BeardedIdiot
Well-Known Member
Hey guys. Just my second thread ever!
Anyways, I started out like a lot of people, with a Mr. Beer Kit. I still have 2 extract kits from them left over from my early buying binge, and one of them I've decided to try some experimenting with.
This is for a 2.5g batch.
Current ingredients:
1 can West Coast Pale Ale HME
1 can tart cherries
dry yeast packet that comes with can
Now, that might make a decent beginners pale ale, but I have some other ingredients that I think would make it more interesting. Here are the other ingredients I'm thinking about adding:
1oz Amarillo hops, pelleted (thinking boil half for initial fermentation, dry hop the other half?)
1lb Plain Light Extract (Munton's DME)
1lb Plain Amber Extract (Munton's DME)
1lb Plain Wheat Extract (Munton's DME)
So my question is, besides the hops, do you think I should use any or all of the DME's? If so, do I need to boil them along with the hops, or do I boil the hops, then add both the canned and dry extract at flame off, before adding to the fermenter?
For the hops, how long of a boil would you recommend? I'm not looking for much, if any, added bitterness, mostly some added aroma and flavor. I was thinking a 10-15 minute boil, tops.
Lastly, when should I add the cherries? Should I add them to the wort when it first goes into the fermenter, on top of the wort in the primary after a couple weeks, or should I rack onto the cherries and dry hop in a secondary fermenter after 2,3, or 4 weeks on primary?
Sorry for so many questions, but I'd like to have the best chances of making a decent beer with experimentation. Oh, yeah, I will be fermenting this in a 3g ported better bottle, and I have a second 3g ported better bottle for secondary ferm if I need it.
thanks!
Conner
Anyways, I started out like a lot of people, with a Mr. Beer Kit. I still have 2 extract kits from them left over from my early buying binge, and one of them I've decided to try some experimenting with.
This is for a 2.5g batch.
Current ingredients:
1 can West Coast Pale Ale HME
1 can tart cherries
dry yeast packet that comes with can
Now, that might make a decent beginners pale ale, but I have some other ingredients that I think would make it more interesting. Here are the other ingredients I'm thinking about adding:
1oz Amarillo hops, pelleted (thinking boil half for initial fermentation, dry hop the other half?)
1lb Plain Light Extract (Munton's DME)
1lb Plain Amber Extract (Munton's DME)
1lb Plain Wheat Extract (Munton's DME)
So my question is, besides the hops, do you think I should use any or all of the DME's? If so, do I need to boil them along with the hops, or do I boil the hops, then add both the canned and dry extract at flame off, before adding to the fermenter?
For the hops, how long of a boil would you recommend? I'm not looking for much, if any, added bitterness, mostly some added aroma and flavor. I was thinking a 10-15 minute boil, tops.
Lastly, when should I add the cherries? Should I add them to the wort when it first goes into the fermenter, on top of the wort in the primary after a couple weeks, or should I rack onto the cherries and dry hop in a secondary fermenter after 2,3, or 4 weeks on primary?
Sorry for so many questions, but I'd like to have the best chances of making a decent beer with experimentation. Oh, yeah, I will be fermenting this in a 3g ported better bottle, and I have a second 3g ported better bottle for secondary ferm if I need it.
thanks!
Conner