First batch of beer planning

[neohistory]

So I have been doing my homework, and I had started my first batch of mead already and it is sitting in the closet on week 1. I am taking the knowledge from there to the brewing of beer and here I am. I have a question regarding my first batch of beer. I went by the brew shop in the city (the only one I know of around here) and was talking with the store owner. Now I understand having new customers interested in a process which requires them buying from that store, so this leaves dollar signs in the eyes of the store owner to make on a newb.

I'm starting from extract brewing, however, reading about the hops part, I really want to take the initiative on this part and do it myself. So if one extract can at $16 is hopped and another same price isn't, she said I would have to buy both cans because I am not doing the hopping myself, but if I do my own hopping, technically I only need the MALT EXTRACT. I could tell when I asked she was trying to get me to go the route of 2 cans of extract one hopped and one not. So am I correct to say no I just want a can of the amber extract and I will hop it myself?

Not only that, but if I buy one hopped one not hopped, won't that be different brands? I didn't specifically note this, but just in my mind wouldn't that be bad for the yeast to have that chance for variation in the malt syrup?

 

[Desrever]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I think you would need 2 cans to make the batch unless your making a half batch ?? you would need 2 cans of unhopped extract if you were going to use your own hop method.

 

[neohistory]

Well I'm going to start off with a 1 gallon batch since that is the glassware I have available. I found a calculation sheet online I believe to downsize this, but from what I understood on the forums you would just take the recipe and divide the stuff by 5 (if it calls for 5 gallon) and that should be close enough for the ingredients.

 

[Just1pepsi]

I've not made a smaller batch than 5 gallons, but my understanding is that you are correct in dividing by five.

As far as if you need hopped and non hopped extract, I'd say you only need hopped extract if you don't want to hop it yourself, which you don't.

Where in Oklahoma you from? I'm an okie too.

Anyway, you can use non hopped extract and provide your own hops if you wish. No problem there.
oh, and as far as different brands, I doubt it would make any difference if you so choose to use hopped and non hopped extract at the same time.

 

[Desrever]

I don't think it would make much of a difference in the different brand of Extract, yeast tend to like all the different sugars.

and yes you could just get the one can of LME and hop it yourself

 

[AleFred]

you need malt extract and hops, i wouldnt go with the hopped extract for the simple reason that you dont know what hops were used and in what amounts... adding you own you can choose to alter to your own taste.. now how much extract you need for a 1 gallon batch is the question, one formula i use for scale down all grain recipes is the orginal amount multiplied by the desired volume then divided by the original volume... for example 7lbs DME(1gallon) divided by 5gallons ( original volume) there are other formulas for scaling down but i found this one yesterday on byo's site so i'll trust them...hopefully someone else will chime in

 

[itsme6582]

You sure are making a big fuss over, at most, 10 beers.

 

[neohistory]

You sure are making a big fuss over, at most, 10 beers.

A big fuss? How so? I'm simply learning the differences.

 

[SilverZero]

Maybe I'm missing something, but that's just silly to buy one of each can. If you're hopping yourself, you just get un-hopped extract (as much as your recipe calls for, or whatever division of such you'll be using) and add water. From there it's the same as any other standard brew: Add hops according to the schedule, early on for bittering, later for aroma and flavor.

You sure are making a big fuss over, at most, 10 beers.

That was . . . um . . . unnecessary. He said he's limited by his gear. What difference does it make if he wants to brew ten bottles or ten gallons? This is the beginner's forum, where one asks questions to learn the craft.

 

[Desrever]

+1 on 10 beers

5-6 weeks is a long wait for it.

Either way good luck.

 

[neohistory]

Just1Pepsi - I'm in the suburbs of OKC, the brew shop is where I'm talking about. I came on here to confirm with the people who have more experience than me that the shop owner mentioned (I've never known a person to do just one can) which is basically false sense I can hop it myself and that Is what I'm confirming. Sure you guys understand that, however, I may not at first so I'm just clarifying that. I don't want to waste beer or time for that matter, so that is why I ask about just a gallon, it's still money down the drain since I'm starting out. She also said the yeast packet that comes with the extract should work. I suppose if I want "just alcohol" then that is okay? or is the packet just junk and I should purchase from her refrigerated stock? Thank you for the information guys.

 

[Desrever]

if your just experimenting I would use the yeast with the kit.

 

[Brewnoob1]

I just finished brewing my first batch and used 1 hopped can and 1 not. Different brands and everything so far has turned out fine. I wouldn't worry about that.

