best way to understand recipie building

[Edbeenbreto]

So I want to making my own recipes don't get me wrong extract and kit brewing is a total blast. But being a mechanic makes me want to take things apart and put those back together. So my wife and I want to start with Pale Ales. Is the easiest recipe to start with? And is Lager-ing needed for pale ales? When do you lager? or should I say what type of beers require lager-ing process? Reason for ales is my personal favorite and I want something that I can just play around with. So when making your grain bill, when is too much grain to much? yes I know there is software out there, and I play on it quite a bit. I guess I am overthinking it??? Any help is help so thanks again


cheers

 

[Gnomebrewer]

So I want to making my own recipes don't get me wrong extract and kit brewing is a total blast. But being a mechanic makes me want to take things apart and put those back together. So my wife and I want to start with Pale Ales. Is the easiest recipe to start with? And is Lager-ing needed for pale ales? When do you lager? or should I say what type of beers require lager-ing process? Reason for ales is my personal favorite and I want something that I can just play around with. So when making your grain bill, when is too much grain to much? yes I know there is software out there, and I play on it quite a bit. I guess I am overthinking it??? Any help is help so thanks again


cheers

Pale ales are quite easy to start with. No lagering needed (they are ales, not lagers). You lager when using lager yeasts, which ferment at lower temperatures than ale yeasts.

Are you planning to brew with extract and specialty grain, or all grain?
If you're planning all grain, the amount of grain (and efficiency) determines your starting gravity (sugar content of your wort), which determines your alcohol content. Too much depends on the style you are brewing, for pale ale you're generally looking for enough grain to give a gravity of 1.045 to 1.060.

I'd suggest if you're going all grain, to start with a few proven recipes from the recipe section, then start modifying them when you get an idea of what the different grains/hops/processes do for the finished beer.

 

[Edbeenbreto]

Yeah sorry I should have mentioned all grain. Thanks for the advice, so go for proven recipes and shoot for the gravity mark? Also after watching tons of all grain videos, how important is a pre-boil gravity reading? I have never heard of that, I mean I have just how much does it effect your outcome. I have been doing extract and its a blast and I know both of us want to move on to all grain.

 

[kh54s10]

Yeah sorry I should have mentioned all grain. Thanks for the advice, so go for proven recipes and shoot for the gravity mark? Also after watching tons of all grain videos, how important is a pre-boil gravity reading? I have never heard of that, I mean I have just how much does it effect your outcome. I have been doing extract and its a blast and I know both of us want to move on to all grain.

I would suggest that you read How to Brew (the book not the online version) By John Palmer and/or Designing Great Beers by Ray Daniels so that you learn the interactions of all the possible ingredients.

For instance how much of a certain type of malt is enough or too much. And which malts to use for a certain style of beer.

Taking a preboil gravity reading will not effect the outcome at all unless you use the reading to make adjustments.

If your reading is lower than expected by the recipe or software you can add DME, boil longer or leave it as is. If high you can dilute or boil for less time.

Changing things without knowing the effects will change the final results also.

I have dialed in my boil off/volume amounts so that I get the final amount of beer right so I just record the preboil gravity and live with whatever OG that I get. I have done enough that I am usually within a few points so the beer is very close to the recipe I have designed.

 

[Sammy86]

Pale ales are quite easy to start with. No lagering needed (they are ales, not lagers). You lager when using lager yeasts, which ferment at lower temperatures than ale yeasts.

Are you planning to brew with extract and specialty grain, or all grain?
If you're planning all grain, the amount of grain (and efficiency) determines your starting gravity (sugar content of your wort), which determines your alcohol content. Too much depends on the style you are brewing, for pale ale you're generally looking for enough grain to give a gravity of 1.045 to 1.060.

I'd suggest if you're going all grain, to start with a few proven recipes from the recipe section, then start modifying them when you get an idea of what the different grains/hops/processes do for the finished beer.

I would suggest that you read How to Brew (the book not the online version) By John Palmer and/or Designing Great Beers by Ray Daniels so that you learn the interactions of all the possible ingredients.

For instance how much of a certain type of malt is enough or too much. And which malts to use for a certain style of beer.

Taking a preboil gravity reading will not effect the outcome at all unless you use the reading to make adjustments.

If your reading is lower than expected by the recipe or software you can add DME, boil longer or leave it as is. If high you can dilute or boil for less time.

Changing things without knowing the effects will change the final results also.

I have dialed in my boil off/volume amounts so that I get the final amount of beer right so I just record the preboil gravity and live with whatever OG that I get. I have done enough that I am usually within a few points so the beer is very close to the recipe I have designed.

Both of these!

 

[m00ps]

Yeah sorry I should have mentioned all grain. Thanks for the advice, so go for proven recipes and shoot for the gravity mark? Also after watching tons of all grain videos, how important is a pre-boil gravity reading? I have never heard of that, I mean I have just how much does it effect your outcome. I have been doing extract and its a blast and I know both of us want to move on to all grain.

In regards to a pre-boil OG, its important to really dial in your numbers, but ive personally never taken a single one in over 150 batches...

 

[Rhumbline]

I've read all the books and they are great, but the software available is by far the easiest way to tinker.

I have no affiliation with any of them but BeerSmith and BrunWater are excellent ways to get guidance. They both allow you to play around with the composition of your brew and see the likely results.

Start off with a recipe in BeerSmith and change the makeup, you'll see the effects on FG, Bitterness, Color, etc. and also where the brew falls within the spectrum for that style.

 

[MindenMan]

My local library has a few great Brewing books on their shelf. I read all the "free" brewing books I could find, and then I found HBT. I agree with the idea of using a tried and tested recipe first; that way you will have an idea of what to expect when finished. Few brewers I know of ever nailed their first batch, so if you don't nail yours exactly, don't worry, when you are done it will still be beer. We are all here to help, if you have any more questions, just ask and someone will always lend their personal experience to see if they may be of help. Good luck!

 

[Edbeenbreto]

Thanks guys looks like I am in for some reading AKA my kryptonite

 

[MaxStout]

There is another alternative, a little niche in brewing called SMaSH--Single Malt and Single Hops. You brew a beer using only one grain, and one variety of hops. You can make a decent APA this way, and learn about what each ingredient contributes to the beer.

Next brew, start adding ingredients and complexity.