First Attempt at building my Own Extract recipe

[HomeBrewMaster]

Hey guys I am looking for feedback on my first time building a recipe. I wanna make sure I do things right.

Here are the ingredients:
60 min. boil
Start of boil 6.5 gallons
End boil = 5.25

6lbs - LME Munich
3lbs - Pilsen (late addition)

Steeping Grains
1lbs German - Caramunich I
1lbs German - Melanoidin

Hops
1oz - Hallertauer Traditiona @60 min

2 packs of Fermentis / Safale - Saflager - German Lager Yeast W-34/70 rehydrated.

The plan is to cool the wort to 52 degrees and after rehydrating the yeast cool it to 52 degrees as well (using temp control fridge).

So I am hoping you can let me know if this sounds good for an Oktoberfest, and If 2 rehydrated dry yeast packs will be good enough? If not I can always pick up another pack.

Thanks for the help.

 

[skydvr74]

While I have never used Melanoidin, from what I have read a little goes a long way. I would cut back to 6 maybe 8 oz tops.

 

[Yooper]

It sounds too "heavy" to me for an Oktoberfest with a pound of melanoidin malt in it. I'd not use that.

The caramunich is ok, but I'd consider lowering that to .75 of a pound, as I think with the Munich LME it will be sweet enough.

 

[HomeBrewMaster]

While I have never used Melanoidin, from what I have read a little goes a long way. I would cut back to 6 maybe 8 oz tops.

It sounds too "heavy" to me for an Oktoberfest with a pound of melanoidin malt in it. I'd not use that.

The caramunich is ok, but I'd consider lowering that to .75 of a pound, as I think with the Munich LME it will be sweet enough.

hmm, this is good advice because I have never used it either I put this recipe together by looking at other recipes.

using the brewersfriend recipe calculator it should be a 1.065 OG which is definitely a little heavier than a "standard" Oktoberfest.

So would you just cut back on the Melanoidin or cut it right out?

 

[HomeBrewMaster]

ok so I was playing around with the batch size. And I think it will be better to make it a 6 gallon batch.

Having a hard time understanding how much water to add before boil

Water Gallons
Target batch size 6
Grain absorption losses (steep / mash) -0.19
Boil water added to kettle 6.74
Volume increase from sugar/extract (early additions) 0.51
Starting boil volume 7.25
Volume increase from sugar/extract (late additions) 0.25
Boil off losses -1.5
Hops absorption losses -0.04
Top off amount 0.03
Total: 6.96

Thats what I am getting from the recipe calculator. So do I start with 6.96? or 7.25?

 

[Yooper]

ok so I was playing around with the batch size. And I think it will be better to make it a 6 gallon batch.

Having a hard time understanding how much water to add before boil

Water Gallons
Target batch size 6
Grain absorption losses (steep / mash) -0.19
Boil water added to kettle 6.74
Volume increase from sugar/extract (early additions) 0.51
Starting boil volume 7.25
Volume increase from sugar/extract (late additions) 0.25
Boil off losses -1.5
Hops absorption losses -0.04
Top off amount 0.03
Total: 6.96

Thats what I am getting from the recipe calculator. So do I start with 6.96? or 7.25?

How much do you typically boil off in an hour? 1.5 gallons/hour sounds like a lot, but some boil off much less and some boil off me (like me).

 

[HomeBrewMaster]

How much do you typically boil off in an hour? 1.5 gallons/hour sounds like a lot, but some boil off much less and some boil off me (like me).

I have boiled off 1.25 gallons before

 

[Yooper]

I have boiled off 1.25 gallons before

That's probably what you'll boil off again, unless the humidity is much higher (or lower).

If you want 5.25 gallons at the end of the boil, for example, then you can start with 6.5 gallons in the kettle. If you start with 7.25 gallons as in your example, you'll have way too much wort in the end.

 

[HomeBrewMaster]

That's probably what you'll boil off again, unless the humidity is much higher (or lower).

If you want 5.25 gallons at the end of the boil, for example, then you can start with 6.5 gallons in the kettle. If you start with 7.25 gallons as in your example, you'll have way too much wort in the end.

Yea I have decided to bring the wort up to 6 gallons. It will make the beer end at the original style. (5.2%) or so. Instead of being over 6%


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[HomeBrewMaster]

Also the humidity will be higher, we are finally getting summer weather where I live.

 

[RPCidery]

Melanoidin adds a very nice Marzen-like flavor, so don't cut it out entirely. .75lb in a 5 gallon batch is about the maximum you would want, from my experience.

 

[HomeBrewMaster]

Melanoidin adds a very nice Marzen-like flavor, so don't cut it out entirely. .75lb in a 5 gallon batch is about the maximum you would want, from my experience.

Awesome thanks for the advice!