Need extract recipe suggestions

[Treekiller]

Hello everyone,
I am in need of suggestions for an extract recipe. It looks as if I have been recruited to supply the beer for a surprise party of a close friend. I have my first batch, a hefeweizen, currently bottled and conditioning. So that takes care of some of the beer. At this time I can only boil a max of 4 gallons and being new I have to stick with the extract/steeped grain Ale route that I am on (no facilities to lager). The beer drinkers attending, like beers that are lighter in color and don't have a lot of hop bite. With the party the first weekend in April, I think I have plenty of time to get one together. Thanks in advance and I look forward to your suggestions.

 

[bobbyc]

I just made a Vanilla Creme Ale that came out great and is liked by the ladies, as well. Someone on this board gave me the advice on how to make it, I wish I knew who so I could give them credit. Brew an extract cream ale and add 2-3 oz of pure vanilla extract at bottling/kegging. Delicious.

 

[anthrobe]

I just made a Vanilla Creme Ale that came out great and is liked by the ladies, as well. Someone on this board gave me the advice on how to make it, I wish I knew who so I could give them credit. Brew an extract cream ale and add 2-3 oz of pure vanilla extract at bottling/kegging. Delicious.

was that cheesefoods recipe? This is the thread https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2435&highlight=cheesefood

 

[Kaiser]

I'd suggest a Koelsh style Ale or an english Mild. Especially the Koelsch style ales are very cleanly fermented and lightly hopped which makes them a good choice for people who prefer lighter beers.

But I don't have receipeies here.

A simple Koelsch style beer would be extra light DME, 25 IBU (Tettnanger or Spalt) some should be flavor/Aroma hop (not to much though) at 10min before the end of the boil. I've seen recipies calling for some wheat extract (up to 10%). This might be for head retention. But many German Koelsch beers (including Reissdorf Koelsch) are brewed with just barley malt.

Kai

 

[Treekiller]

Ya know...I had been contimplating Cheesefoods' recipe, but it just sounds to good to share. I think that one will be after the party.

 

[bobbyc]

Yeah, I think it was his. Thanks Cheesefood!

Share it, it's really nice and easy. The Kolsch would be a nice idea, too. I haven't made one myself, but I've had some homebrewed, and it seems to be a very approachable beer to a light beer drinker.

An ESB or a Red Ale could work well, too.

 

[Treekiller]

Ok, so i accidently mentioned cheeseheads' recipie to my best friend and it sounds like this may be my next brew (yes for the party). I will have to brew two batches, from the sound of this it will not last long. I am still taking suggestions though, so lets here some more.

 

[bobbyc]

You could do something a bit darker, but still approachable, to see if you can convert a few light beer drinkers to better beer. I'm thinking a brown ale, maybe tell them it's similar to Newcastle.

I think you'd be safe with the Vanilla Cream Ale, though.

 

[Kaiser]

Here is the Reissdorf Koelsch clone from Beer Captured:

steep 12oz Munich Malt @155F in 1gal for 30 min
sparge with 1/2 gal @150F

Boil:
4.25 lb Muntons Extra light DME
1.5 lb Muntons Wheat DME
1.5oz Tettnanger 3.9% AA (60 min)
0.5oz Spalt (15 min)
0.25oz Spalt (5 min)
0.25oz Saaz (5 min)

Yeast WYeast 2565 or WYeast 1007

OG: 1.048 - 1.051; FG 1.010-1.012; 24 IBU

I haven't brewed a Koelsch style beer before but plan to brew some during the summer. This style benefits from cold lagering after the primary fermentation is done.

As a side note, only the beers brewed around Cologne (Koeln in Germany) can be called Koelsch. It's sort of a trademark. That's why I usually call it Koelsch style beers if it is not brewed near Cologne. The Reissdorf Koelsch, which is copied in this recipe, is not made with wheat malt since it claims to be brewed according to the purity law of 1516. I also doubt the use of Munich Malt. But since I haven't brewed the recipe I cannot tell how close it actually gets to the original. Reissdorf Koelsch is one of the few genuine Koelsch's that you can find in the US.

Here is a extract recipe for a koelsch style beer that I found on a German website:

2.7kg Extra light DME
0.4kh light wheat malt extract
0.1kg flaked Corn (I'm not sure if this works without mashing it)
only bittering hops to get to 25-28 IBU

But you may want to use the clone recipe. In case it doesn't work out, you can blame Tess and Mark Szamatulski.

Kai

 

[Treekiller]

Thanks to all for the replies. I am concerned after some investigation into the Koelsch style beer, and fixing my mouth to say I would brew a beer that I in fact new very little about except taste, that I will not be able to maintain lagering temps. The temps around here have been crazy lately, tomorrow they are predicting record highs during the day (may hit 60 ) and down around 20' at night. We hit 47' today and it is supposed to get down into the low 30's tonight. The only place I have at this time to attempt the lagering phase; would be in an uninsulated storage shed. I am afraid that with the equipment I have, I may have to pass on brewing this great style for a second batch. I really appreciate all the time you folks put into helping us newbies out.

 

[Treekiller]

Don't get me wrong, as soon as this danged refrigerator repair guy decides to show up to repair the side-by-side for the wife and I get the old one, well... this will definitely get brewed.

 

[Kaiser]

. I am afraid that with the equipment I have, I may have to pass on brewing this great style for a second batch. I really appreciate all the time you folks put into helping us newbies out.

I'm not sure if the cold lagering is that important. There might be quite a number of brewers here who had good success w/o the cold lagering. After all this style is so popular because you get a lager like beer with top fermenting yest, meaning that you don't need so much cooling equipment.

Another option would be a wheat beer (American or German). Especially the German ones are pretty fast to brew (1wk primary, 1 wk secondary, 2wks bottle) and don't require low fermentation/aging temperatures. If you don't like the banana/clove aroma of the German original, you can make an American one by using the Koelsch yeast or a clean American ale yeast (1056 would work)

Regarding a fridge, I have an old side-by-side fridge for my fermentation. The fridge part can hold 3 carboys and the freezer part can hold 2 cornies. After rigging up some temperature control I can now lager in the freezer part and primary/secondary ferment in the fridge part.

Kai