I find my LHBS helpful and knowledgeable. They don't offer samples of beer but always encourage me to actually eat some of the grains I'm considering using and usually give me welcome input on any recipes I come up with. Their prices are actually pretty good on the ingredients though they've raised them a bit as of late. Prices on the equipment are another story but hey, my folks run a small local business so I'll bite the bullet and spend a bit more because I know how sh!tty it is to lose business to internet retailers and Walmart/HD type stores.
ryanme said:
I have three questions that I could use some answers to.
I was reading a thread on these forums about wheat beer not needing a secondary fermentation. is that true? If so is that for all grain only or does that go for extract brewing too?
Question 2 What is a good (hopefully simple) starter beer?
question 3 Do different beers have different ferment durations?
1. I think I recall that thread and the logic there is that secondary fermentation and aging really help the clarity of the beer. Good presentation does matter and it is nice to not have a crapload of stuff in the bottom of your bottles when you go to pour a glass. Since wheat beer is naturally cloudy you could skip the secondary because you're not worried about clarity. The problem I see with this is that the best part about using a secondary is, in my mind at least, the aging of the beer. Contrary to the crap budweiser would have you believe, real beer actually tastes much much better after a couple weeks or even a month or three of aging. You don't want to let the beer sit for extended periods of time on the trub/yeast cake so aging really isn't possible without a secondary. So, you
could do without a secondary quite easily regardless of style but it's one of those things that noticeably improves your beer.. plus it'll allow you to dry hop your beer. If you're just starting then do without but if you like the hobby then it should definitely be at the top of your upgrade list.
2. If you're brewing from extract then they're all pretty much the same. One thing I would caution you against are lagers - you'll need additional equipment (lager chest) and the yeast easily create buttery off flavors (diacetyl) that really stand out against the clean, dry flavor of a lager. You should make a beer that fits with the style you like. You can make a light tasting ale that is very similiar to lager if that's what you like... it's really up to you. Any off flavors will be better hidden by a darker, heavier tasting beer such as a stout but you'll quickly find that brewing is really really simple and fool proof especially if you're using extracts. Belgian wheat beers take a bit of know how since you'll probably be spicing them with coriander and orange peels and maybe even lemon or cumin - it's easy to overdo the spices. Likewise a Hefeweizen (very tasty) uses a special yeast strain to create those funky flavors and the yeast will very easily create overpowering banana, bubble gum, and/or clove flavors if you don't watch the fermentation temps closely (keep it cool).
3. They'll all ferment at pretty much the same rate. Lagers take substantially longer and involve addition steps that are, IMHO, not worth the extra labor for a product that I find to be no better than a good ale (personal opinion here). Darker beers and higher ABV batches benefit more from aging than do light beers. A good general rule is 1-2-3: 1 week in primary, 2 weeks in the secondary, and 3 weeks in the bottle. Of course you could just leave it in the primary for 2 weeks and then bottle and, if you keep the bottles warm, it could be lightly carbonated and drinkable in as little as a week (again, aging would really make it taste surpisingly better).
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