Simple Malt Extract recipe
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KevinW
Well-Known Member
Well, a hydrometer is only going to give you specific gravity or SG readings, which a measure of how much "sugars" are in the liquid. Final Gravity subracted from Original Gravity will tell you the alcohol content of you finished product.
It is not absolutely necessary to use a hydrometer but it can be helpful for reference.
I personally feel if given the choice I would have to go with a thermometer. Pitching temps for yeast can be critical. Once you pitch the yeast and they do their job you will get beer. The only science in beer is how critical you want to make your process, in my opinion. In the old days they didn't even have thermometers and still did pretty good.
Beer that you like is good beer and even better if you made it!
It is not absolutely necessary to use a hydrometer but it can be helpful for reference.
I personally feel if given the choice I would have to go with a thermometer. Pitching temps for yeast can be critical. Once you pitch the yeast and they do their job you will get beer. The only science in beer is how critical you want to make your process, in my opinion. In the old days they didn't even have thermometers and still did pretty good.
Beer that you like is good beer and even better if you made it!
They are both important tools and important additions to your equipment.
In my brief experience, unless you do a full boil batch, OG is tough to measure accurately. The added water creates a layering effect and my readings have been typically low compared to my beer calculus estimations. I do think that it is still important to take an FG to see how well fermentation went compared to estimations.
In my brief experience, unless you do a full boil batch, OG is tough to measure accurately. The added water creates a layering effect and my readings have been typically low compared to my beer calculus estimations. I do think that it is still important to take an FG to see how well fermentation went compared to estimations.
KevinW
Well-Known Member
Do you take your OG before you pitch your yeast?
Any water that you may add, to make 5 gallons for example, should be well mixed before you take your gravity sample.
Liquid of different gravities will not mix easily on their own so before taking an OG make sure any water added pre-pitch, has been stirred well!
I have only been in the bottle for a week and a half, but I love this one. Unfortunately I definitely missed my color. I need to change the name because it is really not red (haven't checked but SRM is more like 19 than 16 or 17). If you swap out the pale LME for 6 lbs of extra light LME you might have a red. Definitely not traditional, but I will make it again.
Here was my brew:
5.0 gallons
Original Gravity: 1.060 (1.053 to 1.062)
Final Gravity: 1.016 (1.014 to 1.017)
Color: 17° SRM (Dark Red/Brown)
Bitterness: 4.9 HBU 13.9 IBU
Alcohol: 5.9% A.B.V. 4.6% A.B.W.
Fermentables
6.4# Pale Malt Extract Syrup
0.75#American Crystal 60L
14oz Flaked Rye
0.5# Honey
5oz Roasted Barley
Hops
Bittering 1.5 oz East Kent Goldings
Yeast
Irish Ale (WLP004)
Here was my brew:
5.0 gallons
Original Gravity: 1.060 (1.053 to 1.062)
Final Gravity: 1.016 (1.014 to 1.017)
Color: 17° SRM (Dark Red/Brown)
Bitterness: 4.9 HBU 13.9 IBU
Alcohol: 5.9% A.B.V. 4.6% A.B.W.
Fermentables
6.4# Pale Malt Extract Syrup
0.75#American Crystal 60L
14oz Flaked Rye
0.5# Honey
5oz Roasted Barley
Hops
Bittering 1.5 oz East Kent Goldings
Yeast
Irish Ale (WLP004)
Bacchus
Well-Known Member
Coopers actually makes a decent product. They're a real brewery in Australia and their hombrewing line, albeit very rudimentary, is of very good quality. You won't go wrong ordering your LME from them.
I've learned about the importance of mixing to get an good OG based on several batches, but I still know that the number is sometimes a bit off. When the carboy is really full, I am not sure getting an OG that matches calculation is worth risking contamination. The extracts have the sugars, there is no Mash efficiency to figure out, I have just come to accept that the dilution makes the OG reading less reliable. On my patch of Milk & Oatmeal Stout, the best reading I could get was 1.034 when it was supposed to be 1.060 based on the recipe. I searched HBT and found out that others have struggled with getting accurate OG reading on diluted extract brews, so not to worry, the water and wort will eventually mix themselves while the yeast do their thing. I might have made myself crazy if I felt like I had to mix till my actual gravity matched my predicted calculation.
For my last batch I tried taking a BG (like Palmer does in his book) and then calculating OG from there based on a dilution factor. I think that this is a nice approach for those of us who are not yet doing full boils.
KevinW
Well-Known Member
Wow, that is very bizarre! How the heck can that be? Like you said, you've got the sugars, it should be simple math once you add X amount of water to X amount of sugars(in solution) and viola.
