Best BIAB types to start with?

[Newtobrewing85]

Hey, new here. Looking at some all grain kits and was just wondering what would be a good type of beer to start with for pretty much a beer brewing virgin. I’m big into IPA’s but I’ve heard they can be a PIA. I was thinking maybe a Sierra Nevada clone? Something I can easily compare to the real deal? Pale ales, lagers, stouts, what’s a good one to start with?

 

[Tom Foolery]

A blonde ale or single malt single hop (SMaSH) is a good place to start. IMHO.

 

[Newtobrewing85]

A blonde ale or single malt single hop (SMaSH) is a good place to start. IMHO.

Thank you!

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

I’m big into IPA’s but I’ve heard they can be a PIA. I was thinking maybe a Sierra Nevada clone? Something I can easily compare to the real deal? Pale ales, lagers, stouts, what’s a good one to start with?

Consider picking a couple of commercial beers that you enjoy, find a 'clone' recipe for that beer, and learn how to brew it well.

• Sierra Nevada has a 'clone' recipe for SNPA at their web site.
• Bell's General Store has kits for a number of their beers.
• Other craft brewers will make recipes available and kit providers will repackage them.
• The "Can You Brew It" series has a number of recipes for popular craft beers (Moose Drool, ...) and many of those recipes are kits (NB's Caribou Slobber, ...).
• BYO Big Book of Clone Recipes

What do you have for fermentation temperature control?

Simple approaches for "water chemistry" exist (link, link).

 

[Newtobrewing85]

Consider picking a couple of commercial beers that you enjoy, find a 'clone' recipe for that beer, and learn how to brew it well.

• Sierra Nevada has a 'clone' recipe for SNPA at their web site.
• Bell's General Store has kits for a number of their beers.
• Other craft brewers will make recipes available and kit providers will repackage them.
• The "Can You Brew It" series has a number of recipes for popular craft beers (Moose Drool, ...) and many of those recipes are kits (NB's Caribou Slobber, ...).
• BYO Big Book of Clone Recipes

What do you have for fermentation temperature control?

Simple approaches for "water chemistry" exist (link, link).

Perfect, thanks! So I was on the right track with Sierra Nevada and I’ll definitely check out Bells! I live in Colorado but I’ve been a 2 hearted ale fan for years and they finally sell it here now.

Is the can you brew it here on the website? I googled and that’s all I found. I’d like to go that route but I’m way too green to try brewing from recipes just yet.

Fermentation temperature control currently is nothing. I understand that lagers like cold and ales like warm, 65-72 is what I’ve seen. House is usually 65ish in the winter and 72 in the summer. Can always utilize a garage if need a cooler spot. I’m just getting set up and running so a lot of variables, trying to configure how and where this will all work best.

I’ll check the link, thanks!

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Can you brew it (link) was also a podcast. Some/many/most of those recipes can also be found in various kits (e.g. Moose Drool ==> NB's Caribou Slobber, ...)

 

[Newtobrewing85]

Can you brew it (link) was also a podcast. Some/many/most of those recipes can also be found in various kits (e.g. Moose Drool ==> NB's Caribou Slobber, ...)

Gotcha! I saw those! More beer was actually a bit cheaper for sanitizer, cleaner, spoons, hydrometer etc. so I went with their Sierra Nevada clone. Cheap enough that if I screw it up I’m only out $25.

 

[NSMikeD]

The BIAB site has an Amarillo recipe to start. What’s nice about that is that not only does it make for a really good beer, you can plug it into their free software ( excel file) and have a base to compare and then design your own recipes. Not that you can’t do that with other software like BeerSmith (which I currently use) but it’s free and it’s designed specifically by and for BIAB brewers.
As for kits, I’ve brewed a number of BIAB from basic kits with no issues. I do plug them into software to confirm strike temp and water volumes.

 

[Newtobrewing85]

The BIAB site has an Amarillo recipe to start. What’s nice about that is that not only does it make for a really good beer, you can plug it into their free software ( excel file) and have a base to compare and then design your own recipes. Not that you can’t do that with other software like BeerSmith (which I currently use) but it’s free and it’s designed specifically by and for BIAB brewers.
As for kits, I’ve brewed a number of BIAB from basic kits with no issues. I do plug them into software to confirm strike temp and water volumes.

