Simple Recipe For First Ag Attempt

[QuarkVI]

Hi All,

Only found this forum a short while back and have been spending way too much time on it so far - but it has convinced me to give AG a go. For the last couple of years I have been brewing kit and kilo moving to using DME, LME with good yeast as opposed to dextrose and the kit yeast. Based on the marked improvement of using this approach I have always planned to one day give AG a go.... but was wary of the cost to set up and cost of mistakes.

That's where this forum changed things by introducing me to BIAB and no-chill brewing. I am quite happy with what BIAB involves but what concerns me at the moment is trying to find a nice simple recipe for my first attempt - further complicated by what grains etc. I can get here in NZ (best source seems to be http://www.haurakihomebrew.com).

I would like to make an Ale first up (pale or amber/brown) with not too much hop bitterness. So far James Spencer's recipe from his BIAB session on Basic Brewing radio seems to fit the bill - in brief:

For 5 gallon batch
8lbs Marris Otter
1 oz US Hallertau 4.2% @ 60min
0.85 oz UK Fuggles 4.3% @ 5min

Could someone suggest alternative hops as I can't get the US Hallertau and the UK Fuggles is pricey ? Does this seem like a good recipe for a first attempt ?

Also liked the look of DrSmurto's Golden Ale but didn't want to try something with that many grains/malts first up to save on costs. Also can't get the Munich 1 for it here. Any suggestions for a simplification ?

Any other simple recipes that would do the trick ?

Was also thinking that a simple ale first up would build up some confidence and give me a base with which to start learning about the tastes and effects of different hops and fermentables - unfortunately I haven't been able to watch/taste over someone's shoulder yet so wouldn't have any idea as to how one hops tastes compared to another etc.

Thanks for the help and advice.

 

[np1962]

Welcome Quark,
I can't understand what people mean when they ask for a simple recipe for their first AG, to me it is better to brew a recipe of a style you know you enjoy whether that be an English Bitter, a Stout or an APA or whatever. Once you have your grains crushed together it makes little difference if you have two grains or six grains or more.
The more important thing as I see it is that you understand the process. Get your liquor quantities and temps right, good stir on mash in to get rid of dough balls, ability to hold your mash temp for the required time, sparge process (whether batch or fly or none for BIAB), being prepared at the right times for your additions and your chilling or no-chilling.
If you already have done a few batches of K&K, K&B or extract that you have been happy with then your fermentation processes are likely to be sound enough to give even better beer with AG.
By all means keep your grains and hops simple if you are worried you may stuff up and want to limit the financial damage but IMO if you have read plenty and better still seen it done by someone more experienced you should just go for it and enjoy the day and then enjoy the fruits of your labours.
I couldn't imagine how disappointing it would be if you nail it and the beer is just not what you really wanted because you had scrimped on the materials.
Let us know what styles you really want to drink and I'm sure you will get some good recipe suggestions.
Cheers
Nige

I reckon you can get whatever you want sent to NZ from Craftbrewer( link at top of page)

 

[warra48]

Welcome Quark,

You might try your luck on one of your native brewing forums on where to source your supplies locally.

Try here: http://www.forum.realbeer.co.nz/forum/cate...listForCategory

 

[manticle]

Could someone suggest alternative hops as I can't get the US Hallertau and the UK Fuggles is pricey ? Does this seem like a good recipe for a first attempt ?

What hops can you get easily where you are?

To be honest that recipe is so simple it could probably work with any combination of hops - it depends more on what you want. Do you want hoppy, fruity, bitter, sweet, malty, aromatic?

 

[Bribie G]

I currently have a BIAB Kiwi Blonde fermenting:

4000 Pilsener Malt
300 Carapils

500g white sugar into fermenter

30g Green Bullet 60 mins
20g Motueka (B Saaz) 10 mins

Nottingham ale yeast fermented at 17 degrees

Should turn out a pleasant fake lager, although it's an ale, and about as simple as you can get.


