first partial. only 1 mistake

[scrawbag]

so i did my first partial at the weekend. didnt do too bad. the kitchen still smells like calf nuts. my recipe was
1lb caramel malt
1lb flaked maize .75 choc malt
.5 roasted barley
and of course dry malt extract. only problem was i ended up putting in 6 lbs / 3kg. its a mistake but not a bad one. my FG was 1.052 so it will definately have some alcohol in it.
usually there is bubbling action after 12 hours with the extract kits so i was worried after 24 hours with no action. so i used my brewing know how to do nothing for a while and see what happens and after another 12 hours its bubbling away.
i didnt ruin it. there were mistakes but nothing too bad so im a happy camper.
another brewer doing what i can for better beer and thanks to this site for holding my hand to get me this far. thanks guys and gals

 

[Gab1788]

Love that!

"so I used my brewing know how and did nothing"

Classic, but it is amazing how often this is the best measure to take!

 

[bobbrews]

Calf nuts is probably the most accurate descriptor for "the brewing smell" I've ever heard. That, mixed in with a bit of old toenail cheese.

 

[bja]

1lb caramel malt
1lb flaked maize .75 choc malt
.5 roasted barley
and of course dry malt extract.

Flaked maize needs to be mashed. You have no base grains to provide the enzymes for a mash.

 

[scrawbag]

Flaked maize needs to be mashed. You have no base grains to provide the enzymes for a mash.

that has gone straight over my head. im doing some reading on it and ill get there eventually but for now im just happy its bubbling away

 

[bja]

that has gone straight over my head. im doing some reading on it and ill get there eventually but for now im just happy its bubbling away

You steeped the caramel, chocolate and roasted barley. Steeping flaked maize does nothing because no conversion takes place. You gained nothing from the corn.

 

[bobbrews]

Good point bja. He added unwanted starch from the corn instead of sugar.

 

[scrawbag]

would the hour long boill not do it?

 

[bobbrews]

No, you need enzymes from base malt to convert starch into sugar. The boil itself will not magically convert starch to sugar. Sugar is needed for the yeast to eat and turn into alcohol. So that 1 lb. of maize will be ignored by the yeast, resulting in less alcohol, a few off flavors perhaps, and also a hazier beer.

 

[scrawbag]

bob it has 6 lbs of dry malt in it. i was not trying to get more sugar from it, i was only trying to impart flavour with the maize

 

[Yooper]

bob it has 6 lbs of dry malt in it. i was not trying to get more sugar from it, i was only trying to impart flavour with the maize

Some grains must be mashed, otherwise all you get out of them is starch. It's not a big deal, and the worst that will happen is that you'll have a starch haze in the finished beer.

If you want to impart flavor with maize, you'd have to do a partial mash by using some base malt.

Your recipe was an extract batch with steeping grains. I think it will be very drinkable!

 

[scrawbag]

Your recipe was an extract batch with steeping grains. I think it will be very drinkable!

thanks yooper. that clarifacation of terms is what i needed
so the title of this thread should be "first extract with steeping grains. only 3 mistakes.

its not a partial
too much dme
should not have bothered with the maize


i think ill spend my last four hours at work reading more of the wiki

 

[daksin]

Don't sweat it- this beer will turn out great. Now you know and you can move on to a real partial mash next time, and all-grain after that. It's a lot easier than you think- brew in a bag and never look back! Cheers!

 

[HeadyKilowatt]

As an archaeologist, I often have to pore over 18th century documents in researching sites. Here's something I came across today in the 1732 writings of William Byrd:

"He farther told me he had brewed as good ale of malt made of Indian corn as he ever tasted; all the objection was he could neither by art or standing ever bring it to be fine in the cask. The quantity of corn he employed in brewing a cask of forty gallons was two bushels and a half, which made it very strong and pleasant."

Couldn't bring it to be fine in the cask? Yeah, I bet he had a little starch haze with all that corn!

But the lesson is- his beer was still good! (by 1732 standards, anyway)