My first recipe. Any notes?

[zaklee1020]

Ordinary bitter 3.5 gallon extract batch. 35 minute boil

View attachment 1470529053531.jpg

 

[Sourz4life]

So I'm assuming your going for a Pale Ale(basically a ordinary English bitter). Why are you going with such a low ABV? You'll need more malt extract to up that imo. Also I would suggest another yeast for a pale ale.

 

[zaklee1020]

And yeast suggestions. The person at the brew store told me Nottingham woukd be good for an english bitter

 

[Sourz4life]

White Labs WLP002 or Wyeast 1968 would work. Also Wyeast 1768. Now you can def use nottingham but there are better yeasts out there for bitters imo. Advantage to nottingham however is you just need to re-hydrate as the other 2 you'll need to make a starter which requires some equipment. So by all means go ahead and use it, its all about experimenting anyways so either way you'll learn from it, and in the end it may make for a good beer.

 

[zaklee1020]

Thanks

 

[IslandLizard]

For 3.5 gallon at 1.030-1.040 (the latter one being better), one smack pack of WY1968 (within 2 months of manufacturing date) should suffice. Use a whisk to beat some air into the wort right after pitching. Jeez, most starters are 1.040.

Or make a starter 2 days ahead of your brew in a gallon jug by swirling as often as you can for 24 hours. Save half the yeast out for the next batch. Also, harvest the yeast from the 3.5 batch and use 1/4 to 1/3 of it in your next one.

Agreed on the low gravity, make it 1.040, at least. Also the 1 pound of crystal looks like a real lot to me. Cut it in half.

You can always add DME powder to get to the higher gravities in between before opening another can of LME. Many kits are built that way.

 

[ericbw]

Seems high on the crystal malt. But it's a basic bitter. House beer, as you said.

I don't like Nottingham, do would look at one of the others mentioned.