First Extract Brew Help

[crusher]

Hi fellas,
Having only been a K & K brewer & then on to the fresh wort brewing, I want to move on to an extract brew. So i am looking for any advice from you guys that might help me. I have decided to have a go at Snows Terrific Trappist Tripel from the recipes pages because of my love of Belgian strong beers. I can get hold of most of the ingredients from my LHB . He doesn't carry Muntons DME Light but he said the light DME he carrys would suffice. I cant remember the name but he gets it from Mel at ESB What do youse reckon? I had a go at making candy sugar & it seemed to come out allright.THe main queries I have are 1. Hops. my LHB carrys the hops required but only in the teabag packet. Do I just put the teabag in the boil or undo it? 2. Force chill Not having the right equipment apart from a fridge & freezer & stainless steel pots what is the best way? 3. Yeast What is the best way to pitch these liquid yeasts? Also, how can I reuse the yeast from this brew & how long is it viable? Any help & hints appreciated
Have I bitten of more than I can chew first up
Thanks Crusher

 

[Hoops]

Crusher

If you are boiling your wort I feel it is essential to have at least an immersion chiller - a crap load of copper tubing immersed in the wort with tap water running through to cool the wort quickly.
The "teabag" hops would probably not be financially viable, instead I would mail order 100g or more of pellet hops.
Liquid yeasts should be pitched with a starter to get them going faster and stronger. If you want to re-use the yeast there are a few ways. My preference was to split it into 10 or so starters so the cost is very affordable. See Batz Yeast Starter thread.
Or you could make a starter, pitch into the wort , and when bottling collect the yeast slurry, or bottle some stubbies with heaps of yeast and use them as starters, or just add your next batch on top of the yeast slurry.

Hoops

 

[pint of lager]

For your first extract brew go for an easier beers style, such as a pale ale, bitter etc. Much easier to work out problems on an easier recipe first, then work up to a tripple.

Hops, those 12gm bags are not suitable for extact brewing. You have no idea what the AAU is, how old they are, how they have been stored etc. Buy some 100gms bags from one of the online shops, Mel at ESB is close to you.

Yeast, rather than jumping headlong into liquid yeast at the same time as extract brewing, use the good safale or saflager dry yeasts. When you have extract brewing humming, then go the liquid yeasts.

Chilling, brewing in stockpots, you can chill by simply standing pot in laundry tub of water. Leave the lid on and do not splash around the lid. Change the water a few times. Gently swirl the stockpot so warm wort comes in contact with the outer wall of pot. When the brewbug bites harder, and you get a proper boiler, then make an immersion chiller.