First full extract.

[Jakeyboi]

Hi everyone,

So I've done 12 kit beers/ciders and now the power of the dark side tempts me (only a bit). I've brought a mangrove jacks American brown ale full extract kit from the hbc. Now I haven't opened the instructions yet, I want to get some research done first. It's pretty obv I will be doing a 60min boil (hops additions give it away) but other than that I'm clueless. I'm a little concerned I need something to Boil 23+ litres of wort in (my biggest pot is 5L), can this be done any other way? Other than that please if anyone has any experience with this kit or similar could you talk me through your process's.

Also it is supplied with dried safale us-05 yeast. I'm sure I've read that this is a good clean yeast, is it worth re using this yeast for my other coopers kits I have to brew?

Thanks in advance

Jake

 

[BeerisGOD]

Not done these mate but extract kits normally require at least a 12litre pot.
Robin54 may be of more help as he's mentioned doing extracts albeit prob done with them now.
Sure someone will be more helpful

good luck

 

[dad_of_jon]

Hi everyone,

So I've done 12 kit beers/ciders and now the power of the dark side tempts me (only a bit). I've brought a mangrove jacks American brown ale full extract kit from the hbc. Now I haven't opened the instructions yet, I want to get some research done first. It's pretty obv I will be doing a 60min boil (hops additions give it away) but other than that I'm clueless. I'm a little concerned I need something to Boil 23+ litres of wort in (my biggest pot is 5L), can this be done any other way? Other than that please if anyone has any experience with this kit or similar could you talk me through your process's.

Also it is supplied with dried safale us-05 yeast. I'm sure I've read that this is a good clean yeast, is it worth re using this yeast for my other coopers kits I have to brew?

Thanks in advance

Jake

you don't have to do a full volume boil with extract but 5l is a bit small.

this would be a lot better...

http://www.wilko.com/casserole+stockpots/wilko-stock-pot-12l/invt/0322498


If the recipe requires a 60 min boil better do that. I'd need to know what exactly is in the kit but if there some grain the wort from that should be boiled with the hops. Top up with water as the wort reduces due to boiling, the colour will be darker than intended.

With dme if it is factory sealed e.g. muntons no need to boil, but if it is re-packaged dme then that should be boiled too. you could do a two stage boil and the first lot of wort will still be hot enough when you add the second lot to the fv it will still be hot enough to keep bugs at bay. you could then top up with cooled chilled water to get the temp down. I'd suggest using bottled water for this bit.

good luck!

 

[Jakeyboi]

This comes with 3kg liquid malt extract, about 1kg of mixed crushed grains, 3 hop additions, and a whirlfloc tablet (what does this do?) and yeast. I've opened the instructions, seems pretty straight forward although it does say to boil 26l 🙁. Could this be done as 12l and topped up? Why do you recommend bottled water btw?ive took a snap of the instructions.

Thanks

Jake

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Posted pictures turned 90 degrees in threads/posts - http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=65872


.

 

[Jakeyboi]

Posted pictures turned 90 degrees in threads/posts - http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=65872


.

Both my pics posted in this thread were taking landscape on my iPad 🤔

 

[Chippy_Tea]

That has just blown that theory. :lol:

 

[Clint]

...button to the left or right? I got the wilko pot..it's OK. As for boiling 23l...fine but bear in mind it's a pig to cool that amount to pitching temp. I've made two brews using mine to steep or boil malt hops and pumpkin! I tipped the boiled water,about 8l into my fv then added the tinned malt and gave it a good thrashing I then topped up to 23l with cold water,mixing like hell .The temp was still high if I remember around 30°c so got some ice filled the sink and stood the fv in it,stirring occasionally for around 20 minutes. It all went well!

Cheers

Clint

 

[dad_of_jon]

This comes with 3kg liquid malt extract, about 1kg of mixed crushed grains, 3 hop additions, and a whirlfloc tablet (what does this do?) and yeast. I've opened the instructions, seems pretty straight forward although it does say to boil 26l 🙁. Could this be done as 12l and topped up? Why do you recommend bottled water btw?ive took a snap of the instructions.

Thanks

Jake

The whirlfloc will give you a clearer beer.

as you have 3kg of liquid malt that can be warmed up and dumped in the FV with a kettle of chlorine/choromine free water to rinse out the cans.

bottled water? - it needs no treatment (get tesco or lidl - chase spring) 17p for 2 litres. plus you can super chill or freeze then to assist getting the temp down to yeast pitching temp.

absolutely you could top up. The wort from the grain will be darker than planned after the boiling however the cans of LME will be lighter than planned because they don't need to be boiled. that will alter the balance a bit but as long as you keep the wort from the grain topped up you'll be ok.

3kg of lme will be giving you most of the abv% so your boil will be the wort from the grain plus the hops.