This is really cool and invaluable information! Thanks! That beersmith website is pretty awesome, there’s a lot there.

 

[kmarkstevens]

British bitters are good BIAB candidates

 

[Newtobrewing85]

British bitters are good BIAB candidates

What would be considered a British bitter?

 

[camonick]

Gotcha! I saw those! More beer was actually a bit cheaper for sanitizer, cleaner, spoons, hydrometer etc. so I went with their Sierra Nevada clone. Cheap enough that if I screw it up I’m only out $25.

The MoreBeer kits are really good. Their Irish Red ale is awesome as well the moose drool clone. Just remember they don’t include yeast in any of them. What part of Colorado are you from? I live in the northeast corner.

 

[Cyclman]

I would do an IPA. Not that difficult, just some hop additions. You could always just add a few hops at the beginning, then add all of your hops with five or zero minutes to go. Let it sit for 20 minutes before you start cooling.

 

[kmarkstevens]

Jamil Zainasheff Ordinary Bitter: Ordinary Bitter - Brew Your Own (byo.com)

The only thing is your efficiency may be lower. So, you may end up with 4 or 4.5 gallons instead of the 5 gallons Jamil got.

Ordinary Bitter
Ordinary Bitter
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.038 FG = 1.011
IBU = 30 SRM = 11 ABV = 3.5%
Ingredients
7.0 lb. (3.2 kg) English pale ale malt
0.50 lb. (0.23 kg) crystal malt (120 °L)
0.25 lb. (113 g) Special Roast malt (50 °L)
5.75 AAU East Kent Goldings hops (60 min.) (1.2 oz./33 g of 5% alpha acids)
2.5 AAU East Kent Goldings hops (30 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g of 5% alpha acids)
0.5 oz. (14 g) East Kent Goldings hops (1 min.)
White Labs WLP002 (English Ale) or Wyeast 1968 (London ESB) or Lallemand London ESB Ale yeast
1/2 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Mill the grains and dough-in at around 1 qt. of water per pound of grain (about 2.1 L/kg) and a temperature of 152 °F (67 °C). Hold the mash at 152 °F (67 °C) for 60 minutes. Infuse the mash with near boiling water while stirring to raise the temperature to mash out at 168 °F (76 °C). Sparge slowly with 170 °F (77 °C) water, collecting wort until the pre-boil kettle volume is around 5.9 gallons (22 L) and the gravity is 1.032. Boil wort for 75 minutes. Add the bittering hops with 60 minutes remaining and the flavor hops with 30 minutes left in the boil. Add 1 tsp. Irish moss with 15 minutes left in the boil and add the last hop addition just before shutting off the burner. Chill the wort to 67 °F (19 °C), pitch yeast and aerate thoroughly. Ferment around 67 °F (19 °C) until the yeast drops clear. Allow the lees to settle and the brew to mature without pressure for another two days after fermentation appears finished. Rack to a keg or bottling bucket. Target a carbonation level of 1 to 1.5 volumes. (Use about 2.0 oz./57 g of corn sugar for bottle conditioning.) If you’re cask conditioning the beer, add priming sugar, any cask finings (gelatin or isinglass), and dry hop with 0.25 to 0.5 oz. (7–14 g) of whole East Kent Goldings hops. Allow the beer to condition in the cask for several days and serve via a beer engine or by gravity feed at 50–55 °F (10–13 °C).

 

[Newtobrewing85]

The MoreBeer kits are really good. Their Irish Red ale is awesome as well the moose drool clone. Just remember they don’t include yeast in any of them. What part of Colorado are you from? I live in the northeast corner.

Thats good to hear! They’re actually cheaper too than northern brewery and the shipping from Midwest supplies is obscenely high! $18 for 2 kits?? I’ll have to check out the red ale and moose drool. I’ve never found a beer I truly don’t like tbh, I love everything! I had to Google the yeast, starters and the priming sugar. I decided just to go with the basic US-05 dry yeast I think. Priming sugar I know I can use table sugar so I can do that and I guess northern brewery has a calculator for that so that helps. I’m still a little lost on the yeast nutrients and some of the starters I saw.

I just realized I didn’t order the bags though so now I’m confused. Do I have to order the bags with the kit? I guess I have the anvil foundry so technically I don’t need any bags anyways?!

