First beer

[jthomas]

Hi everyone, I never done beer, and I have very little equipment to do it, the only important missing bit is wort chiller the immersion one, but I will try without it. I want to do wheat beer like Belgian witbier from brew kit, but with little twist, by doing hop tea with citra hops, Curaçao peel and some coriander and then put into it wheat malt and barley malt 50/50 and I was thinking about changing kit yeast for some better ones like liquid coz heard kit yeast are low quality and may not start.
Any advise? Is it good start? Suggestions?
Thanks

 

[Martybhoy]

The good news is that if you're using a kit, then you don't need a wort chiller. You'll be adding cold or even chilled water to the wort. This will bring the temperature down to the ideal temperature for adding your yeast. Just make sure the wort is in the ideal temperature range for the yeast you're using.

As for yeast, first kit and all, I'd avoid liquid yeast as you may need to make a starter to increase the cell count. I'd also avoid the kit yeast. You'll get a good dried wheat yeast online for under £5. I haven't tried any but Mangrove Jack M20 would be ideal.

From your kit, what is the OG?

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[jthomas]

Thanks for tips, I didn't make it yet so don't know OG, will definitely measure it when I will make it, today I buy big 45L stock pot and still waiting for malts to be de live, but want to be ready and have a plans when it arrives, hence my questions.

 

[Martybhoy]

Are you doing an all grain brew? Or a kit?

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[Gerryjo]

Check out crossmyloof Belgian yeast as well as there hops and other yeast available.
http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=71742

Gerry

 

[jthomas]

as it is my first beer, i decided I go for kit - well not kit, will buy wheat + barley extracts 1,5kg+ 1,5kg, not hopped, but like i have said want to tuned a bit by adding fresh hops, maybe curacao + coriander as it ment to be witbier, my knowlege about bewing beer is still poor, i am keep reading and learning, all temperatures and breaks in mashing theory are mystery for me at the moment,

 

[Martybhoy]

If your using all extract then you don't need to mash. Put the unopened tins of LME in hot water to loosen it a bit. Open. Pour into sanitised fermenter. Add boiling water as per recipe. Stir well. Add cold water as per recipe. Stir well.

Hopefully you will reach desired temperature straight away for pitching yeast. Just prior to pitching the yeast, stir the bejesus out of the wort to get air into it. This helps fermentation.



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[Slid]

as it is my first beer, i decided I go for kit - well not kit, will buy wheat + barley extracts 1,5kg+ 1,5kg, not hopped, but like i have said want to tuned a bit by adding fresh hops, maybe curacao + coriander as it ment to be witbier, my knowlege about bewing beer is still poor, i am keep reading and learning, all temperatures and breaks in mashing theory are mystery for me at the moment,

Hi jthomas!

I do feel that you and your respondents may have been confusing what you are doing?

The approach you are using is known as "extract brewing". You have a good sized pot there, right enough, so that won't be a limiting factor.

I suggest the following as an outline sort of an approach:

Boil the Barley Malt extract with water - up to 10L perhaps, with the hops.

If you have a recipe, the hops will be added at various times and the boil might be as long as an hour, towards the end of which the other stuff - orange peel and coriander, or whatever, will go in.

If you could post up the recipe you intend to follow, this will make advising much easier.

Then you might cool the "wort" you have just boiled up in a sink. Just add cold water to the sink and put the pot into it. A change of water and some stirring will get the temps down.

Then transfer the wort, straining as many hops as feasible out, into the fermenter and add the Wheat extract can and enough cold water to get you to 20-25C and add the yeast.

If you can get a Belgian yeast, it won't hurt if you pitch at up to nearer 30C.

As always, More Information = Better Advice!

 

[jthomas]

thanks Slid, you exactly understood, what I try to archieve, recipe exist and I will post it below. Basically speaking, I just want to make own kit by using hops I want, two extracts (malt + wheat) and coriander + curacao to make within style range Witbier - wheat beer clone. I feel will be much better and more creative than just random-shop ready to go kit, where You do not have much choice (if any). So here we go, my own recipe,

for 20L bucket/fermentor

1.5kg light barley extract (plain, no hops)
1.5kg light wheat extraxr (plain no hops)
Hops - all pellets
20g mosaic for bitternes - 60 mins
20g Citra hops for aroma - 20mins
10g lightly crushed coriander seeds - 10mins
15g dried curacao peel - 10mins
packet yeast - Mangrove Jacks M21 belgian wit

I love wheat beer, hence recipe which I think I would like much, is all above makes sense? Or maybe make some partial mash, like cooking some flaked wheat for some time? any idea for making that beer richer in flavor/fullness/roundness how ever You want to called.

 

[Slid]

thanks Slid, you exactly understood, what I try to archieve, recipe exist and I will post it below. Basically speaking, I just want to make own kit by using hops I want, two extracts (malt + wheat) and coriander + curacao to make within style range Witbier - wheat beer clone. I feel will be much better and more creative than just random-shop ready to go kit, where You do not have much choice (if any). So here we go, my own recipe,

for 20L bucket/fermentor

1.5kg light barley extract (plain, no hops)
1.5kg light wheat extraxr (plain no hops)
Hops - all pellets
20g mosaic for bitternes - 60 mins
20g Citra hops for aroma - 20mins
10g lightly crushed coriander seeds - 10mins
15g dried curacao peel - 10mins
packet yeast - Mangrove Jacks M21 belgian wit

I love wheat beer, hence recipe which I think I would like much, is all above makes sense? Or maybe make some partial mash, like cooking some flaked wheat for some time? any idea for making that beer richer in flavor/fullness/roundness how ever You want to called.

YES :thumb:

I think that for a first go, your recipe is excellent. I am fairly sure you only need a small volume boil, for a low hopped beer, which makes cooling easier. I would not add anything to this one - too many things to get right / wrong.

It should also be ready to drink in only six weeks from pitching - and I mean actually ready to drink, as opposed to just sneaking a few early for "quality control" reasons.

 

[jthomas]

Great, I am very happy then, sounds like plan :) tomorrow I will make my first beer :) will post results thanks for tips

 

[The Idiot]

Personally I'd push the Citra addition to 10 minutes instead of 20 to let it really shine!

 

[jthomas]

Thanks I shall do that, 10 mind instead 20, cheers

 

[dad_of_jon]

Hi everyone, I never done beer, and I have very little equipment to do it, the only important missing bit is wort chiller the immersion one, but I will try without it. I want to do wheat beer like Belgian witbier from brew kit, but with little twist, by doing hop tea with citra hops, Curaçao peel and some coriander and then put into it wheat malt and barley malt 50/50 and I was thinking about changing kit yeast for some better ones like liquid coz heard kit yeast are low quality and may not start.
Any advise? Is it good start? Suggestions?
Thanks

Mangrove jacks yeast: m20 is more for german wheat beers whilst M21 is better for Belgian witbeers. I like them both you get a bit more spice with m21 and more banana / bubblegum with the m20

 

[jthomas]

thanks for info Dad_of_jon thats valuable infos especially for beginner like me, my next brew will be mandarin saison any yeast reccomendation on this one?