 

[phenry]

If you're just starting out and want to get serious: read a book. How To Brew by John Palmer is a great start. I read it cover to cover twice, and I still didn't end up with a good first batch. That's where reading threads on here comes in. Learning from other people's mistakes is probably the best way to learn, short of learning from your own. Only your own mistakes are a little more expensive.

 

[Oldbrew75]

I totally agree with you phenry.

 

[ciphin78]

FWIW…It’s been my experience that LHBS don’t generally try to rip you off. True, they are a business and are trying to make money but I don’t think they’ll give you bad advice about a recipe.

If you want to make 1 gallon, go for it. Scale the recipe as you’ve done. However, if you choose to add the hops yourself you may not be able to buy them in small enough quantities. Forcing you to buy more than you need which will be (probably) more expensive than just buying the extract with hops already added, but that’s your choice. The dry yeast is probably a Safale packet which is totally fine (I use 04 and 05 all the time with great results).

+1 to what others have said as well.

 

[neohistory]

Thank you guys for the posts. I am reading the book you mentioned phenry, providing lots of great info

 

[djfriesen]

I am currently limited to 1 gal batches as well. I am planning on brewing a scaled down version of Airborne's Atonement Brown Porter. I have read some places, and confirmed with my LHBS owner, that the hops amounts are not a linear relationship. It may have something to do with differing hops utilization in different volumes of wort. I'm not too sure on this. I decided to use a straight linear scaling, based on the 1 gal kit I bought (My kit came with all the AG ingredients I needed, and included approximately that amount of hops for a 1 gal batch) and the input of my LHBS owner. It will be beer either way, I just don't know how true to the original it will be.

Honestly, I don't know how much of a difference it will make, and whether or not you would be able to tell a difference if it did. It's just something to think about. The folks over in the Hops forum might be able to fill you in if you are curious about the specifics. Either way, I would buy your own hops, add them according to your preference and schedule, and don't let the LHBS buffalo you into anything you don't want to do. Either way, you should end up with beer.

 

[neohistory]

DJ - yes this is what I have in mind with hops. I'm not trying to paint the LHBS as bad and evil, I'm not really faimilliar with most of this or the store owner. She never mentioned her hops variety so I was sort of left in the dark on that and I'm supplimenting for myself. I'm really anxious to start just making sure I don't dive in head first without knowing my depth. Hopping myself seems more rewarding so that's what I'm reading up about right now.

 

[ajf]

If you are going to do a 1g batch, I wouldn't start off with a can (or 2 cans) of liquid malt extract.
For a typical 1g batch, you will need about 1/2 can of LME. What are you going to do with the other 1/2 can? Once the can is opened, it will deteriorate very rapidly. If you switched to dry malt extract instead of liquid, you would at least be able to save what you didn't use on the first batch. Keep it in a zip-lock bag, and it will last a long time.
If you go with DME, you will have to use your own hops, but that is simple, and you could keep any unused hops in a zip-lock bag to go towards the next brew.

-a.

 

[neohistory]

Ajf, the LHBS told me once I open the LME can, I should put the rest of the syrup in Tupperware and store in the fridge. She suggested not leaving it in the can as it being exposed to the air would ruin it.

 

[ajf]

Yes, you could do that for s short while, but unless the container is completely full it will still be exposed to the air and will degrade very quickly.

-a.

 

[lemy]

I am not sure why you would buy a pre-hopped LME to begin with. For me hopping your wort during the boil is one of the hi-lights. During your boil you will smell a sweet grain aroma, but the second you drop your first hop addition into the boil it fills your entire room with hop goodness and gives you, the brewer, a sense of well-being. It is a dramatic instance where the boiling liquid goes from blah, to beer.

It's also sort of fun to read about hops and then try to pick out the aromas you read about.

Plus it gives you something to obsess over while you watch a pot of boiling liquid

 

[neohistory]

AJ and Lemy - yes I agree with you both, not only that, but I could get ahold of a few more 1 gallon glass jugs and try experimenting with the can of LME with the different hops (which I like that idea anyways and that's how I want to start.) Tons of homework to do this weekend so I'll keep reading up about hops; amazing how much information there is on these little guys.

 

[lemy]

I could get ahold of a few more 1 gallon glass jugs and try experimenting with the can of LME with the different hops

Excellent idea!

I think your eagerness to experiment will make you a great brewer.