Small Batch 15l Extract Recipe Help

[Philthy79]

Well I am about to attempt my first foray into "full" extract brewing, after many Coopers based brews, with an attempt/variation of citymorgue2's The hunt for brown October. I have a 15L tub and thought since i have most of the ingredients already at home, why not try to do a smaller version.
Utilising Ian H's excel spreadsheet I have come up with this recipe.


I was wondering if i could get some "that's ok" or "that's shite" responses please!! (Remember it will only be 15L)

Morgans MB Dark Crystal Malt Extract tin 1.5kg
Light Dry Malt Extract 200gm
Dextrose 500gm
Saaz 20gm @ 30mins
Saaz 16gm @ 15mins

I have some liquid yeast Proculture 28 German Yeast fermenting away, ready to be racked/CC'd tomorrow, so I could re-use that. The ingredients in italics are the ones that I already have. I also have some grains as well.

Any thoughts, please?

 

[gorefeast]

that sounds awesome, definitely a good idea for the upcoming German beer festival!

 

[manticle]

Looking at the original recipe, I'd add in a couple of things.

I'd either look at upping the amount of LDME. That may mean you'll want to drop some of the dex. The original also has some wheat malt. I've bought dried wheat malt extract before so if you can find that grab some. It will add a certain flavour but also texture and mouthfeel as well as aid in head retention. Alternatively you can use liquid (as specified in the recipe)

Are the grains you have all specialty?

The original recipe also uses tettnanger and hallertauer and I can vouch for both as being lovely. Nothing wrong with all saaz though. However you might need to add some hops to the boil earlier as you're using unhopped extract and 20 g at 30 mins probably won't bitter it enough to balance the malt. I could be wrong so double check and don't take my word for gospel.

When you ran it through the spreadsheet did the gravity, ABV and IBU correspond with what you'd like to see in the final product?

 

[Philthy79]

Looking at the original recipe, I'd add in a couple of things.

I'd either look at upping the amount of LDME. That may mean you'll want to drop some of the dex. The original also has some wheat malt. I've bought dried wheat malt extract before so if you can find that grab some. It will add a certain flavour but also texture and mouthfeel as well as aid in head retention. Alternatively you can use liquid (as specified in the recipe)

Are the grains you have all specialty?

The original recipe also uses tettnanger and hallertauer and I can vouch for both as being lovely. Nothing wrong with all saaz though. However you might need to add some hops to the boil earlier as you're using unhopped extract and 20 g at 30 mins probably won't bitter it enough to balance the malt. I could be wrong so double check and don't take my word for gospel.

When you ran it through the spreadsheet did the gravity, ABV and IBU correspond with what you'd like to see in the final product?

Cheers - i do have some dried wheat malt extract, and some hallertauer hops, i will substitute one of the saaz for hallertauer.

I ran the recipe against the Dark Lager/Munich Dunkel rather than the Amber Octoberfest, as I wanted something that bit darker, and it does match up against the Dark Lager.

The grains I have are Munich Malt and Choc Malt.

Is that Mr Macgowan I see as your pic?

 

[manticle]

Cheers - i do have some dried wheat malt extract, and some hallertauer hops, i will substitute one of the saaz for hallertauer.

I ran the recipe against the Dark Lager/Munich Dunkel rather than the Amber Octoberfest, as I wanted something that bit darker, and it does match up against the Dark Lager.

The grains I have are Munich Malt and Choc Malt.

Is that Mr Macgowan I see as your pic?

They never drank water but whisky by pints.

Is the German yeast you spoke of a lager yeast and are you making a lager (temperature etc)?

I've never used munich but my understanding is that it is a base malt and will need to be mashed (unless you mean caramunich).

Basically it looks like you're making a weisbock (sp) which sounds delicious. I've only ever had Schneider's Aventinus (doppel- and eis-) but I could easily go another of either of those.

Still not sure about no hop additions at 60. Run it by another more seasoned brewer.

 

[Philthy79]

They never drank water but whisky by pints.

Is the German yeast you spoke of a lager yeast and are you making a lager (temperature etc)?

I've never used munich but my understanding is that it is a base malt and will need to be mashed (unless you mean caramunich).

Basically it looks like you're making a weisbock (sp) which sounds delicious. I've only ever had Schneider's Aventinus (doppel- and eis-) but I could easily go another of either of those.

Still not sure about no hop additions at 60. Run it by another more seasoned brewer.

Yeah, the yeast is a lager yeast, and it is caramunich!

Thaks for yer help, I might just go back to the original 23L batch, just thought of try to use the small container with what i had in stock!

"I am going, where streams of whiskey are flowing!"