A New Start

[Brewser_]

I used to brew a while back and I got discouraged making some really bad quality brews. I went way overboard in trying to go way to fast and skip to the end of the brew process. I did maybe two extracts and then jumped to all grain. My first few all grain brews turned out fantastic and then the trouble happened. Being my personality I starting experimenting to fast changing too many things making my own recipes and not doing my notes properly. I got upset with my last three or four brews being undrinkable and decided to at least take a break, maybe give up entirely.

But despite my many flaws I am a perseverante soul and want to make a new start. Trying to switch my focus from the end game, to the journey. Want to put a good learning base down this time before flying off the handle.

Looking for a mentor or at least someone to start me off again. I have read John Palmers "How to Brew" its not the mechanics that derail me its the process of learning and whats the next step in brewing overall rather than the brew day itself.

Looking for some advice and an easy extract recipe to start off with, something tasting like an easy late summer mowing beer

 

[hunter_le five]

 

[pricelessbrewing]

Sorry to hear about your issues. I'd be happy to help you out, and I'm sure others would as well.
Whatissues have you been having? What brewing method do you use? Mash tun, biab, miab? Do you have temp control?

 

[SmokeyMcBong]

Yes they are...

 

[CBelli]

I'd be happy TO HELP AS WELL...Whatever recipe you start with make sure it is something you like... an American Wheat is easy.

My biggest recommendation for beginners is to nail fermentation temp control. This is one of the biggest things you can do to get great results. If you ferment too high or the temp varies day to day you will never have acceptable results and will easily get frustrated. Summer in Ohio can have wicked temp swings. I suggest getting a temp control system set up before brewing... It could be as simple as a swamp chiller or a full blown ferm chamber...

 

[GHBWNY]

I used to brew a while back and I got discouraged making some really bad quality brews. I went way overboard in trying to go way to fast and skip to the end of the brew process. I did maybe two extracts and then jumped to all grain. My first few all grain brews turned out fantastic and then the trouble happened. Being my personality I starting experimenting to fast changing too many things making my own recipes and not doing my notes properly. I got upset with my last three or four brews being undrinkable and decided to at least take a break, maybe give up entirely.

But despite my many flaws I am a perseverante soul and want to make a new start. Trying to switch my focus from the end game, to the journey. Want to put a good learning base down this time before flying off the handle.

Looking for a mentor or at least someone to start me off again. I have read John Palmers "How to Brew" its not the mechanics that derail me its the process of learning and whats the next step in brewing overall rather than the brew day itself.

Looking for some advice and an easy extract recipe to start off with, something tasting like an easy late summer mowing beer

Here's a really tasty, really easy SHaME (Single Hop and Malt Extract) hefe brew if you're interested:

6# Briess Bavarian Wheat DME
1 oz. Hallertau hops @ 60 min.
WLP 380

 

[Brewser_]

As far as temp control. Its pretty crude, when I did all grain I just added hotter water as I checked the temp to keep the temp constant. As far as fermentation I used the swamp cooler method and it worked pretty well in my basement. It at least kept the temperature more consistent it was hard to keep it in the mid 60's consistently but 68 was pretty easy.

Basically I just need to get better at note taking and not trying to jump to more advanced things till I have a thorough understanding of the prerecks.

Since I posted I found a spotted cow clone, partial mash recipe that I am interested in trying.

Thank you for all the help, love this site

 

[Brewser_]

My best AG brews was a Scottish 70/- and Beirmunchers Cream of Three Crops

 

[whovous]

So, the signature is out of date, right?

I suggest choosing a single style, preferably a simple one, and making it over and over again until you get it right. Changing styles all the time makes it harder to dial in your process. You need to get a good feel for how things work before you can try to move on to applying that newfound knowledge to new styles.

That is what I am doing. I am currently fermenting my third try at a Citra hopped APA. Pale ales are pretty uncomplicated, so long as you do not try to get too clever with them.

 

[Brewser_]

yes the signature is very out of date, I guess I'm just curious and impatient about picking just one style. The 1 - 2 months waiting for my beer to be done is murderous. So I just brew to keep my mind off it. So that's what led to my disorganized attempt at brewing.

Very good advice and I will try and discipline myself to perfecting beers and quality rather than quantity.

 

[h22lude]

It is hard to screw up an extract kit. The sugars will be pretty dead on with the estimated gravity and all you are really doing is boiling. Any extract kit would be fine to jump back into. For the most part, brewing a pale ale, IPA, summer wheat, stout, porter...all the same thing just different ingredients. Sure you can change the fermentation temp to get different flavors but just nail down the process first.

What you need to pay attention to is pitching rate, aeration and fermentation temp. Use Mr Malty to calculate how much yeast you need. If you don't want to get into starters, use dry yeast to make it cheap and easy. If you do want liquid yeast, you could always use two vials. Aeration is easy. Just shake the crap out of the bucket until your arms hurt. That is how a lot of us do it. Fermentation temp is the hardest do control without a fridge and is one of the most important things to control. As long as the beer is under 70° you are fine. Swamp coolers work very well.

 

[GHBWNY]

Good post. Homebrewing should be anything BUT a consistently negative experience. Kudos to the OP for 'fessing up to the issues that he --- like most of us at one time or another --- has been dealing with. For me, success in homebrewing is not measured by the amount or kind of beer I can push through the pipeline, but by how much I learn in the process. And when make the process the goal, then it is more likely that good beer will be the result.