looking for recommendation for first AG batch

[BankerJohn]

I'm looking to make a 5 gallon full boil batch for my first try. I have a 15gal boil pot and 54qt mash tun and a CFC with a 7.75gal Sanke keg converted to ferementer with 5 gallon sanke bright tanks (secondary).

Can someone please recommend a good recipe for a first brew. In my tastings so far, I do not like real hoppy beers and do prefer a little sweeter and creamier mouth feel.

I have a LHBS that is about 1.5 hour drive that I will need to go get the grains & hops. Need to get my list before I make the drive

Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[Dynachrome]

You'll have enough to keep track of ith the new activities. Keep it simple.

173 pges - easy recipe - may the force be with you young jedi.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f66/bee-cave-brewery-haus-pale-ale-31793/

 

[pkeeler]

To take water chemistry out of the equation (and fussing with that on your first batch could be overwhelming), brew something in the 10-16 SRM range. Any Pale Ale, IPA, or Amber Ale recipe in that color range would be good.

 

[Homebrewtastic]

I made this recently.

It's a pretty easy beer to brew. It turned out amazing. You don't have to do the dry hops if you don't want to. But those NS hops have a character all their own that really shines through. Tastes like over-ripe pineapple and passion fruit.

The only thing "difficult" (and it isn't really) is doing the long mash, and making sure to keep the mash temp low.

 

[Yooper]

If you like malty beers, my Dead Guy clone was pretty good. I still make it and enjoy it. It's very simple- just a few grains, and a single infusion mash.

 

[KAMMEE]

Since its your first go at an all grain, and keep it simple I suggest a nice brown ale. The darker malts will keep the chemistry in check. Also, a nice brown is good to have on hand at all times, and if you like maltier styles, this one should suit you.

7 lb British Pale Ale malt (Maris Otter, or comparable)
1 lb Crystal 80
10 oz Crystal 120
0.5 lb Special Roast 50L
6 oz. Pale Chocolate 200L
0.25 lb Carafa Special II 430L

Wyeast ESB, or WLP002, or Safale S-04

Kent Goldings 5%, 60 Min 1 oz

Mash 153
If you can't get the carafa special, just up the chocolate to a regular chocolate malt thats darker in lovibond.

 

[BankerJohn]

I should mention that I live in Florida and will be fermenting at room temps (house is usually around 76-79 degrees so I'll need to make something with an Ale Yeast.

I do like the flavor profile of Honey Brown. Also like a New Castle. Not trying to clone anything here, just make something that will turn out good and drinkable until I can figure out what I really like and enhance from there.

Someday, I do want to make a pumpkin pie spice beer - in enough time to have it ready the 2nd week of November. In fact, I want to have 7 or 8 different flavors ready for that particular week of the year.

 

[naterzr2]

With those high temps (if you can't control fermentation temps), you'll want something like a Saison, Farmhouse Ale, or possibly a Dunkelweizen. Just search the database for any of those.

Hope this helps.

 

[BankerJohn]

how does one "search the database"?

 

[Homebrewtastic]

I should mention that I live in Florida and will be fermenting at room temps (house is usually around 76-79 degrees so I'll need to make something with an Ale Yeast.

I do like the flavor profile of Honey Brown. Also like a New Castle. Not trying to clone anything here, just make something that will turn out good and drinkable until I can figure out what I really like and enhance from there.

If you're fermenting that warm you definitely want to do something like a farmhouse ale or a saison. Those are beers that are meant to be fermented at warmer temps.

An english brown really needs to be fermented in the mid to low 60's. Otherwise you'll have fruity esters run a muck.

A hefeweizen wouldn't be a bad one to brew either. The grain bill is small and simple. You can ferment it a little bit warmer than most beers, and it has tons of flavors.

5lbs. 2 Row
5lbs. Malted Wheat

Single infusion at 152 for 60 min.

1 oz. Saaz 30 min.

Wyeast 3068 - Weihenstephan Yeast

 

[rico567]

If you like malty beers, my Dead Guy clone was pretty good. I still make it and enjoy it. It's very simple- just a few grains, and a single infusion mash.

Outstanding choice. I made it, was easy to brew, and it turned out great. My first AG batch was Ed Wort's Haus Pale Ale, though, so I suppose it's my sentimental favorite.

 

[Dynachrome]

how does one "search the database"?

Look in the heading bar at the top. It says upgrade your account on the far right. In the middle, there is a search drop-down. Type in your key-words there. It will search the site with google.

Also, watch at the bottom of each thread page there are links to related topics.

Good luck.

 

[BankerJohn]

Tomorrow is my first brew day. I welcome your advice and guidance & comments to my plan for brew day to make a 5 gallon full boil batch.

First, I have already set up everything and made sure that I have a full propane tank. Have the tables and shelving set up to concoct a homemade brew tree. I have homemade keggles so a full boil with a 5 gallon batch should not be an issue.

Grain bill:
12# 2 row malt
2# honey malt
1# Carapils

Planning on a single infusion mash with a target of 152-153 for an hour.

Boil time will be 60 minutes. 1oz cascade at 60 minutes, 1 whirlfloc tablet at 15 minutes and 1oz Saaz at 5 minutes. I have a CFC chiller that I made a few weeks ago that will feel its first wort. I'm planning on using a slap pak of Wyeast British Ale II (1335) for my yeast.

