Easy recipe suggestions for first AG

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yesjenks

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As the title suggests, I'm looking for a few easy, simple AG recipes for my first AG brew. I really like wheat, hefe and stouts.

Thank you in advance!
 
I'd recommend doing a Gumball-head clone/inspired beer. Its got a very simple grain bill and a simple hop schedule. (If I remember correctly)
5.0 lb 2 row
5.0 lb red wheat (white is ok too, but color will be a bit off if you wanted a true clone)
1.0 lb caravienna

@60min: 1 oz Amarillo
@15 min: 0.5 oz Amarillo
@5min: 1.0 oz Amarillo
@0min: 2.0 oz Amarillo
@dry: 1.0 oz Amarillo

The hop times and amounts may be a bit off. I've made this a few times and switched up the hops each time but it always turns out great.

You can use US-05 dry yeast if you want, but supposedly FFF uses something more akin to Wyeast 1968
 
Stouts are easy and there's lots of variety. Anything like 85% pale malt, 10% brown malt and 5% black malt topped up with plenty of hops for bittering works out.
 
Wheat/Hefes are best with step mashes, and the possibility (though remote) of stuck mashes, I wouldnt do a hefe until youve used your equipment for a few batches and are confident using your equipment.

A dry irish stout is a better choice for the first one. (you should download bru'n water and get a water report if you know you have soft water, with the amount of dark grain, you may actually have to worry about mash ph) Aim for the high end, 1.048, as you dont know what your mash efficiency is, aim for 70%, if you hit low 1.040 makes a drinkable stout. And 1.060 call it an export and move on, and adjust your % for next time. There is a margin for error and still get a drinkable beer. Its also a simple beer to make, so you can concentrate on the process.

10% Roast barley 20% flaked barley, 70% Marris Otter or other Pale ale malt. Mash at 152. 40 IBU a clean-ish bittering hop. challenger is a fine choice, or nugget/warrior, if you want domestic. No finishing hops needed.

Pick an irish/english yeast you like with not too low attenuation. You are good to go. Grind the roast barley finer if you can, If not, dont sweat it.
 
I find that all-grain is not as difficult as one imagines before jumping into it, unless you have to hit multiple steps in the mash. So the numbers of grains and number of hop additions is no cause for concern. However, I am a HUGE believer in starting out with recipes that you can 99% guarantee to be excellent so that the only real variable is in getting your process down pat.

I find this to be an excellent resource to finding great recipes. Choose the style you like and go to town:

http://www.alternativecommutepueblo.com/2011/10/ahanhc-gold-medal-winning-recipes-for.html
 
I'd just brew a recipe of whatever style you like. Honestly the recipe doesn't make a huge difference as long as you're not trying to brew anything like a chocolate cherry mocha salted stout ;)
 
Personally i would stay away from anything with a large percentage of wheat, rye or oats in the grain bill. A simple ipa is your best bet imo.
 
Personally i would stay away from anything with a large percentage of wheat, rye or oats in the grain bill. A simple ipa is your best bet imo.

This, 100%. Brew what you like but, at least for the first time out, steer clear of the gooey, huskless adjuncts.
 
Try a SMASH recipe (single malt single hop). Keeps it simple and you can more precisely taste the contributions from your malt and hop. You might also be able to tell more precisely whether your AG process is working or not! Plenty of SMASH recipes here.
 
As the title suggests, I'm looking for a few easy, simple AG recipes for my first AG brew. I really like wheat, hefe and stouts.

Thank you in advance!

Wheats can be a little tricky, because the grainbed can get quite sticky. Even with rice hulls, you may find it's not as easy as beers with less wheat. So I'd stay away from a hefeweizen or other wheat beer on the first attempt, until you know your system and the likelihood of a stuck mash or sparge.

As far as recipes, whether it's a pale ale or a stout, they are all equally 'easy'. You just put the grains all in together. I'd do any non-wheat recipe that strikes your fancy.
 
Try a SMASH recipe (single malt single hop). Keeps it simple and you can more precisely taste the contributions from your malt and hop. You might also be able to tell more precisely whether your AG process is working or not! Plenty of SMASH recipes here.

Do it with Munich malt. Complexity and richness.

All the Best,
D. White
 
Some (well, probably many) would call it a partial/mini mash, but I just made a 3 gallon batch based on northern brewers 1-gallon american wheat. So far it tastes about how I remember the kit tasting.