 

[Newtobrewing85]

I would do an IPA. Not that difficult, just some hop additions. You could always just add a few hops at the beginning, then add all of your hops with five or zero minutes to go. Let it sit for 20 minutes before you start cooling.

Likely my next brew! My wife got an extract (she didn’t know) so I’ll do that first to get my foot in the door. Then I’ll do the all grain kit, Sierra Nevada clone. Then likely an IPA, Kama Citra looks good. I don’t think I’ve had the ballast point Sculpin or the Zombie Dust but they both sound good so I might go with one of those. Not really sure yet!

 

[camonick]

I’m still a little lost on the yeast nutrients and some of the starters I saw.

If you’re using dry yeast, you don’t need nutrients or starters for your beer unless your doing a “big” beer (high OG/ABV).
Nottingham would be another good choice.

 

[Newtobrewing85]

Jamil Zainasheff Ordinary Bitter: Ordinary Bitter - Brew Your Own (byo.com)

The only thing is your efficiency may be lower. So, you may end up with 4 or 4.5 gallons instead of the 5 gallons Jamil got.

Ordinary Bitter
Ordinary Bitter
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.038 FG = 1.011
IBU = 30 SRM = 11 ABV = 3.5%
Ingredients
7.0 lb. (3.2 kg) English pale ale malt
0.50 lb. (0.23 kg) crystal malt (120 °L)
0.25 lb. (113 g) Special Roast malt (50 °L)
5.75 AAU East Kent Goldings hops (60 min.) (1.2 oz./33 g of 5% alpha acids)
2.5 AAU East Kent Goldings hops (30 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g of 5% alpha acids)
0.5 oz. (14 g) East Kent Goldings hops (1 min.)
White Labs WLP002 (English Ale) or Wyeast 1968 (London ESB) or Lallemand London ESB Ale yeast
1/2 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Mill the grains and dough-in at around 1 qt. of water per pound of grain (about 2.1 L/kg) and a temperature of 152 °F (67 °C). Hold the mash at 152 °F (67 °C) for 60 minutes. Infuse the mash with near boiling water while stirring to raise the temperature to mash out at 168 °F (76 °C). Sparge slowly with 170 °F (77 °C) water, collecting wort until the pre-boil kettle volume is around 5.9 gallons (22 L) and the gravity is 1.032. Boil wort for 75 minutes. Add the bittering hops with 60 minutes remaining and the flavor hops with 30 minutes left in the boil. Add 1 tsp. Irish moss with 15 minutes left in the boil and add the last hop addition just before shutting off the burner. Chill the wort to 67 °F (19 °C), pitch yeast and aerate thoroughly. Ferment around 67 °F (19 °C) until the yeast drops clear. Allow the lees to settle and the brew to mature without pressure for another two days after fermentation appears finished. Rack to a keg or bottling bucket. Target a carbonation level of 1 to 1.5 volumes. (Use about 2.0 oz./57 g of corn sugar for bottle conditioning.) If you’re cask conditioning the beer, add priming sugar, any cask finings (gelatin or isinglass), and dry hop with 0.25 to 0.5 oz. (7–14 g) of whole East Kent Goldings hops. Allow the beer to condition in the cask for several days and serve via a beer engine or by gravity feed at 50–55 °F (10–13 °C).

Thank you! I’m going to throw this into my notes on my phone. I snagged the stone pale ale earlier from their website so I’m going to start taking notes on what I did when I brew so I can try and learn from any (likely) mistakes I make.

 

[Newtobrewing85]

If you’re using dry yeast, you don’t need nutrients or starters for your beer unless your doing a “big” beer (high OG/ABV).
Nottingham would be another good choice.

That’s where I got a bit confused, the starters are useful for IPA’s and stuff than? You can use dry yeast with an IPA, what do you do differently besides just adding it in the fermenter?

 

[McKnuckle]

You don't need a bag with the Foundry. It has a basket (malt pipe) for that.

You also don't need yeast nutrient, and you don't need to make a starter with dry yeast. Starters are for situations where you do not have enough healthy yeast for the volume and/or gravity of the wort.

