Grains and malt extracts

[bmass96]

I'm still fairly new to the scene so you'll have to bear with me if this sounds daft...

I'm really keen to get going with my own recipes, but am sticking to existing ones until I'm more familiar with the whole process, get my head around all the numbers and stuff like that - just seems like there's so much to learn it's unbelievable!

Anyway, what grains are best for IPAs? And also, malt extract - do you guys use it in your own recipes? I've seen so many YouTube videos from Clawhammer Supply and, unless I'm mad, I've not seen any malt extract in their videos...or at least the ones I've seen, yet my homebrew kit had it in? I'm assuming it's not essential but some explanation of it would be great! The explanations on the internet in general don't sink in for me...

Cheers guys!

 

[terrym]

You can use malt extract as a substitute for grain, its called extract brewing, and many recipes can be directly converted. I use 1kg pale malt = 0.75 LME = 0.65kg DME as a conversion. However some recipes have grain that requires mashing like torrified wheat or oats, and since almost all brewing malt extract has no diastase present a direct substitution is not possible. But in those cases you can do a partial mash with some pale malt for example, provided there is enough diastatic power present to convert the starch into fermentable sugars. Finally most kilned grains like crystal malt or chocolate malt don't require mashing so a direct conversion into malt extract alone is possible, provided theres nothing else that does need mashing .
I can't advise on grains for IPAs, others on here will have to do that, or you could use the forum search engine. And there are plenty of places on tinterweb where IPA recipes are free to browse.

 

[GerritT]

I'm still fairly new to the scene so you'll have to bear with me if this sounds daft...

I'm really keen to get going with my own recipes, but am sticking to existing ones until I'm more familiar with the whole process, get my head around all the numbers and stuff like that - just seems like there's so much to learn it's unbelievable!

Anyway, what grains are best for IPAs? And also, malt extract - do you guys use it in your own recipes? I've seen so many YouTube videos from Clawhammer Supply and, unless I'm mad, I've not seen any malt extract in their videos...or at least the ones I've seen, yet my homebrew kit had it in? I'm assuming it's not essential but some explanation of it would be great! The explanations on the internet in general don't sink in for me...

Cheers guys!

You can either soak your own malts, or use extract, not much of a difference. It's like soup: you boil a carcass or use cubes. Both work.
About own recipes: yeah okay, that's a goal. But get your processes right. You want a good IPA? There are very good kits for that, the Youngs is one that comes to mind.

But back to the learning process: there is such a thing as SMaSH. That means Single Hop and Single Malt. Or the other way around, whatever. It's very barebone brewing, and can be done with malt extract.
Search "https://www.brewersfriend.com/search/" for 'smash ipa' and you'll get at least 5 pages of smash ipa's, the most simple versions of the style you're looking for.

It sounds like you're really into learning stuff, so keep asking away! There's always an oldfag here willing to tell you more :)

 

[DavidDetroit]

Here's my own spin on the question for a wider viewpoint:
I do straight kit recipes which use extract. Some kits have just extract and some have extract PLUS a small amount of grains for steeping (like you would with tea but for about half an hour). The steeping grains provide character or depth or whatever you like to call it.
You likely made an extract kit but the videos you watched were probably all-grain (AG) brewing in which you won't see much extract used. You can buy either extract kits or all-grain kits.

 

[bmass96]

You can either soak your own malts, or use extract, not much of a difference. It's like soup: you boil a carcass or use cubes. Both work.
About own recipes: yeah okay, that's a goal. But get your processes right. You want a good IPA? There are very good kits for that, the Youngs is one that comes to mind.

But back to the learning process: there is such a thing as SMaSH. That means Single Hop and Single Malt. Or the other way around, whatever. It's very barebone brewing, and can be done with malt extract.
Search "https://www.brewersfriend.com/search/" for 'smash ipa' and you'll get at least 5 pages of smash ipa's, the most simple versions of the style you're looking for.

It sounds like you're really into learning stuff, so keep asking away! There's always an oldfag here willing to tell you more :)

Cheers for this GerritT, that's useful - I'll definitely have a look into this!

 

[bmass96]

Here's my own spin on the question for a wider viewpoint:
I do straight kit recipes which use extract. Some kits have just extract and some have extract PLUS a small amount of grains for steeping (like you would with tea but for about half an hour). The steeping grains provide character or depth or whatever you like to call it.
You likely made an extract kit but the videos you watched were probably all-grain (AG) brewing in which you won't see much extract used. You can buy either extract kits or all-grain kits.

Thanks David. My first batch that I'm waiting on now was a mixture of extract and grains, but the addition of the extract just threw me a little really as I was questioning whether it was necessary for all types of brews.

Anyway, with experience will come knowledge I guess. Thanks again!