I have a 7.75gal Sankey to use for the primary.

Any comments, thoughts or recommendations? Any forewarning of what I should be expecting?

 

[Golddiggie]

I would reduce the honey malt to 1# or 1.5# at the most... You want to keep it under 10% of the grist. I would also try to keep it closer to 152 for the mash (150-152) so that it finishes a little lower. As it stands your OG is looking like ~1.079... If you want the FG to be under 1.020, you'll want to mash cooler (150-151)...

For the yeast, keep in mind, 1335 is happy up to about 75F (63-75F)... If you can get it closer to the middle of that range, you'll probably be happier...

For that OG, you should make a starter, if you haven't already. A starter in the 2.5-3qt size range is advised, with intermittent shaking (or swirling, with oxygenating it before putting the yeast in)... If you have a stir plate, you could get away with a starter about 1/2 that size...

 

[Newbeerguy]

Tomorrow is my first brew day. I welcome your advice and guidance & comments to my plan for brew day to make a 5 gallon full boil batch.

First, I have already set up everything and made sure that I have a full propane tank. Have the tables and shelving set up to concoct a homemade brew tree. I have homemade keggles so a full boil with a 5 gallon batch should not be an issue.

Grain bill:
12# 2 row malt
2# honey malt
1# Carapils

Planning on a single infusion mash with a target of 152-153 for an hour.

Boil time will be 60 minutes. 1oz cascade at 60 minutes, 1 whirlfloc tablet at 15 minutes and 1oz Saaz at 5 minutes. I have a CFC chiller that I made a few weeks ago that will feel its first wort. I'm planning on using a slap pak of Wyeast British Ale II (1335) for my yeast.

I have a 7.75gal Sankey to use for the primary.

Any comments, thoughts or recommendations? Any forewarning of what I should be expecting?

Looks like you have all of your equipment in order, so that is good. I'd just say make sure you stir the heck outta your mash when you dough in. I always stir again when I check temps (at 20 mins and 40 mins into the mash)
Then if you batch sparge, stir the crap outta it again when you add the sparge water.

As for the recipe, I think 2lbs of Honey Malt is WAY too much. 1lb is almost too much. If it were me, I'd cut the 2 row to 10# and the Honey malt to .75#. Do you have any other malts you could add in?

As for the yeast, since you really don't have much time for a starter, if you can't double pitch, I'd maybe even cut down the OG of the recipe to under 1.050. Just so you don't way underpitch.

 

[Yooper]

I think you've got WAY too much honey malt also. I'd ditch the carapils- you don't need crystal malt and honey malt in the same beer.

You don't have many hops for a 15 pound malt bill. I'd probably increase or change the bittering addition, and move the cascades to 15 minutes.

How are you chilling?

Make sure you have a decent sized starter for only one package of yeast and 15 pounds of grain! With 15 pounds of grain, I'd get an OG of 1.075ish, which will require two or three packages of yeast without a starter.

 

[Golddiggie]

I think lowering the 2 row to 10# is a good call... Reducing the honey to 1# (or less) is probably also a safer bet... With the reduction in the grain bill, you could be ok without using a starter. Although you will be better off if you even make one for the yeast tonight, letting it go until you're ready to put it into the brew. Giving it 12-18 hours to replicate will give you a larger yeast colony to get to work on the brew. :rockin:

For the hops, it would be helpful to know what style brew you're going after... If an English, or American pale ale, then you'll probably want to increase the IBU's a bit... Yooper makes a solid point about the hops... Don't recall if there's a LHBS near you or not... If there is, probably be a good idea to get some different bittering hops. Ones that come to mind, that I like, include Target and Northdown. Although you'll either want to use less than an ounce, or boil them for less than an hour. Unless you don't mind having over 40 IBU in the brew. 1oz of Northdown (9.60% AA) for the 60 minute hop, and Saaz for 15 or 20 minutes, gets you to ~40 IBU... Having software makes this so much easier to figure out.

 

[BankerJohn]

The beer is now in the fermenting bucket with yeast pitched. Only a couple of minor issues along the way (more of how to get a system down).

I ran the grain bill as I stated above. Strike water heated to 168 and added 5.625gal to the grain bill. Single infusion mash at 153 for 60 minutes. Added another 2.25gal of water heated to 178 and stirred in. Lautered 6.25gal into the boil pot. Brought to a full boil and added 1oz cascade pellets (7.4) at 60 minutes then 1oz Saaz (5.4) at 15 minutes along with a whirlfloc tablet. After the full hour boil, ran the wort through a counterflow chiller to immediately get the temps down to 75. Finished with a little over 5.25gal of wort. OG was taken at 1.067. Pitched the 1335 Wyeast British Ale II slap pack. Fermenter capped and airlock added. Everything is sitting in the bathtub in case of blowout.

Plan is to have 7 days in primary then 7 days in secondary then bottle for 6-8 weeks and enjoy.

The wort tasted very nice. Can't wait... is it done yet???

 

[BankerJohn]

and 8 hours into the fermenter, the airlock begins bubbling. Life is good!

 

[Mutilated1]

how about a Mild or a Bitter ? both i think would fit what you're asking for in taste, and either one would be a pretty easy forgiving recipe for a first AG

I would drink that Brown that the other fella posted sure enough too