Dried yeast is yeast that is... dried. It is rendered stable and thus has a much longer shelf life. It's the same creature as "regular" yeast, just in suspended animation, so to speak.

I think you are getting overwhelmed reading about the many techniques brewers employ, and the many pieces of equipment they use, without having any context about what is basic vs. what is evolutionary or more sophisticated. Try to slow down a bit. Brew ONE all grain beer on your new equipment, then see how things go. This is really not the kind of hobby where you buy everything you could possibly need all at once.

 

[camonick]

what do you do differently besides just adding it in the fermenter?

Nothing... just sprinkle it on top of your cooled wort and leave it alone for 2-3 weeks.

 

[Newtobrewing85]

You don't need a bag with the Foundry. It has a basket (malt pipe) for that.

You also don't need yeast nutrient, and you don't need to make a starter with dry yeast. Starters are for situations where you do not have enough healthy yeast for the volume and/or gravity of the wort.

Dried yeast is yeast that is... dried. It is rendered stable and thus has a much longer shelf life. It's the same creature as "regular" yeast, just in suspended animation, so to speak.

I think you are getting overwhelmed reading about the many techniques brewers employ, and the many pieces of equipment they use, without having any context about what is basic vs. what is evolutionary or more sophisticated. Try to slow down a bit. Brew ONE all grain beer on your new equipment, then see how things go. This is really not the kind of hobby where you buy everything you could possibly need all at once.

That’s how I understood it with the foundry. But I went looking for BIAB recipes and I realized I didn’t get the bags so that threw me for a loop. I guess it’s still technically that as it has everything needed in the box.

I think I understand on the yeast part now, that makes sense. I’m trying to ask questions and soak up knowledge as I go. I’ve got the Palmer book coming and I’ll read that but that’s a ways away still, at least a week. I’m excited to learn and have an overactive mind so it’s a bit of an issue lol.

I’m not trying to go too fast though, just make sure I have the basic stuff down. I thought I mostly did but when I saw all the options just to order a kit I was a bit dumb founded at first.

 

[McKnuckle]

Read the older, web-based version of How to Brew while you wait for the book. Don't focus so much on the equipment, because that changes, and the book doesn't cover newer electric brewing systems. Focus on the basics of how the craft is practiced.

In fact, the equipment section is useful, because it reduces gear to the lowest common denominator, and no proprietary systems are covered. That's actually revealing.

Welcome to How to Brew - How to Brew

 

[Newtobrewing85]

Read the older, web-based version of How to Brew while you wait for the book. Don't focus so much on the equipment, because that changes, and the book doesn't cover newer electric brewing systems. Focus on the basics of how the craft is practiced.

In fact, the equipment section is useful, because it reduces gear to the lowest common denominator, and no proprietary systems are covered. That's actually revealing.

Welcome to How to Brew - How to Brew

Thanks! I’ll turn off the TV and check this out!

 

[Newtobrewing85]

The MoreBeer kits are really good. Their Irish Red ale is awesome as well the moose drool clone. Just remember they don’t include yeast in any of them. What part of Colorado are you from? I live in the northeast corner.

Just dawned on me I never actually answered the question. I live in Firestone area.

 

[camonick]

Lol that’s great, maybe i won’t use it in my kitchen hahaha

For reference from your other thread in the beginners section, here’s a picture of that big whisk next to my size 13 shoe and a regular 12oz bottle.

Just dawned on me I never actually answered the question. I live in Firestone area.

My sister lives in Dacono and I have yet to go see her at her new house because of Covid and such. You’d be just up the road. Good luck with your future brews. I’m getting ready to do a Maris Otter & EKG SMASH today.

 

[Newtobrewing85]

For reference from your other thread in the beginners section, here’s a picture of that big whisk next to my size 13 shoe and a regular 12oz bottle.
View attachment 708346

My sister lives in Dacono and I have yet to go see her at her new house because of Covid and such. You’d be just up the road. Good luck with your future brews. I’m getting ready to do a Maris Otter & EKG SMASH today.

That’s a big whisk!! Yeah, Dacono is just on the other side of highway 52 from me, a matter of minutes in drive time. Sounds tasty, good luck on your brew and I’ll be jealous knowing I’m still waiting for all my stuff.

 

[Gusso]

I recently bought the same whisk at US Chef Supply. Less than $20.