WANTED: A great first Homebrew

[southernskies]

Hey all, Like I said in the introductions, I first got introduced to homebrew about 6-7 years ago when I helped a guy from work brew a batch. All I can remember was it was an Irish stout with a bit of chocolate / coffee after taste. It was absolutley the best beer I'd had. Now I would like to have this as my first batch so if anyone could help with a good prospect recipie I would appreciate it. I have lost contact with this guy due to Military moves so now I come to the greats of this forum.

He did use a grain bag and pellet hops. So I don't think it was an extract brew. (not sure) I do remember it was messy. haha. It fermented for a total of 3-4 weeks before bottling and I know it sat in the bottle for 6 weeks before it was ready to drink. A wait that was complete and utterly worth it.

Great smooth taste with a mild bitterness that left you with a sweet but not to sweet after taste that stayed with you. Wife HATES the taste of beer but LOVED this one. She was pregnant with are 2nd child and made me save the last one for her after the birth. It killed me to see it sitting there every day and not being able to drink it.

 

[Evan!]

Well, just because you used a grain bag doesn't mean it wasn't an extract batch. Actually, the fact that you used a grain bag is probably evidence that it was an extract batch, and that the grain bag was used for steeping grains.

Anyway, here is the recipe for the last extract/steeping batch I made before I switched to partial mash. Even though it's an extract recipe, it's one of the very best beers I've made. It has everything you were talking about, too.

At first, the coffee character is very strong and prevalent, but as it ages (and it does age really well), the coffee fades and becomes more integrated. So don't feel skittish about adding 12 cups of coffee. And, just be doubly sure, you have to brew the coffee in a drip coffee maker, then add that to the primary or secondary fermenter. Do NOT add coffee grounds to the beer at any stage, as it will give it a weird tannic/cardboardy flavor, much like spent coffee grounds . Also, when you're steeping the grains, use Papazian's method: steep in 150f water for 30-45 minutes. And lastly, the bittering hop varieties aren't all that important to get right. I used pacgem because that's what I had laying around, but you can use all northern brewer or some other versatile hop and be just fine. This beer ain't about the hops...

So, yeah, enjoy.

Strongbadian Imperial Chocolate-Espresso Stout

A ProMash Recipe Report

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
-------------------------------

13-F Stout, Russian Imperial Stout

Min OG: 1.075 Max OG: 1.114
Min IBU: 50 Max IBU: 100
Min Clr: 30 Max Clr: 48 Color in SRM, Lovibond

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 5.00 Wort Size (Gal): 5.00
Total Extract (Lbs): 13.00
Anticipated OG: 1.092 Plato: 21.92
Anticipated SRM: 51.4
Anticipated IBU: 52.4
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------

Evaporation Rate: 15.00 Percent Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size: 5.88 Gal
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.078 SG 18.85 Plato

Formulas Used
-------------

Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used.
Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
% Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.

Color Formula Used: Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Tinseth
Tinseth Concentration Factor: 1.30

Additional Utilization Used For Plug Hops: 2 %
Additional Utilization Used For Pellet Hops: 10 %


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
7.7 1.00 lbs. Roasted Barley America 1.028 450
15.4 2.00 lbs. Generic DME - Light Generic 1.046 8
61.5 8.00 lbs. Briess LME- Dark America 1.035 23
3.8 0.50 lbs. Brown Sugar Generic 1.046 4
3.8 0.50 lbs. Chocolate Malt America 1.029 350
3.8 0.50 lbs. Crystal 10L America 1.035 10
3.8 0.50 lbs. Molasses Generic 1.036 80

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.50 oz. Pacific Gem Whole 13.60 19.5 60 min.
1.00 oz. Northern Brewer Pellet 6.50 20.6 60 min.
0.50 oz. Cascade Whole 5.75 8.3 60 min.
0.50 oz. Saazer Pellet 3.30 4.0 30 min.


Extras

Amount Name Type Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.00 Tsp Gypsum Powder Other 60 Min.(boil)
8.00 Oz Unsweetened Baker's Chocolate Other 20 Min.(boil)
0.25 Tsp Irish Moss Fining 15 Min.(boil)
12.00 Cup(s) Brewed Drip Coffee Coffee 21 Days(fermenter)


Yeast
-----

DCL Yeast US-56 Safeale American Ale Yeast


Water Profile
-------------

Profile:
Profile known for:

Calcium(Ca): 0.0 ppm
Magnesium(Mg): 0.0 ppm
Sodium(Na): 0.0 ppm
Sulfate(SO4): 0.0 ppm
Chloride(Cl): 0.0 ppm
biCarbonate(HCO3): 0.0 ppm

pH: 0.00




Notes
-----

-Add 12 cups Brewed drip coffee to primary fermenter

 

[rdwj]

It sounds like an extract brew with specialty grains. Do you know if it was a kit?

 

[Beerrific]

Where do you plan on buying your ingredients? If there is somewhere local I would say go in and see if they have a kit, probably ask for extract plus specialty grains. Or, you can buy online. I shop at Austin Homebrew Supply and have been very satisfied with them. I highly recommend any of their kits (choose extract option, it comes with specialty grains), take a look and pick the one that fits your (and your wife's) tastes.

 

[Moonpile]

I'm going to assume that you're going to get just about as many different answers to this as there will be people who post.

Having just re-started brewing in the company of two friends who are new to the sport, here are my thoughts on it:

1) Hefewiezen. This is just super easy and you can be drinking in ~10 days. If you want the closest thing homebrewing offers to instant gratification, do this. Also, if you're in the northern hemisphere, it's almost summer. As if that weren't enough, the ladyfolks seem to enjoy this one.

3lbs of Briess DME Weizen (full 60 min boil)
4lb can of Alexander LME Wheat (add at 5 min before end of boil)
1 oz Hallertauer Mittelfruh (AA 4%, full 60 min boil)

WLP300 Hefeweizen Ale yeast (or whatever the Wyeast equivalent is). This yeast creates more than the usual banana and clove flavors.

Prime with 13 oz DME (or 6.5 oz of Corn Sugar) before bottling.

The only problem you'll have is not drinking it all out of the bottling bucket!

2) Now you will have homebrew to drink while brewing whatever else you like.

 

[Rook]

a word of warning to southernskies. Don't be disappointed if your first beer isn't very good. There are a lot of things you can do to a good recipe to make it not so good. I ruined EdWort's Haus Ale, so I speak from experience, and it was my 3rd beer. You'll get your technique down and your beers will improve. Keep plenty of commercial beer on hand to drink so you don't get disappointed by drinking all your bad beer. Keep your chin up and eventually you'll hve some good beers rollin out.