How to Extract Brew

[amrmedic]

Ok, I am AG brewer and have not done an extract or PM for many years.

However, I want to do an extract brew. My friend got her BF a Mr Beer kit for Christmas and his first brew didnt go well. I opened one that I let sit in the fridge for several days. When I opened it, I had a geyser. What was left in the bottle was disgusting. It looked like pus with lots of particles in it and it tasted awful.

I dont want him to give up after this disaster and I dont want him to use another Mr Beer kit.

So, I want to teach him how to brew, but he lives in an apartment and I cant drag my rig there. Also, he isnt ready for AG. So I want to do an extract brew, probably an IPA.

So what I need is someone to refresh me on how to extract brew, i.e. how much water to boil, when to add malt, etc. Also for extract, do I need a full 60 min boil? I am going to use my gear as I have an extra fermenter and I have a small 5 gallon pot I can use as this will be a stove top brew. I am thinking a SMaSH IPA. If you have a good recipe, let me have it.

Thanks

 

[Nerosavas]

How brewing has come a long ways from Mr. Beer. For simplicity, try a kit like Festa Brew. Kit comes in a box, 5 gallon bag of wort, and with the yeast packet. Pour it into primary, and pitch supplied yeast, keep at room temperature. The smell is very minimal. Follow directions as per. Extremely simple.

 

[deepcdan99]

I like Northernbrewer.com for recipes. All of their recipes are posted online with great instructions.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/documentation/beerkits/ChinookIPA.pdf

 

[amrmedic]

Thanks

I never buy pre formulated/packaged recipes as I enjoy the art of creating my own beers. I didnt think about Northern brewers pre made kits

 

[Toga]

This is always a hit. I have brewed this more than any other recipe.

makes 5 Gallons

Is something like a whit just amber in color and veryyyyyyyy tasty.

1 can coopers plain light lme (un hopped) (can sub other....best w/coopers)
1 can coopers plain wheat lme (un hopped)(can sub other brand best w/coopers)
1oz hersbrucker or hallertau 60 min
1oz hersbrucker or hallertau 15 min
3/4oz sweet orange peel 15mn
1/4oz whole coriander 15 min (crack some of it with a spoon in a bowl to open up...do not grind or crush completely)
1 pack Fermentis S-33

If bottling prime with 5.5oz priming sugar.

Boil 3.5-4 gallons of water depending on your boil pot size. Remove from heat. add in both cans of lme. Once mixed well bring back to a boil...............you know what to do from here.....
once cooled add to fermenter and add 2 or so more gallons of water to top off to 5 gallons.

I switched to AG a couple years ago and I still make this beer. I converted the recipe to AG and beefed it up.

 

[oakbarn]

I think a British mild is a good first beer. You want an OG of 1.052 and Notthingham dry yeast. NB or your LHBS could figure the malt for you. You do not want it to biiter for the first brew so shoot for 9 HBU. I also have not done extract in some time.

 

[Beer-lord]

I still use my Mr. Beer keg to brew small batches and I have to say, most are superb! I just tell my local home brew store guy what I want and whether I want to do an extract, PM or AG for 2 or 2.5 gallons and he usually nails it.
Recently my brother made an awesome DIPA in the Mr. Beer kit (PM) and another friend did a great black IPA in a Mr. Beer keg. These guys don't want to do AG nor do they have the time/space to do so. They are happy with it and still will sometimes do a Mr. Beer batch but not the recipe that comes in the kit. They tweak all Mr. Beer recipes with more malt, no booster, etxtra hops and sometimes, dry hops. It can and is done.
And, if you like the small batches you've made in the little brown keg (LBK) you can easily go to 5 gallons in a larger fermenter. Starting small has it's advantages. Seriously, don't knock the Mr. Beer until you've gotten creative with it.

 

[greenthumbed]

Hi guys,

I'm an extract/PM brewer. I thought I'd throw out my favourite kit-based IPA. It has gone through several versions but the basics are the same. It goes like this:

Converted from metric

Big Island IPA

3.75 lbs. Cooper's OS Real Ale kit
2.42 lbs. LDM (light DME)
1.25 lbs. Amber LME
.33 lbs. 40L Crystal malt
.7 oz. Cascade (20mins)
.7 oz. Nelson Sauvin (10mins)
.35 oz. Cascade (dry hop)
.35 oz. Nelson Sauvin (dry hop)
.35 oz. Amarrilo (dry hop)
5.5 gallons water
US-05 pitched @ 68* brewed@ 65*
1 oz. Oak chips
4.2 oz. dex (bulk prime)

OG 1.058 FG 1.012

Method: Steep grains in 2 quarts of water @ 155* for 30 mins., sparge with another 2 q of warm water into kettle. Top up kettle to 14 quarts and bring to a boil. Remove the kettle from heat and add the malt extract minus the kit. Bring the kettle back to a boil for 60mins making the hops adds. After 60mins cool the wort in the kettle as quickly as possible (I use the ice water bath method for 20-30mins). Pour cooled wort to the FV and add the Cooper's kit. Mix well. Top FV up to 5.5 gallons with cold water (adjust temperature of the water depending on temperature of wort). Mix well. Take gravity reading. Sprinkle oak chips on surface. sprinkle yeast dry. Dry hop at apropriate time after krausen dies back (5-7 days). Rack to secondary after 2 weeks. Bulk prime with suggested amount of dex. any time after 3-4 weeks.

This brew has medium body with a very creamy tan coloured head that last for the duration of the mug-full. The hops/oak gives this one a really nice orange zest sort of thing that is quite pleasing and very unique.

I'd be pleased if someone gives this one a try!