Reviled on the forum is a Kiwi in Auckland and he should be able to tell you what's available at what prices in your neck of the woods
:icon_cheers:

 

[QuarkVI]

NigeP62 : Your point is taken re a simple recipe not making a difference once you have weighed and combined your grains. For me it is about
1) not incurring the extra cost of partially used packs of grain/malt
2) Using a simple recipe so that I can alter it piece by piece to learn more about the differences between various hops and fermentables
3) Most of the recipes I have seen and liked the look of have 1 or more items I can't get and I am not comfortable yet with picking an equivalent or changing the recipe without dramatically altering the style/taste. As said I have very little experience/knowledge of how one grain/hop tastes different to another.

manticle : I tend to prefer malty ales (also have a thing for witbier - but I will do that after I have some more experience). Can get the following hops quite a bit cheaper than the others: Super Alpha, Sticklebract, Southern Cross, NZ Saaz, Pacific Hallertau, Riwaka, Pacific Gem, Nelson Sauvin, Green Bullet, Pacific Jade. Can also get Goldings, Fuggles, Cascade, Amarillo, Liberty for more but don't mind if it is a single hop recipe.


Another question: Most of the recipes don't seem to specify a specific mash temperature - is there an agreed default for the first attempt at a recipe ?

 

[Thirsty Boy]

Quark - the recipe from James will give you a nice malty ale. The marris otter takes care of the malty part. And as Manticle suggested, that base malt will allow you a very wide variety of hop schedules and still turn out great.

Personally I have recently tried my first beer that I knew was brewed with Riwaka hops (D saaz) and i thought it was fantastic - so I'd use those.

say

5kg of Marris Otter
35g of riwaka @ the start of boil (60mins)
35g of Riwaka @ 5mins to go in the boil

Finishing with a post boil volume of 25L, which will put about 21-22L of clear wort into your fermenter, and give you 20L of finished beer.

Mash it at 67C

That'll give you a beer with somewhere around 1.048 Original gravity (if you get about 75% mash efficiency, and you should) and it'll be dry and drinkable without being bone dry. About 30-35IBU - so bitter.. but not really bitter. Cut back on the start of boil addition if that sounds too bitter for you.

Plug all that stuff into Pro-mash or Beersmith to see if it adds up to numbers that look good to you - and tweak if it doesn't

Cheers

TB

 

[RdeVjun]

Personally I have recently tried my first beer that I knew was brewed with Riwaka hops (D saaz) and i thought it was fantastic - so I'd use those.

+1 TB, I was given* some Riwaka to try a few months back, did a SMaSH similar to that recipe and it was delicious. Even Spousie didn't mind it, which was truly a first... B) She guzzled a whole heap of it... :angry:

One reason to keep initial recipes simple, for me at least, was to get familiar with individual ingredients, particularly base malts. When I started AGing I threw anything and everything in the way of spec grain in, but when it came time to decide what to use next I couldn't really distinguish each one's individual effect, nor did I have many clues about what flavours the base malt was contributing, so it actually made things more difficult for me at the beginning. Keeping things simple is a fine way to get in touch with individual ingredients, of course tried and tested more complex recipes are doable too, but for me there wasn't the learning that it sounds like QuarkIV is after. There are invariably faults too with the first few attempts, it is even more difficult to work out what to change if you're not sure which ingredient is contributing what components.
I still do many 100% base malt batches now, they can be tricked up with ease by decoction, caramelising, mash temperature, water chemistry etc., so using just one malt doesn't mean limiting yourself to just one particular malt flavour profile, but it is a great way to find out more about it. My 2c...

QuarkIV, it is silly that many recipes are posted without it but mash temps can be critical. If its absent then I'd suggest something mid- range like 67, if it is a dry beer then lower, if it is a fuller beer with more body then go higher. Can always ask here if you're not sure! :icon_cheers:

* Many thanks again, ChapChap!

Edit: Clarity...

