace the water with cold again or if you have a double sink, just move it over to that one. Repeat this until your temp is down to 95 degrees +/-.

Add this to your icy water in the fermenter and you should hit 75 degrees.

 

[Beerrific]

I concur, will be a bit hoppy, blueberries may seem like an afterthought.

My proposal:

3/4 Saaz at 60
1/4 hallertau at 30
1/4 hallertau at 5/0

Might be able to leave out the flavoring hops all together.

 

[MikeRLynch]

Thanks for the quick responces!

As for the blueberry, I certainly can live without it, I'm just concerned with making a halfway decent beer.

If I lessen the amount of hops at boiling, can I add some back in as a dry hop and let them be the primary flavor profile? I'm shooting for a smooth and medium bodied wheat ale.

mike

 

[david_42]

I'd have to agree with beerific's recommendations. Wheats are easily overwhelmed by hops. As far as the blueberry goes, why not bottle half, add the extract and bottle the rest. You could even do 3-4 levels of extract.

But, real blueberries are better and you could just squeeze out the juice.

 

[woosterhoot]

My second brew ever i tried to do a cherry beer with real fruit. major disaster. my roomate drank too many one night and could get off the toliet for 8 hours. If this is your first brew i wouldn't mess with fruit. go uber simple ale. just a suggestion.

 

[krispy d]

I am an opinionated old bastard but I would forgo the berries all together and try to make a couple of well balanced beers before you start getting creative. looks to me like you have the makings of a decent 'hop head wheat' on your hands. Seriously though, get a couple of brews under your belt before you start with the funky adjuncts.

 

[MikeRLynch]

That sounds like a plan Krispy, and btw, where the hell did you get a recipe for Dirty Penny?!?!?! They brew that right down the street from my parents house, I was practically raised on the stuff! Do you work there? If you do, you need to let me in on their Christmas Ale, that was awesome stuff. Its pretty strange seeing a hometown brew pop up on the internet like that

mike