Need Help with buying ingredients for 1st brew

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rich1985

rich1985

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Hi There,

I was wondering whether anyone could help me with a recipe for my first brew.
I've been reading John Palmer's 'How to Brew' Book and I've got all my equipment so now I'm ready to go buying ingredients.

I'd like to start with an American pale. I usually drink Sierra Nevada when going APA or the East India Brooklyn. This is the recipe they recommend.

If I'm honest I'm struggling to find to choose where to buy (brewuk or homebrewshop) from AND what actual ingredients to get (i.e. which syrup, which extract, bittering hop, finishing hop, yeast). If anyone has got a recommendation as to where to buy from and which specific ingredients to get I'd be super grateful as I want to get off to a good start. Thanks in advance!

Richard

Cincinnati Pale Ale
Ingredients:
3-4 lbs. of Pale malt extract syrup, unhopped.
3 lbs. of Amber dry malt extract.
12 AAUs of Bittering Hop (any variety)
5 AAUs of Finishing Hop (Cascade or other)
3 packets of dried ale yeast
 
A simple to do American Pale Ale, all you really need is Extra Light Dry Malt Extract, Crystal Malt, Sugar,Cascade Hops and yeast. All are easy to obtain and learning the process of steeping grain will allow you to tweak your future brews.

I have a done a bit of an extract brew walk-through HERE for a 5L batch (which was very hoppy), but post up your equipment list and what batch size you want to brew and I can give you a simplified recipe, process and shopping list.
 
Thanks for the advice!! It's much appreciated.
No I haven't done a brew before. I've got a mate who has done a fair few who recommended the equipment but I thought I'd try and get the ingredients myself. I've bought the equipment and bottles for roughly 5 gallons.
 
For the first go i would be inclined to go for a youngs american pale ale kit, it's a two can kit that will have all the ingredients you need, i don't think anyone has a bad word about these kits but do read the reviews yourself to be sure it's something you like the sound of.
 
What volume pot/boiler do you have and do you have an immersion chiller?

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk
 
chewie said:
For the first go i would be inclined to go for a youngs american pale ale kit, it's a two can kit that will have all the ingredients you need, i don't think anyone has a bad word about these kits but do read the reviews yourself to be sure it's something you like the sound of.
Click to expand...

Seconded.

I was in exactly the same position as the OP this time last year, I'd also read How to Brew and was mad keen to just dive right in. Someone suggested trying a kit first (to get used to the basic process plus the routine of cleaning/sanitation etc) and it was good advice. It wasn't long before I was tweaking the kits and boiling up extract and hops, mind!
 
chuffer said:
Seconded.

I was in exactly the same position as the OP this time last year, I'd also read How to Brew and was mad keen to just dive right in. Someone suggested trying a kit first (to get used to the basic process plus the routine of cleaning/sanitation etc) and it was good advice. It wasn't long before I was tweaking the kits and boiling up extract and hops, mind!
Click to expand...
Don't know whether to post this here, or in the Grumpy Barstewards post, but I dislike advising to do kits, when the goal is to brew extract or all grain. There is nothing to learn from doing a kit, that you won't learn doing extract or AG.

And, as the OP has already bought the equipment to do Extract brewing, and read John Palmer, their ambition is already past kit brewing.

My advice is start where you're goal is, you'll learn faster and find the process more rewarding. The best brewers I know all started doing AG from day one.

Not knocking kits, there are good ones out there. However, brewing is about more than the end product, the process needs to be rewarding also.

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk
 
Sadfield said:
There is nothing to learn from doing a kit, that you won't learn doing extract or AG.
Click to expand...
I disagree.
Less opportunity to **** it up with a kit, plus you can produce perfectly good beer from most kits out there.
So, get the basics right first with a few kits.
Then if you want to, move on to extract brewing or AG.
Walk before you can run imo. :thumb:
 
If you can get it right first time with a kit which has everything you need including full and clear instructions it is a huge confidence booster for a newcomer to take the next step and go straight to all grain, and ending up with something that is very drinkable isn't exactly a bad thing, plenty of grain brewers on here still do use kits whether partially or standalone.
 
The most common causes of failure are poor yeast management, sanitation and/or fermentation control. All of which happen regardless of the method of wort preparation.



Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk
 
I started with kits, then went to extract and finally AG. I'm glad I made the progression, even doing kits was daunting enough to start with as I was terrified of ballsing it up so I'd encourage going down that route. That said, I made too many kits before taking the plunge into extract and could have been making much better beer much sooner!
 
Sadfield said:
The most common causes of failure are poor yeast management, sanitation and/or fermentation control. All of which happen regardless of the method of wort preparation.



Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Lol i would say the single most common cause of failure is not doing adequate reading and research of the task you are about to undertake and putting it into practice, going down the kit route eliminates a good portion of that and acts as a good base starting point from which to progress as you gain knowledge in the practical side and it's pitfalls.
 
Like what?

You can learn as much about making wort from a kit as you can from making a pot noodle, but still fail with a kit through poor sanitation and fermentation (agreed that is usually due poor research and application).

The original question was for help with extract brewing, so why not help achieve that goal by giving advice that is relevant to the request? The act of asking on this forum is research.

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk
 
Bigcol49 said:
Hi!
... Try Columbus as a bittering hop and Cascade for aroma/flavour.
Click to expand...

I did a pretty good Sierra Nevada ish beer using Colombus (bittering & dry hopping) & cascade (flavour&aroma&dryhop). Both should be available online or at yr local shop (of you're impatient :))
 
rich1985 said:
Hi There,

I was wondering whether anyone could help me with a recipe for my first brew.
I've been reading John Palmer's 'How to Brew' Book and I've got all my equipment so now I'm ready to go buying ingredients.

I'd like to start with an American pale. I usually drink Sierra Nevada when going APA or the East India Brooklyn. This is the recipe they recommend.

If I'm honest I'm struggling to find to choose where to buy (brewuk or homebrewshop) from AND what actual ingredients to get (i.e. which syrup, which extract, bittering hop, finishing hop, yeast). If anyone has got a recommendation as to where to buy from and which specific ingredients to get I'd be super grateful as I want to get off to a good start. Thanks in advance!

Richard

Cincinnati Pale Ale
Ingredients:
3-4 lbs. of Pale malt extract syrup, unhopped.
3 lbs. of Amber dry malt extract.
12 AAUs of Bittering Hop (any variety)
5 AAUs of Finishing Hop (Cascade or other)
3 packets of dried ale yeast
Click to expand...

Just to let you know, unless you have had most of your taste buds removed , your beer will bare absolutely no resemblance to East India Brooklyn.
That beer would be difficult for a good all grain brewer to reproduce.
 

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