 

[manticle]

NigeP62 : Your point is taken re a simple recipe not making a difference once you have weighed and combined your grains. For me it is about
1) not incurring the extra cost of partially used packs of grain/malt
2) Using a simple recipe so that I can alter it piece by piece to learn more about the differences between various hops and fermentables
3) Most of the recipes I have seen and liked the look of have 1 or more items I can't get and I am not comfortable yet with picking an equivalent or changing the recipe without dramatically altering the style/taste. As said I have very little experience/knowledge of how one grain/hop tastes different to another.

manticle : I tend to prefer malty ales (also have a thing for witbier - but I will do that after I have some more experience). Can get the following hops quite a bit cheaper than the others: Super Alpha, Sticklebract, Southern Cross, NZ Saaz, Pacific Hallertau, Riwaka, Pacific Gem, Nelson Sauvin, Green Bullet, Pacific Jade. Can also get Goldings, Fuggles, Cascade, Amarillo, Liberty for more but don't mind if it is a single hop recipe.


Another question: Most of the recipes don't seem to specify a specific mash temperature - is there an agreed default for the first attempt at a recipe ?

I'd go a SMASH (single malt and single hop) and mash above 65 degrees. This is along the lines of what's been suggested already (eg TB's recipe).

 

[Yeastie Beastie]

I am originally from Napier in NZ and there was a great little home brew supplies shop in Napier called Jellybean Brewing Supplies, maybe give them a go for ingredients you can't source.

 

[Nick JD]

I currently have a BIAB Kiwi Blonde fermenting:

4000 Pilsener Malt
300 Carapils

500g white sugar into fermenter

30g Green Bullet 60 mins
20g Motueka (B Saaz) 10 mins

Nottingham ale yeast fermented at 17 degrees

Should turn out a pleasant fake lager, although it's an ale, and about as simple as you can get.


Reviled on the forum is a Kiwi in Auckland and he should be able to tell you what's available at what prices in your neck of the woods
:icon_cheers:

This sounds suspiciously like a Steinlager clone!

 

[QuarkVI]

Thanks for all the help, will post some pics of my first attempt. Just finishing off sorting out my voile bag and tun/kettle.

cheers

 

[TroyNZ]

I am originally from Napier in NZ and there was a great little home brew supplies shop in Napier called Jellybean Brewing Supplies, maybe give them a go for ingredients you can't source.

I'm from Napier as well, still there in fact. Jellybean is still going but I had to go to Palmerston North today and called in at Simply Brewing in Ruahine St. They have a more extensive range than Jellybean and the guy there was helpful, although he did admit that he doesn't do AG himself he does stock a number of grains. Simply Brewing will also deliver any where in NZ (he told me he had just sent a keg set up to Christchurch) and they have a web site Simply Brewing
I have to go to Palmy every fortnight for the next six months with work so I am going to research a recipe (might try yours) and have a go at AG myself

 

[pb12]

This one comes out pretty good. I brew a 24 x 750ml (18L) batch.
I call it "Standard Issue"

Ingredients
-----------
British crystal 50-60L 0.30 kg, Grain, Mashed
CaraPils 0.10 kg, Grain, Mashed (Don't really need this)
Maris Otter Malt 3.50 kg, Grain, Mashed

Pacific Gem 14.00 g, Pellet, 60 minutes
Riwaka 15.00 g, Pellet, 1 minutes

Ale yeast 1.00 unit, Yeast, Packet Safale US05

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

For 22L batch:

4kg barret burston pilsner malt (AU$3.50 per kg)
1kg white rice (boiled to soggy and thrown in mash)
15g nelson sauvin at 30 min
15g nelson sauvin at 5 min

Mash at 67 degrees for 90 minutes, boil for another 90.

Nottingham yeast

Easy as.

 

[Scruffy]

Mash 5Kg Golden Promise in 30l water, pull your bag, drain and boil for 60 minutes, adding 28g Aurora after 15 minutes.
Ferment with 1968 or 1882. If it gets stuck at 1.025 throw some Nottingham yeast at it.
Beer.
Done.


Good luck with whatever you do!