 

[terrym]

You can buy cheap 'Buckingham' pots off ebay, larger than yours, but they appear to be a bit flimsy. More expensive versions are available, depending on the size of your wallet.
However all is not lost, even with the 5 litre pot, especially if you have a smaller pot as well.
My suggestion is you steep the grain as suggested, then boil the wort obtained from that with spargings in your 5 litre pot with some of the extract along with the 60 minute hops.
If you have a smaller pot, use that by filling with water and some more of the extract and then use that for the 15 minute and flameout hops.
And put the remainder of the LME directly into the FV just like you would for a kit.
Put the pots into cold water in the sink to cool down, ( keep the lids on) and then put all the pot contents, less the hops*, into the FV and top up with cold water to get the right temperature for pitching.
Not perfect but doable, although the purists will cringe, and because you are using a low volume for the hop boil it is likely your hop bitterness will be down a bit.
Finally * you need to consider how you are going to stop the boiled hops from carrying over into the FV. I use nylon bags.

 

[Clint]

Why will the bitterness be lower in a smaller boil? So it doesn't concentrate in less water then dilute out when topping out into the fv?

Cheers

Clint

 

[terrym]

Why will the bitterness be lower in a smaller boil? So it doesn't concentrate in less water then dilute out when topping out into the fv?

Cheers

Clint

If you plug the numbers into Brewers Friend that's what comes out..... although my interpretation could be wrong. Maybe the smaller boil volume give a reduced hop bitterness extract, compared to a full 27 litre boil .That said I don't let it worry me :).

 

[Tim1975]

 

[Callumbo]

I also got the Wilko stock pot and it does about 12 litres but 10 litres is a comfortable boiler.

If i could do it over i would buy one of the FV's they sell in Wilkos and 2 basic kettles and fit the elements inside the bucket.

This will give you a 30 litre boiler which is over the top for the extract kit but if you like it then you have a 30ltr boiler for all grain recipes. And it'll only cost �£20. Where as the stock pot is �£17

 

[Gerryjo]

I normally chill my wort in a 15 litre pot using the sink.May I suggest that if you are doing this try putting a dishcloth under the pot covering the plug hole.This will reduce the rate of water flow out from your sink and then this allows you to regulate the flow from the tap so as you can keep the level in your sink as high as possible without overflowing.This will also give you a continuous flow of cold water around your pot removing the need to lift the pot pot to drain any hot water several times over.:thumb:

 

[dad_of_jon]

I normally chill my wort in a 15 litre pot using the sink.May I suggest that if you are doing this try putting a dishcloth under the pot covering the plug hole.This will reduce the rate of water flow out from your sink and then this allows you to regulate the flow from the tap so as you can keep the level in your sink as high as possible without overflowing.This will also give you a continuous flow of cold water around your pot removing the need to lift the pot pot to drain any hot water several times over.:thumb:

i've done similar re dishcloth trick :thumb:

 

[Gerryjo]

i've done similar re dishcloth trick :thumb:

Great minds think alike:whistle:

 

[Sandimas]

Just ignore those instructions, I've been brewing Extract for 5 years and there's no need to do it the way they say.

6-8L is fine for the boil, and you don't need to boil all the liquid malt, just a bit of it will help with the hop utilisation. The less you boil the less you have to cool and the less susceptible it will be to infection after the boil, if you do 8L or so then topping it up to 23L with cool water this time of year may not need any cooling at all.

Do the boil with one of the LME pouches and stir the other one in at the very end. Be careful when pouring the LME in as it'll sink to the bottom and burn on the bottom of the pan if you don't stir it immediately.

That American Brown is SUPERB, made it a few months ago and drinking it now. I brewed mine a little short 19L and it came out at 4.6% ABV.

 

[Jakeyboi]

Just ignore those instructions, I've been brewing Extract for 5 years and there's no need to do it the way they say.

6-8L is fine for the boil, and you don't need to boil all the liquid malt, just a bit of it will help with the hop utilisation. The less you boil the less you have to cool and the less susceptible it will be to infection after the boil, if you do 8L or so then topping it up to 23L with cool water this time of year may not need any cooling at all.

Do the boil with one of the LME pouches and stir the other one in at the very end. Be careful when pouring the LME in as it'll sink to the bottom and burn on the bottom of the pan if you don't stir it immediately.

That American Brown is SUPERB, made it a few months ago and drinking it now. I brewed mine a little short 19L and it came out at 4.6% ABV.

Thanks for the advice, I will do it as you have described until I get more equipment. I'm glad it's a good kit, I'm sure I only paid about £16 for it from thc, seems like excellent value for money to me. I'm thinking of harvesting the yeast from it to brew some coopers kits afterwards. Can't wait to get this going now.