Recipe Method

[IsleAg11]

To start with, I'm new here and pretty new to forums... so pardon me if I violate some etiquette of which I'm unaware.

I'm also pretty new to brewing, only three batches under my belt. The first batch was an all extract batch... one of those little canned things. The last two have been extract, with a grain bag. One of the partial grain batches came out good, the other wasn't so great. When I look at recipes, online or in books, there is never any "step by step" method. Surely this isn't a coincidence, is there a standard method to follow?

 

[ThreeRatBastards]

Check out How To Brew - By John Palmer. He does a great job of explaining the process of brewing. More specifically check out Chapter 1 - A Crash Course In Brewing.

 

[Bonneville]

Completely agree with recommending Palmer's How to Brew... already did so in another thread today.

Also, it sounds like your 2nd and 3rd batches were extract batches with steeping grains. I suggest brewing in this format for a while as it allows you to focus on things like ingredients, hop utilization, yeast strains, etc. You can make some GREAT beers with just extract and steeping grains. Then, the process is quite simple:

1. Clean and sanitize everything (VERY important)
2. Steep grains for 30-45min at 155F
3. Remove grains
4. Bring to boil
5. Add extract (watch out for boilover) and bittering hops... this begins 60 minute boil
6. 10-20 minutes left - add flavor hops, extras (e.g. Irish moss)
7. 1-2 minutes left - add aroma hops
8. Cool to about 70F depending on beer/yeast
9. Move to fermenter (top off if less than full boil)
10. Aerate
11. Take SG reading
12. Pitch yeast... RDWHAHB

This process works for a wide range of styles.

Of course, some beers don't need 3 hop additions, you can do late extract addition for better hop utilization, etc. But just keep building your knowledge in steps. Cheers!