Good Beginner Beer

[henrybeggs]

I am halfway through my first batch of Skeeter Pee, and I'm already planning what my next batch will be! I definitely want to brew some kind of beer, preferably an IPA of some sort, or something comparably awesome . Do you guys have any suggestions for recipes? I can't wait to get my first brew under my belt, from what I have seen the home brew community is pretty exciting!
Thanks in advance.

 

[ATXweirdobrew]

My first batch ever was a basic hefeweizen kit from some online store I cannot remember. Almost all kinds of beer you like can be made from basic kits except big complex beers like saisons, barleywines, and imperial stouts. Go on amazon and pick a good brown ale or a wheat beer kit. They are refreshing and they are hard to mess up. Enjoy brewing and come back here if you have more questions.

 

[looneybomber]

Check out the sponsors on here; northernbrewer, austinhomebrew, and others. They have extract kits. Pick something that is ready to drink quickly, like a wheat beer. Or if you don't mind waiting, they have triple ales, stouts, etc...

Side note. I am fermenting northern brewers wheat beer with some modifications. Their normal kit is stupid easy to brew. You bring 2.5 gal of water to boil and then pour in the hops and malt. An hour later you chill it to room temp, add water till u reach 5gal, and then pour in your yeast. Bottle in 2wks. Drink in another 2wks.

Edit. Wait, I am no longer fermenting that. I bottled that.
Edit#2. I forgot, there is a hop addition at 15min...Deal breaker, right?

 

[evrose]

Check out the sponsors on here; northernbrewer, austinhomebrew, and others. They have extract kits. Pick something that is ready to drink quickly, like a wheat beer. Or if you don't mind waiting, they have triple ales, stouts, etc...

Side note. I am fermenting northern brewers wheat beer with some modifications. Their normal kit is stupid easy to brew. You bring 2.5 gal of water to boil and then pour in the hops and malt. An hour later you chill it to room temp, add water till u reach 5gal, and then pour in your yeast. Bottle in 2wks. Drink in another 2wks.

Edit. Wait, I am no longer fermenting that. I bottled that.

What modifications did you make? I have that kit on my "soon to brew" list.

 

[looneybomber]

I added 3.15lbs of their rye LME to it, and then added 1oz Willamette at either 10 or 15min. I'd have to look at my notes. I used US05. I'll see if that hop addition ends up biting me in the butt in about 5wks...which is when I can drink again.

If I would not have added the rye and hops, I would have added some lemon zest to it.

 

[evrose]

Almost all kinds of beer you like can be made from basic kits except big complex beers like saisons, barleywines, and imperial stouts.

Er... um...

Northern Brewer Saison Extract Kit
Northern Brewer Barleywine Extract Kit
Northern Brewer Imperial Stout Extract Kit

I don't know if they are any good or not, but there they are...

 

[evrose]

I added 3.15lbs of their rye LME to it, and then added 1oz Willamette at either 10 or 15min. I'd have to look at my notes. I used US05. I'll see if that hop addition ends up biting me in the butt in about 5wks...which is when I can drink again.

If I would not have added the rye and hops, I would have added some lemon zest to it.

Thanks. Interesting ideas... I won't be getting to that kit for a couple months, but by then I might be looking to tweak my kit brews a bit. Good info.

 

[henrybeggs]

I guess picking up a kit is my best bet eh? Wouldn't I save money just getting all the accoutrements separately? I suppose every budding brewer must start somewhere.

 

[evrose]

I guess picking up a kit is my best bet eh? Wouldn't I save money just getting all the accoutrements separately? I suppose every budding brewer must start somewhere.

As a new brewer myself, let me HIGHLY recommend doing your first brew from a kit. I used one from Northern Brewer. It was insanely easy. If you can boil water, you can make beer. The instructions were clear and concise. It allowed me to get used to the process and pay attention to what was happening during each step without having to worry that I was going to screw up something.

As far as pricing - I looked in to that as well, and found that the kits are generally very cost effective. They certainly aren't significantly more expensive than buying the components separately.

My plan is to do 2-3 more kits straight up per the recipe, then start modifying kits, then start buying components and following recipes, then start making my own recipes. When to go to the next level will be determined by own comfortable I am with the process, and I imagine it won't be linear.

Good luck.

 

[looneybomber]

I guess picking up a kit is my best bet eh? Wouldn't I save money just getting all the accoutrements separately? I suppose every budding brewer must start somewhere.

Nope. Start pricing individual items, LME, DME, hops, specialty grains, and muslin bag. Once you add them all up, the price is very close.

For example, American Wheat Ale = 18.99 + yeast.
Buying ingredients individually,
6lb Wheat LME = 15.99
1oz Cascade = 1.50
1oz Willamette = 1.50
Total = 18.99 + Yeast.

IMO, buying a kit for nearly the same price (or identical) that includes instructions and comes all boxed together is well worth it. On the kits, they have a label stating basic information about the kit (including the name) that I cut off and tape onto my shelves where my bottles will be stored. That way I don't have to write on 2 cases of bottles.

