1st Extract & Grain Beer

[Jazzafish]

This will be my first Ale and first extract and specialty grain mix. Normally brew lagers, but want to give it a go.

I was thinking I'd try something like the following:

2kg Liquid Dark Malt Extract
1Kg Liquid Light Malt Extract
500gm Crystal Grain
500gm Dextrose
30gm Pride of Ringwood
20gm Willamette
Safale yeast starter

Method:
Make yeast starter the day before
Seep Crystal at 70*C for a 30 mins, then drain into brew pot.
Disolve dextrose into brew pot
Boil for about an hour, adding 10gm of POR after 20mins, another 10gm after 35mins, and another 10gm after 50mins. At 60mins add 20gm of Willamette.
Take off heat, add all malts and disolve.
Ice bath to cool to 20 to 25*C
Fill with quality water to 20L
Pitch yeast starter and ferment between 18 and 20*C
Rack to secondary when ready.

Am I on the right track? Any Tweaks or changes that should be made?

Would It be better to add the Malt Extracts before the hop additions?

Should I drain the hop pellets after the boil or let them remain throughout fermentaion?

Should I give a diacetyl rest before racking to a secondary? Or is that just a lager thing?

Should I Cold Condition it?

Cheers,
Jarrad

 

[pint of lager]

Have a read through this thread Cubbie's partial mash It will give you some ideas for your extract and specialty grain brew. Also, have a read through John Palmer's online book, How to Brew. The link to this has been posted time and time again and should be in your bookmarked files.

When describing and formulating any recipe, you need to have an og and bitterness in mind. Without these, you cannot formulate how much hops to add. Also, you must include the volume to be boiled and the final volume in the fermenter. You must know what alpha acid rating your hops are too. Otherwise, no-one can give you accurate assistance.

For a first time recipe keep the hops additions simple. A bitterness (60min boil) flavour (10 min boil) and aroma (2 min boil).

If you are using dried safale, do not make a starter, just pitch the full packet. Keep the brew day simple. Safale is a great yeast to use. Making a 1 litre starter froman 11 gm dried yeast is asking for trouble as there are not enough nutrients. The pack is an excellent choice of yeast.

Decrease the amount of crystal to 300 gms. Steep this in about 1 litre of 50 deg water for 30 minutes, drain into boiler, rinse with 1 litre of water.

Why are you using any dextrose? The brew is fine without it.

Boil up your water
add the runnings from the specialty grain
remove from heat, add 2 kg LME
stir and dissolve the LME
put back on heat, bring to rolling boil
watch for boilovers
boil for 10 minutes
add bitterness hops
watch for boil overs
boil for 50 minutes
remove from stove, add last of LME, stir to dissolve
put back on stove, bring back to boil
add flavour hops
boil 8 minutes
add aroma hops
boil 2 minutes with lid almost on pot, watch for boilovers
turn off
chill pot
pour into fermenter through strainer to keep hops out of fermenter
top up
pitch yeast

allow to ferment right out, wait 7 days, then rack to your secondary with zero headspace, cc for a week or so, then bottle or keg

 

[Jazzafish]

Thanks mate,

I have checked out howtobrew.com but I just wanted some tips from people who may have done a brew like this one.

Thanks alot, very helpful answer. Will look at that link too.

Cheers,
Jarrad