Want To Start Making Decent Beer

[stattonb]

Hey all so ive made my 6th brew and eveyone i do taste water like but im only using kit stuff,kilo of dextrose and us05,i wanna step it up and get something close to normal tasting beer so im wanting to start using Dry Malt Extract any tips or suggestions you guys can give me would be great.
P.S been apart of this forum or afew months and the help i got from members have been great just wanted to say thanks

 

[Moad]

try steeping some grains or get one of those fresh wort kits. There is a thread somewhere with BIAB for $30 or something like that...

BIAB (brew in a bag) is really easy and gets good results. good luck!

 

[stattonb]

thanks mate i have done some searching on here but i find it better just asking members then reading the post and not understanding,i have watched alot of vids of using a "muslim bag" will have to de more research

 

[mkstalen]

Swap your 1kg of dex for 1kg of LDME, and get a finishing hop tea bag.
Or get a fresh wort kit.

 

[danestead]

Im not sure how involved in the brewing process you would like to be (kit brewing isnt really brewing tbh) however a fresh wort kit from your local home brew store, if they sell them, and some dry hops is sure to make a damn tasty brew.

Disclaimer. Ive never fermented a fresh wort kit however they seem to come from reputable sources and itd be hard to do worse than a can of goop.

Edit. He beat me to it above.

 

[stattonb]

have a Brewers Choice in Kedron,qld i got to all the time is this what you guys mean, i manily drink tooheys new so wanted to get somthing close to that

http://brewerschoice.com.au/product-category/beer/beer-kits/fresh-wort-beer-kits/

 

[danestead]

Yeah they are the ones.

Lagers are one of the hardest beers to get right in home brewing. Fermentation temperature control, yeast pitching rates and conditioning are very very critical to get a well made product free from off flavours. They also take quite a long time to ferment out. My munich dunkel I have on tap now took 35 days to ferment and condition. If there are any ales you enjoy, id go for a fresh wort kit in a similar style. Ales are much more forgiving to brew.

If lager is all you brew, I would recommend the next purchase you make is a fermenting fridge and a temperature controller for that fridge. That will be one of, if not the best next step in vastly improving any lager you ferment.

 

[stattonb]

thanks for the reply i like coopers Pale Ale so i might start there,got a working fridge free off a mate and im getting a sct-1000 i think it is (temp control unit) next week so got temp control covered,ive done my 2nd run of bulk priming whic worked out good both times so now to work on flavour i do like largers aswell so will take all the advise given

 

[Yob]

As above mate, ditch the dex, go all malt and you'll notice a big difference.

The coopers pale can was my go to kit, a great base to work with.

 

[Moad]

you are well ahead of the game with your fridge and STC, you have definitely started off the right way. Make sure your sanitation is good and you should be making some perfectly drinkable beers with kits.

Try the black rock pale kit and 1kg of 50% LME and 50% dex. I normally brew all grain but threw this in the fridge for the boys at work and it actually came up really good. It will be different to new but it shouldn't be too challenging for you, a little bitter maybe but quite nice.

It seems common for guys to start trying to emulate new/vb/carlton etc, but you will quickly find have opened a can of worms with that first can of goop!

 

[fletcher]

some quick things that will really boost your kit beers:

1. steep some crystal malt in 70-80 degree water for about 20 mins and add this to your fermenter with your kit (using a french press or a small "hop sock" in a pot)
2. add 1kg of light dry malt instead of 1kg dextrose (or 50-50 blend etc) when you're making your beer
3. keep using better yeasts (us-05 and other dry packets are much better than your kit yeasts)
4. get some hops to style and add them to your fermenter for 2-3 days after the beer has finished fermenting. then bottle them. this is dry hopping and gives good aroma in your beer.

 

[hellbent]

There is a thread somewhere with BIAB for $30 or something like that...

If you're talking Nickjd's thread then I'm not sure if it hasn't been deleted or whether the tutorial pics with it were removed but it was a great tutorial.

 

[Spiesy]

As others have mentioned:

Perhaps try LME (Briess or Weyermann make some good ones), add some steeping speciality grains, and something that I don't believe has been mentioned - try to control your fermentation temp.

If you post up a recipe you're currently doing, your processes and what you're trying to achieve - that would help the members here make some suggestions.

I started with all-grain BIAB (Brew In A Bag). It was an easy introduction to making good beer.

 

[pajs]

This is a useful thread about getting started, cheaply, with all grain brewing. The sample recipe is for a pale ale. http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/38674-move-to-all-grain-for-thirty-bucks/

 

[stattonb]

Thanks guy will do sone searching and give it a go

 

[squirt in the turns]

some quick things that will really boost your kit beers:

1. steep some crystal malt in 70-80 degree water for about 20 mins and add this to your fermenter with your kit (using a french press or a small "hop sock" in a pot)

Don't forget to boil the liquid you extract from the grains or you'll more than likely infect your wort with whatever wild yeast and bacteria was living in the grain. There are plenty of tutorials around on steeping grain.

 

[stattonb]

the first thing i done after my first brew is switch to US-05 and im happy with the results i think to start off with im gonna try using 700g LME and 300 DEX for my next brew and start from there.

 

[Tahoose]

You might find that all extract beers are even a good place to start.

So not the kit tins, fresh wort kits are great also..