 

[henrybeggs]

Nope. Start pricing individual items, LME, DME, hops, specialty grains, and muslin bag. Once you add them all up, the price is very close.

For example, American Wheat Ale = 18.99 + yeast.
Buying ingredients individually,
6lb Wheat LME = 15.99
1oz Cascade = 1.50
1oz Willamette = 1.50
Total = 18.99 + Yeast.

IMO, buying a kit for nearly the same price (or identical) that includes instructions and comes all boxed together is well worth it. On the kits, they have a label stating basic information about the kit (including the name) that I cut off and tape onto my shelves where my bottles will be stored. That way I don't have to write on 2 cases of bottles.

I'm convinced, where are these $19 cases you speak of? And what is the final yield in terms of volume?

 

[looneybomber]

I'm convinced, where are these $19 cases you speak of? And what is the final yield in terms of volume?

Look for American Wheat Beer.
http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brewing/recipe-kits/extract-kits

I'm soon to brew my 5th northern brewer kit. They're all real easy, including the imperial stout kit mentioned earlier.

 

[henrybeggs]

Look for American Wheat Beer.
http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brewing/recipe-kits/extract-kits

I'm soon to brew my 5th northern brewer kit. They're all real easy, including the imperial stout kit mentioned earlier.

Many thanks man! I will definitely be ordering from these guys, I can't wait!

 

[kevinb]

I suggest a brown ale for a new brewer. I have been told by many that it is the most tolerant to variation for a noobie. It was my first kit and it came out great.

 

[Sulli]

A Beginner's Recipe

9 lbs - Pale Liquid Malt Extract
0.50 oz - Columbus - Boil 60 min
0.50 oz - Columbus - Boil 15 min
1.00 oz - Columbus - Boil 5 min
2 packages S-05 dry yeast

Mix LME with 6.64 gallons of water
Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops as needed
Chill wort to 68 degrees
Transfer to fermentation vessel
Shake well
Pitch yeast
Ferment for 2 weeks
Transfer to bottling bucket
Add 5.5 oz corn sugar
Stir gently
Bottle
Store cool and dark for 4 weeks
Drink and enjoy!

 

[henrybeggs]

So I have officially ordered the American Wheat extract kit from Northern Brewer, can't wait :fro:
I entered the recipe into the hopville Beer Calculus plugin and it turns out that technically it is not really an American Wheat :cross: . It's just a hair over in terms of bitterness. If I wanted to make it more mid-range in terms of bitterness could I just add some sweet orange peel or the like into my boil? Let me know what you think.

 

[WildOnions]

Norther Brewer Patersbier kit. Easy, moderately priced, yeast with tolerance for a higher ferm temp, fairly quick turnaround (probably can go grain to glass reasonably well in 4 weeks, 5 would be ideal though), and who doesn't love a Belgian? Its a simple beer as well, so if you like beer you will probably like this one (unless you don't like Belgians of course, but seriously, who doesn't love a Belgian?)

 

[ZombieBrew83]

So I have officially ordered the American Wheat extract kit from Northern Brewer, can't wait :fro:
I entered the recipe into the hopville Beer Calculus plugin and it turns out that technically it is not really an American Wheat :cross: . It's just a hair over in terms of bitterness. If I wanted to make it more mid-range in terms of bitterness could I just add some sweet orange peel or the like into my boil? Let me know what you think.

I would recommend making the kit per instructions before tweaking it just because it may be a little outside what a calculator tells you. You won't be able to notice a difference less than 5 IBUs anyways.

However, if you are intent on reducing the IBUs, move the hop additions to later times in the boil.(Move the 60 min addition to 45 min.) Plug that into your calculator and see what it yields.

 

[jkendal]

I suggest a brown ale for a new brewer. I have been told by many that it is the most tolerant to variation for a noobie. It was my first kit and it came out great.

Hey, we veterans like brewing browns, too! I once brewed one from grain to glass in 6 days and it was really good. Although the same recipe from grain to glass in 4 weeks is so much better!

 

[henrybeggs]

Hey, we veterans like brewing browns, too! I once brewed one from grain to glass in 6 days and it was really good. Although the same recipe from grain to glass in 4 weeks is so much better!

How is that even possible? Did you just drink the wort cold?

 

[strambo]

If you have a good LHBS you may be able to get the ingredients for a lot cheaper than the kits...I certainly can. If not, then kits are a good way to go.

 

[ATXweirdobrew]

Er... um...

Northern Brewer Saison Extract Kit
Northern Brewer Barleywine Extract Kit
Northern Brewer Imperial Stout Extract Kit

I don't know if they are any good or not, but there they are...

Its all fine and dandy buying the kits, but the biggest problem with these big beers is fermentation and hitting the right OGs. I would feel very uncomfortable making these beers as a beginner if I have no fermentation chamber or no knowledge on how to make a yeast starter or even knowing about pitching rates.