I mashed 2lbs of 2-row and 1lb of wheat in sort of a BIAB style, with about a 1:1.5 grain to water ratio, trying to keep the temp right around 152F-154F for an hour and I batch sparged as much as I dared (in this case it was twice, and the second "runnings" came out to about 1.013). I heated up the wort and just before boiling I added 1lb of wheat DME, then topped up the kettle to about 4 gallons. I boiled for an hour, adding either 0.6 or 0.7 oz of cascade at 45min and the rest (of the 1oz packet) at 20min.
 
Go for what you like but for simplicity do a saison.

All Pilsner, 3711 from wyeast, and mash around 148-150.

Mmmmm good stuff
 
Thanks for all your responses! I think I'm gonna try a SMASH recipe. Hopefully I won't change my mind 100 times . . . LOL. Love so many beers it's hard to pick just one to make. :)
 
Try a SMASH recipe (single malt single hop).

Seconded!!!

Thanks for all your responses! I think I'm gonna try a SMASH recipe. Hopefully I won't change my mind 100 times . . . LOL. Love so many beers it's hard to pick just one to make. :)

Oh bloody hell yah, it can be overwhelming, so much to play with. I have 3-4 recipe books I haven't even cracked open yet, too busy making up my own random stuff.

Smash brews are fun and simple and a great way to learn the ingredients.

I've done these Smash mixes so far:
2-Row / Sorachi (turned out surprisingly amazing, good summer beer)
Maris Otter / Sorachi
Vienna / Tettnanger
Golden Promise / Northern Brewer (great base for a wheat beer, thinking about making it a peach beer next time) :rockin:

Centennial blonde or Yooper's Haus ale (an APA).... Both are straight forward, forgiving recipes and result in great beers.

I'll second Biermuncher's Centennial Blonde suggestion here as well for a later attempt as it is fantastic. Brewed up a couple 1 gallon batches to test, then a 5 gallon for a buds wedding not long ago, simple, minimal ingredients, easy to do, tastes great.
 
I still don't think anything beats a stout. Not a clone of Guinness, but some proper stout with an OG of 1.055 or above. The roast malts even correct the PH of the mash, plus the colour of the result pretty much discards any risk of visible haze, so you can't be disappointed. The ingredients are widely available too.
 
Hmmm, I really like the idea of a SMASH as I'll really learn the taste of ingredients, but I also want to taste the sweet liquid of a stout. . . HELP!!! :)
 
Here's a fun idea for a SMASH: Do a SMASH using a grain that is completely unavailable in extract form and, as a result, you will get something completely new and something you've never tasted before. Vienna is a good candidate. I am also currently enjoying the hell out of a Munich/Sriesselspalt SMASH.
 
Here's a fun idea for a SMASH: Do a SMASH using a grain that is completely unavailable in extract form and, as a result, you will get something completely new and something you've never tasted before. Vienna is a good candidate. I am also currently enjoying the hell out of a Munich/Sriesselspalt SMASH.

That is a great idea! Would you mind forwarding the recipe you used?
 
Brew the SMaSH.. Then while that is fermenting, start another, then another...... I have 4 beers in fermenters, 3 ready to be kegged. I also have 28 recipes started in Beersmith. When brewday is approaching I check my yeast stock available, pick a recipe that I have a yeast for and get ready to brew!

Sometimes in the days before a brew day I will change my mind about which one to do 5-10 times.
 
Sure - I think it was 10 lbs of Best Malz Munich, mashed at 152, and 1 oz of Strisselspalt at 60 and another 1 oz at 10. Fermented cool with 1007, but any neutral ale yeast would be good. It's basically an all-Munich Duesseldorf Altbier.

EDIT: And it was the regular old Munich, not the Dark Munich. I've also read things that say Briess Munich isn't appropriate for a SMASH like this.
 
Brew the SMaSH.. Then while that is fermenting, start another, then another...... I have 4 beers in fermenters, 3 ready to be kegged. I also have 28 recipes started in Beersmith. When brewday is approaching I check my yeast stock available, pick a recipe that I have a yeast for and get ready to brew!

Sometimes in the days before a brew day I will change my mind about which one to do 5-10 times.[/QUOTE

Damn! Go you! Wish I could have 4 fermenting at once. I really have to start kegging. . . bottling is a PITA! I would have to keep at least 200-250 bottles in the rotation for that volume. . . challenge accepted! :)
 
Would someone mind directing me to SMASH recipes? I can't seem to locate them.
 
Centennial blonde or Yooper's Haus ale (an APA).... Both are straight forward, forgiving recipes and result in great beers.


This. C Blonde less the Vienna. Easy and gooooood! You could even leave out the dextrine and it is still good.....2-row and a basic hop schedule fermented with US05 in a closet.
 
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