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Brianosaur

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I got the bug last year to start homebrewing. I have made several extract batches since then and pretty much have enjoyed them all. (Okay one was "Meh" but it didn't stop me from finishing it off).

I pretty much have the very simple *basics* down and understand the process of extract brewing. No more panicing and meticulously reading the step-by-step guide going from boil to consumption.

Right now I have a brown ale conditioning and an American wheat in the primary.
So I am browsing different sites for extract kits and guess-u-lating what I may want to try out.

Then I thinking maybe I should try something different then a basic pre-packaged recipe extract kit?

What did you all do at the rookie level to step it up a notch?
Right to all grain?
Tweak a recipe kit?
Concoct your own extract recipe?

Any suggestions would be appretiated.
Thanks guys
 
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IMO try creating your own extract recipe! Most LHBS has DME and LME for sale and hops... so why don't you try making your own recipe and at least get used to doing everything on your own first.
 
I tweaked a recipe kit, but it didn't work very well.
Then I tried a BIAB SMaSH, which was better.
Then I found a proven recipe on HBT and stove top BIABed it. That was still better.
Then I bought Brewing Classic Styles and off I went. Today I have a kegerator and homebrew everything for the house.
 
My progression was extract with steeping grains for the 1st 2-3 brews, then right to Partial mashes. Stuck with that for about 18 months before going totally All Grain. But I started tweaking kit recipes with my 3rd batch and started designing my own recipes by the 6th-7th. I still do an occasional kit and an occasional PM or extract batch (love the NB Caribou Slobber extract kit).
Oh, by the way- I have 20 books on brewing, and did 26 batches last year, so yes the consensus is that I am obsessive about this brewing game.
 
IMO try creating your own extract recipe! Most LHBS has DME and LME for sale and hops... so why don't you try making your own recipe and at least get used to doing everything on your own first.
I was thinking that too and SMaSH, but what
...pick two and just wing it?
 
I was thinking that too and SMaSH, but what
...pick two and just wing it?
No, brew your own has recipes embedded within but next to that there are their respective extract recipes. However, this way you get more used to making your own recipes as it would be like with all grain if you choose to go that route. There are recipe builders that could make this easier.
 
Check out the online recipe creators. I've used brewtoad since they bought out Hopville, but there are many.
Pick a style that you like to drink. Check online for the website of a brewery that does one well, for recipe hints. Buy Daniels "Designing Great Beers' for recipe tips on pretty much every style. Then use the recipe creator to play around with various malt/hop/and yeast combos.
OR....... Buy Papa P's 'Joy of Homebrewing'. Pick one of his recipes in the back of the book, enter that into a recipe creator and play with that. Or, as fatter hinted above, 'Brew your own' magazine or 'Zymurgy' magazine have recipes in every edition. So does most other brewing books.
 
My first 6 brews were extract kits. Then I went to my LHBS and had them create an all grain recipe for me. I brewed that 2x with different yeast. Then I purchased beersmith and have been making my own recipes ever since. I am now in the process of upgrading to 10 gallon batches.
 
I guess the real question would be what is your level of comfort with this hobby? And does your interest and budget allow for expansion? If you need too keep it simple and cheap, then the inventing an extract recipe is clearly the option. But if your hooked and can afford it why not progress forward? Go to a partial-mash recipe, or move to BIAB, or go for it and set up an all grain system. Lots of help around here to walk you through it all! Personally, if i could make the leap to all-grain, I would do so, and then brew something nice and simple like a Blonde, or Cream Ale. Light simple grain bill, simple mash and sparge, short turn around so you can satisfy your curiosity quickly! If you begin with RO water, it is a simple water to build. And the simple clear beer will show off any flaws in the ointment( Sorry!) better than something with a bunch of gunk going on to cover it up. But that's just me!
 
What I would suggest is, ask yourself what style of beer really lights your fancy? Then google clone recipes for that style/commercial brand. Most clone recipes will include extract, partial mash, and all grain recipes. Make what you're comfortable with; despite what you may have heard/read, there's no shame in only brewing extract beers. It does NOT brand you a newbie for life. Once you have that recipe down pat, tweak it a bit. if you've been doing some reading, you'll know which malts impart what flavors/colors to your beers, what hops will give you what you want, what yeasts will produce the esters/attenuation you are looking for. It's really an ongoing process and learning experience. And eminently fascinating, what some maltose, water, hops, and single-celled organisms can create if you let them.
 
I did 3 extract batches then went to all grain. If your interest is that you really want to explore this hobby, IMO that's the next logical step. You have much more control over what you do with all grain, whereas you are more limited with extract.

The real question is what you want out of this. And you get to decide what makes you happy!
 
Instead of buying kits, buy the ingredients separately. Don't worry about buying too much, most ingredients can be stored for a while.

Buy Extract in bulk, buy some common hops in bulk, re-use yeast.

What to make? And what to buy? Copy recipies you find. Most stores show you what the recipe is. If you don't have exctly the right ingredients sub something similar. Tweaking a recipe is actually creating a new recipe. Slowly you will see how different (similar) ingredients can be easily swapped out, and the more you brew, the more you will understand how much of each ingredient you can use.

All I am trying to say is start buying your own ingredients instead of kits so you can understand how small differences affect recipes. You will soon be creating your own recipies.

And of course, as you get ready for it ...... move to steeping .... to partial mash, ........ and maybe to all-grain.

Good luck.
 
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