Gropo
Well-Known Member
I'm not claiming to be an expert by any means, but over the years I've discovered a few simple steps that have helped elevate the quality of my extract beers from "drinkable" to "delicious".
1. Full wort boil. This will probably mandate that you purchase a propane burner, a large (8 or 9 gallon) brew-pot and an immersion chiller, but the result is a beer that begins to blur the line between extract and all-grain by masking that "extract-twang". Plus, you KNOW that all of the liquid going into the fermenter is sanitized. Since you won't be adding cold water at the end, you will need an immersion (wort) chiller to bring the wort down to pitching temps quickly.
2. Make a yeast starter. At first this may sound daunting, but it's actually quite easy and kind of fun. Lots of on-line homebrew supply stores sell a starter kit that includes a glass flask, a foam stopper, and detailed instructions.
3. Pitch enough yeast. A lot of beginning brewers make the mistake of wanting a "big beer" without considering the strain on an inadequate amount of yeast. This calculator helps a lot....http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html
4. Aerate your wort. Yeast needs oxygen. Although you don't want to disturb fermented beer, it's a different story with your wort. The easiest and least expensive way to do this is by rocking/sloshing your carboy in your lap for about 10 minutes after you pitch your yeast.
Believe it or not, these simple steps will make a huge difference in the finished product. I wish that I would have known these simple techniques from day one.
1. Full wort boil. This will probably mandate that you purchase a propane burner, a large (8 or 9 gallon) brew-pot and an immersion chiller, but the result is a beer that begins to blur the line between extract and all-grain by masking that "extract-twang". Plus, you KNOW that all of the liquid going into the fermenter is sanitized. Since you won't be adding cold water at the end, you will need an immersion (wort) chiller to bring the wort down to pitching temps quickly.
2. Make a yeast starter. At first this may sound daunting, but it's actually quite easy and kind of fun. Lots of on-line homebrew supply stores sell a starter kit that includes a glass flask, a foam stopper, and detailed instructions.
3. Pitch enough yeast. A lot of beginning brewers make the mistake of wanting a "big beer" without considering the strain on an inadequate amount of yeast. This calculator helps a lot....http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html
4. Aerate your wort. Yeast needs oxygen. Although you don't want to disturb fermented beer, it's a different story with your wort. The easiest and least expensive way to do this is by rocking/sloshing your carboy in your lap for about 10 minutes after you pitch your yeast.
Believe it or not, these simple steps will make a huge difference in the finished product. I wish that I would have known these simple techniques from day one.