 

[Crouch]

the first thing i done after my first brew is switch to US-05 and im happy with the results i think to start off with im gonna try using 700g LME and 300 DEX for my next brew and start from there.

Lots of great suggestions but I think this (your comment above) is the best place to start improving. I started with tins and a kilo of sugar (house hold table sugar), swapped that out for dextrose after a few brews, then started swapping that out for LME and brew enhancers, then started swapping out my yeasts, then moved onto steeping grains etc etc. Change one thing each time you feel like 'moving up a level' and you'll get a good feel for what works for you and what level you are happy to stick with before you want to 'level up' again.

 

[burrster]

If you want to do a faux lager try using Nottingham yeast(ale yeast) brewed at about 16 degrees. it's close enough without the hassle of the true lager process. other than that US 05 is the go! Temp control, good yeast, hops additions and grain steeping. Learn about these and you'll quickly create something worth your effort. I'd recommend Dr smurto Golden Ale recipe, all extract if your game to dive in.

 

[///]

Hey Mate,

As a Sharkies fan marooned in QLD (I made a joke, get it?), i'm here to help a brother out.

I built a new garage, put a bit of stainless in it, and it works a treat. Happy for you to come down and get on the tools as soon as you can.

Scotty

ps. sharkies footy socks are standard uniform btw

 

[JDW81]

i have watched alot of vids of using a "muslim bag" will have to de more research

Welcome aboard mate.

Firstly, I don't think your muslim bag would take too kindly to being involved in brewing. Jihad would be ok, but beer maybe not.

kit brewing isnt really brewing tbh

Secondly, I disagree with this point. I made some excellent beers with kits in my early days, and I know many a brewer who only make kits and I would drink their beers before some all grain brews I've had in the past (some of mine included).

IMHO drop the dex all together. Use light malt extract. This will go a long way to making your beers not tasting like water.

Better yeast will always make better beer, but I learnt the most by only changing one thing at a time. Changing too much at once can become confusing (for simpletons like me at least).

My suggestion for you next brew is:

1: Drop the dex and use 1kg of light malt extract.
2: use a better yeast (nottingham or US05 are both good options).
3: Ferment for 2 weeks minimum

For your following brew:
1: LME instead of dex
2: Steep 200g of light crystal malt in hot water in a hop bag (temp is irrelevant for the time being).
3: Boil the liquid from the grain for ~10 minutes and put in the fermenter with the rest of your ingredients.
4: Use notto or US05 again.

For the brew after the above one:
do all of the above, and:
- Add 25 grams of cascade hops to your fermenter after 1 weeks of fermentation

The real key is to learn something each time you brew. I still learn something with every brew. IMHO if you don't learn something each time you make beer, you aren't paying attention to what you're doing.

The best piece of advice I was given when I first started out was to be patient. It takes time to learn the process and some brews you won't be happy with. The more you brew, the more consistent you will become.

Welcome to a very slippery slope.

JD

 

[danestead]

Secondly, I disagree with this point. I made some excellent beers with kits in my early days, and I know many a brewer who only make kits and I would drink their beers before some all grain brews I've had in the past (some of mine included).

Sorry JDW81 if my post could have been taken in a way it wasnt intended. I full well agree that a kit brew may in fact taste better than an all grain brew however what I was actually getting at is that with a kit brew, you arent really brewing the beer, you are fermenting an already brewed (mashed and boiled) beer. The reason I chose to make that comment is because I suggested the OP try a fresh wort kit, because, similar to a kit brew, you pretty much dump it in the fermenter, add yeast and ferment it. This is a similar process to what the OP has already done and hence I think he may be able to achieve a nicer beer in the glass by using the fresh wort kit rather than kit and kilo, with the skills he already has.

 

[stattonb]

Damn alot of info cheers guys, ill be putting on 2brews next week so will take all the advise and let yas know how it goes

 

[stattonb]

so went out and got a pale ale kit and brewer enhancer 2 + finishing hop tea bag.so ill see how it turns out

 

[coloneldom]

I will add a little vote for fresh wort kits - I recently got back into brewing after a few years off, and started with a fresh wort IPA kit from the Hop and Grain at Enmore, dry hopped some Cascade into it towards the end of fermentation. These type of kits aren't really "brewing" as such, (they're definitely cheating) but it gave me 23 litres of an absolutely awesome beer that showed me the type of beer that can be produced with quality brewing.

Personally, I was never able to produce a decent beer with kit and kilo, mostly due to my own fault including temperature control problems, but like you I wanted to finally make a "decent beer." I've now got a decent stock of beer from my fresh wort and now I can crack on with experimenting and improving my technique, namely BIAB.

 

[Vini2ton]

Someone must of said this before but I think keeping a brew diary is a good idea. If you keep records of what you do you can always look back and cross reference taste with process. Skip kits and extract brewing. BIAB is simple and cheaper than all that stuff and way way more tasty. You'll thank yourself down the track.

 

[stattonb]

thanks guys

 

[stattonb]

well finally got my stc -1000 so now got temp control,better beer now im hoping

 

[///]

Pastoral duties for another Sharkies fan, checking in to see all is ok. Got better fermentations, check. Start cleaning better and using better yeast, next check. Trn to the dark side and go all grain, next check!