New to AG what should be easy & tasty?

[Boabiegringo]

Hi as above. I'm considering getting in on All Grain & would like to do a pale ale leaning towards an APA with more hop aroma than actual face clenching hoppiness. I haven't done any Extract of AG brews previously but have done a good selection of kits, Which i find hit & miss (not sure if this had more to do with cleanliness as i only recently realised i should clean & sterilise/sanitise the inside of the FV tap also!! ).
Any help would be greatly appreciated ie linkys etc as i'm just getting on my feet & finding my way around the forum :

 

[dennisking]

This is a good place to start.

 

[PD]

as above. The actual process of AG brewing is not hard or complicated to do. From the above link just sit and work your actual method out and plod along nice and easy. Remember cleanliness and sanitisation of EVERYTHING and you will make good beer......Good luck

as to what is easy and tasty...the worlds your mollusc.... straight brews (no stepped mashes or decoctions etc) and you can brew whatever you like...only the ingredients alter.

 

[wrapped in bacon]

I think my tip would be to take it easy!
When I did my first brew all those weeks ago!
I found I rushed things - like sparging, neglecting to take hydrometer readings, etc
Put the kettle on, make a brew, make sure stuff is clean and just enjoy making beer :party:
As long as you can use a measuring jug, a pair of scales, read a clock and follow instructions you'll enjoy your end product :pray:
Tweaking it and perfecting the craft will always be learnt! I'm sure the best of them are still absorbing knowledge :wha:

 

[Boabiegringo]

Thanks- working out the cost of the extra stuff needed...& trying out a couple of new kits that i haven't tried before which are relatively new to the market then i might make the plunge all being well :thumb:

 

[wilsoa1111]

if ur just wanting to see how good AG can be a roll of muslin and a cooking class thermometer is all u really need (and a big pot in a warm oven/coolbox) and enough pot capacity to boil your brew... this may only give a 60% efficency but some argue less efficent setups make better beer as less tannins are extracted with the sugars, also its cheap n easy

recipe wise about 4kg+ o pale and maybe 600g of spec malts, for hoppy my preferance is 250g crystal and 300g carapils in about a 20l batch, 18l bottled. and if hydrometer still reads really low at the start 400g of darker sugars or golden syrup near the end of the ferment will bump it up nicely

hopwise im really impressed with brewers gold (great on own) and fuggles for british ipas and a mix of apollo and cascade and/orcentenial for american IPAs

 

[Duxuk]

As above I'd recommend a BIAB setup before spending too much money. I bought a 32l stockpot and length of net curtain material from Ebay. I did my tenth AG brew yesterday. With no dead spaces in the equipment there's very lttle waste. I achieved 81.3% effieciency. It was a 20l brew using 4kg of MO and 250g of crystal. I use a sleeping bag to insulate the stockpot, which acts as your mash tun. You start with the whole amount of water and do no sparging, just draining with your bags. (1 for mashing and the other as a hop filter over the FV when you have boiled your hops)

Here's what I do..............viewtopic.php?f=30&t=39236

 

[anthonyUK]

Hopback Summer Lightning is a great 1st AG as it is so simple and turns out well even with a few mistakes.

For 23 Litres.

O.G. 1050
P.G. 1011
ABV 5%

Grain:
5kg Pale ale malt

Hops:
Start of boil 50g Challenger Hops
80 mins into boil 15g Goldings
End of boil 10g Goldings

Method:
Mash temp 66°C 90mins
Boil 90 minutes
Irish Moss or Protafloc in last 15 mins

Ferment with S-04

 

[paddone]

I think my tip would be to take it easy!
When I did my first brew all those weeks ago!
I found I rushed things - like sparging, neglecting to take hydrometer readings, etc
Put the kettle on, make a brew, make sure stuff is clean and just enjoy making beer :party:
As long as you can use a measuring jug, a pair of scales, read a clock and follow instructions you'll enjoy your end product :pray:
Tweaking it and perfecting the craft will always be learnt! I'm sure the best of them are still absorbing knowledge :wha:

I'm sure you meant to say "open the fridge, crack open a brew".

:

 

[wrapped in bacon]

I think my tip would be to take it easy!
When I did my first brew all those weeks ago!
I found I rushed things - like sparging, neglecting to take hydrometer readings, etc
Put the kettle on, make a brew, make sure stuff is clean and just enjoy making beer :party:
As long as you can use a measuring jug, a pair of scales, read a clock and follow instructions you'll enjoy your end product :pray:
Tweaking it and perfecting the craft will always be learnt! I'm sure the best of them are still absorbing knowledge :wha:

I'm sure you meant to say "open the fridge, crack open a brew".

:

He hasn't made any yet!!!!
:drunk: may not help being a bit 'under the influence'!

 

[Boabiegringo]

BIAB sounds like agood way to start out & Hopback Lightning sounds really good! have to try it just for the name alone

Thanks Lads

 

[anthonyUK]

BIAB sounds like agood way to start out & Hopback Lightning sounds really good! have to try it just for the name alone

Thanks Lads

You can try a bottle of the Summer Lightning as some supermarkets stock it such as Waitrose.
It is a really lovely beer and BIAB is such a straightforward process :

 

[Boabiegringo]

No Waitrose out here in the depths of the west of Ireland... Although Tesco has improved it's beer selection in leaps & bounds (thank God!) & other supermarkets are catching up. Also a few new small breweries which are excellent Galway Hooker/ O'Hara's etc. Next time i go home to Glasgow i'll try & procure a bottle or twa...