making an AG recipe with an extract kit.

[pistachio]

This is my first post here. I have been visiting this site, reading and learning, for about 6 months. You guys are absolutely great so I figured you could help me out.

I bought a brewers best kit equipment kit from a living social deal and it came with a brewers best extract kit, which I have had sitting around and never touched. I have decided to make the switch to all grain and did my first all grain stove top the other day (small 2.5gal. smash). I have left over grains and I have this extract kit. I was thinking making an AG brew using this kit but substituting the LME and DME with my left over grains. I had also kicked around the idea of mashing my grains separately and brewingu the extract kit and mixing the two together for a really high gravity.

The kit is a continental pilsner:
-3.3lb Pilsen LME
-2lb Pilsen DME
-12oz Pilsen grain
-8oz Carapils

-.5oz Brewers gold AA 10.4
-.5oz mt. Rainier AA 7.5
-.25oz German Tradition AA 6.9

Left over from my AG SMaSH:
-5lb Maris Otter
-.5oz Chinook AA 11.8

So my questions are:
-should I throw all of the grains in my bag, mash them together and ditch the extracts? If I do this should I add my Chinook? If so when? (I was thinking somewhere around the 30min mark or closer to the 15min mark) this way would he another 2.5 gallon batch as I don't think there is enough grain for a 5 gallon and I also don't have a big enough brew pot for a full 5 gallon boil.
-Or should I use 2 separate pots and brew the extract kit in one and mash my Maris Otter in another then add the 2 together in my fermenter for a full 5 gallon batch. If I do this I planned on only using the 3.3lbs LME in the extract kit.
-What kind of yeast should I use? I'm growing kind of fond of the wyeast slap packs(also my LHBS has the most variety of these over any others)

All insight and help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Brulosopher]

So my questions are:
-should I throw all of the grains in my bag, mash them together and ditch the extracts? If I do this should I add my Chinook? If so when? (I was thinking somewhere around the 30min mark or closer to the 15min mark) this way would he another 2.5 gallon batch as I don't think there is enough grain for a 5 gallon and I also don't have a big enough brew pot for a full 5 gallon boil.
-Or should I use 2 separate pots and brew the extract kit in one and mash my Maris Otter in another then add the 2 together in my fermenter for a full 5 gallon batch. If I do this I planned on only using the 3.3lbs LME in the extract kit.
-What kind of yeast should I use? I'm growing kind of fond of the wyeast slap packs(also my LHBS has the most variety of these over any others)

All insight and help will be greatly appreciated.

Here's what I'd do: mash all your malt together (MO, Pils, CaraPils) for a 2.5 gallon batch, which should result in a wort with an OG of about 1.066. Then dissolve all of your extract in another kettle for another 2.5 gallons (don't waste the DME). Start your boil using the AG wort and add as much as you can of the extract wort to that kettle, just until you know it won't spill/boil over. I'd then do this hop schedule:

.5 Brewers Gold 60 min
.25 Chinook 60 min
.25 Chinook 20 min
.25 Mt. Rainier 20 min
.25 Mt. Rainier 5 min
.25 German Tradition 5 min

Make sure to boil your extract wort for 15 minutes or so, then chill and add to fermenter. Once your done with your AG boil, add that to the chilled extract wort for a 5 gallon batch. You should be right around 1.074 OG or so. Fun experiment! Cheers.

 

[pistachio]

Ah I had never even thought of doing it that way. I think I'm goin to give that a try. What yeast do you guys suggest I throw in there, technically the extract kit was supposed to be a lager. With the Maris Otter base malt now and the fact that its too hot and I'm too lazy to keep it cool, I'm pretty sure wanna pitch an ale yeast. What kind of style will this most closely reseble that I can pair it with? Im thinking a wyeast 1056 or something

 

[Brulosopher]

Ah I had never even thought of doing it that way. I think I'm goin to give that a try. What yeast do you guys suggest I throw in there, technically the extract kit was supposed to be a lager. With the Maris Otter base malt now and the fact that its too hot and I'm too lazy to keep it cool, I'm pretty sure wanna pitch an ale yeast. What kind of style will this most closely reseble that I can pair it with? Im thinking a wyeast 1056 or something

1056/WLP001/US-05 will be great.

 

[KISS Brew]

its too hot and I'm too lazy to keep it cool

I agree that US-05/Wyeast 1056/WLP001 are all great, but no yeast will forgive fermentation temperatures much over 70 degrees.

Try to keep the beer temperature under 70 degrees. This can mean keeping the ambient temperature around the beer around or below 65 degrees. If you need help on how to do this, search for a "swamp cooler".

 

[pistachio]

Yeah I keep the house around 70 usually. My last beer fermented at about 72 when the outside temps were pushing 110 but It's still carbonating right now so I haven't gotten a taste yet. My very first brew I foolishly stored near my water heater not thinking about the increased heat while running and it peaked at about 80 something and had a super vigorous fermentation and was done in about 3 days lol. I'll try the swamp cooler this time

 

[KISS Brew]

Also, US-05/Wyeast 1056/WLP001 are all the same strain. I prefer the US-05 due to simplicity of using dry yeast, but there's nothing wrong with any of them.

 

[DPBISME]

I think Brulosopher must like you because he gave you an excellent answer but...

That is one BIG DAMN beer.... being so it will take longer to "set-up" and longer to consume unless you have friends to help you.

I would remove one of the DMEs for use at a later date...

BUT I like to drink a lot of beer so "little beers" are a favorite of mine...

No hangover the next day...

 

[DPBISME]

OH,,, and this would be a "Partial Mash" which is different than Steeping Grain...

 

[pistachio]

Yeah I'm familiar with partial mashing. And I'm sure I won't have any problem finishing this beer