Tips for a new all grain brewer

[RGeats]

Hi everyone,

I have been brewing for quite a few years, kits and extract brews, so I comfortable with everything from the boil onwards. However I've never mashed before. I have just invested in a robobrew and await it's delivery with baited breath.

I am looking to get ready for my first brew, so was looking for recommendations for a first all grain kit to try, something which is on the simpler end mash wise. I like things like pale ales, IPAs in general. What do people think?

Also I haven't treated water before except using a Campden tablet so any hints there?

Thanks
Rick

 

[MickDundee]

A SMaSH (single malt and single hop) is probably an easy first brew.

If you like pale ales go with a pale malt and a hop that’s popular and readily available like citra or simcoe (since you said you like IPAs, I assume you mean American style ones). There’s also Falconers Flight which is a favourite of mine and is a blend of 7 American hops and always makes a nice “single” hop beer.

I like to use brewing software to check my ABV, bitterness etc (I use Brewers Friend), but a decent rule of thumb for the hops I’ve mentioned above would be 5kg malt, 15g of hops for the full boil, another 15g for 10mins and the rest at flame out to give a beer of about 30IBUs.

 

[RGeats]

Thanks for the reply Mick. I haven't heard of that mix of hops, sounds interesting. I will have a look at brewing software as well.

Is it worth worrying about the water chemistry at this stage or will it not make a big difference to a pale ale? I am a chemist by training so should be OK with working out additions etc.

Thanks

 

[Clint]

FF makes great beer!

 

[MickDundee]

Thanks for the reply Mick. I haven't heard of that mix of hops, sounds interesting. I will have a look at brewing software as well.

Is it worth worrying about the water chemistry at this stage or will it not make a big difference to a pale ale? I am a chemist by training so should be OK with working out additions etc.

Thanks

I’ve never bothered with water chemistry, but I only brew pale beers and I live in a very soft water area (my local micro brewery reckons their tap water is a very similar profile to some of the German lager brewing regions, but they use a different reservoir to us).

For a first attempt you shouldn’t need it, but probably something to look at further down the line if you live in a hard water area and are brewing pales or live in a soft water area and want to brew dark beers.

 

[the_quick]

You going to love your robobrew, really great piece of kit.

If you are looking for a brew calculator, brew father has Robobrew profile for equipment. It is really good with helping with water chemistry. There is a topic here on forum, how to start with it.
As you are chemist it should be a doddle for you. I use RO water and it has improved my pales and lagers.
I did recently Sierra Nevada Pale clone and it was fantastic - I found it on brewfather app library

 

[RGeats]

That's great thanks for the replies. It seems there is so much to learn to get to that perfect beer, but I guess getting something decent should be a fair bit easier!

I have access to demin water at work, perhaps I could fill up a few buckets.

You going to love your robobrew, really great piece of kit.

If you are looking for a brew calculator, brew father has Robobrew profile for equipment. It is really good with helping with water chemistry. There is a topic here on forum, how to start with it.
As you are chemist it should be a doddle for you. I use RO water and it has improved my pales and lagers.
I did recently Sierra Nevada Pale clone and it was fantastic - I found it on brewfather app library