Seems like just when I think I am learning something about brewing(of which I know so little anyway) I get completely floored by something completely new! I love this stuff!!
Well, I guess all that matters is you are getting good beer!!
Happy brewing!
Arkador
Well-Known Member
bring 2gal water to a boil, remove from heat, add
6# Wheat DME
return to boil, add
1oz Holletau
boil 1 hour
move pot to the sink, fill sink with ice to cool
pour into fermenter, top off to 5gal, pitch
1pack dry Wheat Ale yeast
There you have a taste Heffeweizen
6# Wheat DME
return to boil, add
1oz Holletau
boil 1 hour
move pot to the sink, fill sink with ice to cool
pour into fermenter, top off to 5gal, pitch
1pack dry Wheat Ale yeast
There you have a taste Heffeweizen
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Robsbrew
Well-Known Member
HEY HHEEEYYY!!!! I finally bottled my beer today. I think its going to turn out great. I did have a little settement in it in a few beers but thats okay I hope. Most were already clear! Im going to change it up for my next batch. 6 Gallon carboy to a secondary to a bottling bucket!!!! But I need to get a few things before all that. OH HURRY UP TAX RETURN!!!!!!!
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Robsbrew
Well-Known Member
I know I dont really need a secondary but I have a feeling it will make a clearer better looking beer. That definatly is not my priority, the burner for boils and carboy are the priorties for now. I do have a recipe I want to try that is going to require steeping grains and all and plus I cant get a good roiling boil off my stove. Im pumped! so far my first brew is going good!!!
+1 on not needing a secondary. I use my carboy as a second fermenter so I can have 2 batches going at a time!
Use some irish moss the last 15 minutes of your boil and use good technique with your racking cane when transferring to the bottling bucket and you will get very clear beer.
Congrats Rob and let us know hoe it tastes in 3 weeks!
Use some irish moss the last 15 minutes of your boil and use good technique with your racking cane when transferring to the bottling bucket and you will get very clear beer.
Congrats Rob and let us know hoe it tastes in 3 weeks!
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Robsbrew
Well-Known Member
YAY!! Im going get a few things today for my next batch! Im going get my digital thermometer and my thermometer for my Carboy! I got a propane burner yesterday for my next batch. Next is my carboy and my stuff to clean and sanatize that!!!!!!!! I also need to get my plug for carboy and a blow off tube(just in case) and then Ill get my ingrediants! I should be boiling in anouther week or two!!!!!
KevinW
Well-Known Member
Oh no, it has begun! (the obsession)
Looks like all is going well for you Rob, congrats!
jturie
Well-Known Member
Don't do it...don't succumb to the gadgetry.....yet. Just brew another basic batch the same way. Spend the money you would blow on a carboy with shipping and buy a couple of ale kits instead.
Oh, do get the Irish Moss....great stuff.
Oh, do get the Irish Moss....great stuff.
boswell
Well-Known Member
I second the idea to buy more beer kits, less equipment! Do more with less!
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Robsbrew
Well-Known Member
HAHAHAHA I just drank my first home brew!!!!!! It wasnt the best beer Ive ever had but its up there!!!!!!!! I love it!!!!!! Im double hooked now!!!!!!!!! Ill post pics on my face book tomorow when I dring 2 more! My email is [email protected] if you want to find me on facebook. My lifetime supporter is coming later to post pics!
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Robsbrew
Well-Known Member
Oh yeah about the brew. Its a little foggy bu ttasty!!!! Its similar to a Sam Adams Boston Lager with a tad more Carbination. Id like to atleast leave 6 in a dark hole somewhere for about 6 months and see how it turns out. It is tasty and a tad stronger than what im used to drinking!!!!
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Robsbrew
Well-Known Member
So Im just steeping grains for my second batch. Im going a little different for the above batch listed. Im adding som chocolat malt and caramal and a tad of carapils for thickness on my head. All in all its going good. Ill fill you in on the rest!
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Robsbrew
Well-Known Member
I just checked my ale and its going absolutly wild!!!!! When I brew that Irish red Ive been waiting for I am going to need a blow off tube. I only did a half batch this time. Next batch is going to be a full 5 gallons! Its all turned out ell. I knew a lot more of what to do this time. It was my first time steeping grains but I think it went extremly well!
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Robsbrew
Well-Known Member
Okay I just racked my amber into the secondary. I brewed last tue but I only did a half batch so I though it would be fine putting in the secondary today. What d you guys think? I wasnt getting any bubbles in my airlock anymore so I though it was good. Now Im looking forward to next weekend. Irish red and Oktoberfest!
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