Basic Recipe For Beginner

[Jay]

Hi All,

Stumbled on this great site today. Now made it my homepage!!
I'm a "beginner" at homebrewing. Just finished my fourth "brew in a can" and have been happy with the results.
I'm now looking at starting to brew from ingredients and was hoping someone could help me with a "foolproof" basic recipe to start on, preferably a larger or pilsner style.

Thanks in advance

Jay.

 

[morry]

By ingredients, do you mean extract brewing? ie Unhopped malt extract and you add your own hops?

Do you have any way to keep the beer cold? Because lagers really need to be fermented at a temperature ~10-12 degrees to get that crisp palate you want.

Are there any ales that you like? They are easy to do at the moment.

 

[Jay]

Thanks Morry, I do mean extract brewing

The only lager I've brewed was stright from the Coopers Kit, which said nothing of the cooler fermenting. Apart from wet towels and a fan I guess keeping things that cool would be a problem.

I guess I'm not really to fussed what I brew, as long as it's basic - until I get the hang of things. I don't mind a good pale ale.

 

[Tim]

Do the coopers pale ale kit. I hear good reports if you make it up as per directions and let it age for six weeks.

 

[Jay]

I've just bottled the pale ale kit, but am looking at trying a recipe where it's a bit more than pour stir and sprinkle. Guess it's just for the challenge as I'm pleased enough with the kit beer.

 

[sosman]

My first partial mash exploits are documented here:
http://brewiki.org/PartialMash/1

Its not a lager/pils but at the time it was easily the best APA I had ever brewed and it doesn't require a huge investment in equipment.

 

[Jino]

You could try using a Coopers Australian Bitter with a 1.5kg black rock blonde liquid malt (so can't remember the exact name) and steep in some willamette pellets half aroma half taste maybe???

That should make for an ok PA in the end you reckon???

 

[Jay]

Thanks guys.

 

[GOLIATH]

Jay,

You need to have a look at "Masterbrew" to avoid the trap of letting the tin do all the work and benefit by getting a fresher result.

There are really good kits around now compared to years ago but bear in mind that they are just that, KITS and ideally, should be treated accordingly.

You will achieve good beers, more consistently, by not not minding the recipe so much as the processes you adopt to brew.

This forum and others will give you very good advice on yeast rehydration, wort aeration, racking, cold conditioning, bulk priming etc. All of which you need to understand (you wont adopt all for every brew) before you can elevate yourself from the dimly lit world of kits onto a more enlightened path.

Welcome to brewing, may your ancestors worship you!

Regards
Dave
www.brewgoliath.com.au

 

[morry]

Maybe check out some of the recipes on www.grumpys.com.au

They have extracts, partial mashes and all grain there. Have a look at the more basic ones and see if you can find anything good there. Ive tried the Irish Ale and it was very nice.

 

[Jovial_Monk]

Since the weather is hot and you only have rudimentary temperature control I suggest something dark: dark beers can hide a multitude of sins including high ferment temps.

Make a Coopers Lager your base, steep say 250g of crystal malt and 100g of chocolate malt. Strain the wort from the grains into a biggish pan, add 4L cold water and 1kg light dry extract added 250g or so at a time and stirring the wort in between additions to dissolve the extract.

When the combined wort is simmering, skim the foam that forms on the surface then turn up the heat so the wort boils vigorously and add 15-25g of goldings pellets. Boil 45 mins, add another 15g of Goldings pellets and boil another 15 mins. Turn the heat off, stir the wort vigorously, put the lid on and leave the pot stand for 45 mins.

After 45 mins add the Coopers lager to the fermenter, strain the wort into the fermenter , mix concentrate and your wort well then top up with chilled water. Pitch yeast etc


Jovial Monk

 

[Snow]

Jay,

you may have already found it, but check out www.howtobrew.com and read it all. It will take you throught the steps of extract brewing and grain steeping to give you fresh, tasty beer. It's pretty easy and you really only need a big pot, a nylon bag and perhaps a bag of ice for cooling as extra to what you would already have. there are some good recipes in there to get you started as well. If you have many questions, give the search bar at the top of this page a go and you will find many answers!

Cheers - Snow