Intermediate brewing

[richardagutteridge]

: Hi all. I don't have the room for AG but I have been reading about the above.

I think this is the way for me to go after all the kits.

What I would like to know is, is there a British book ( I've got an American one) that deals with this subject?

Regards Richard G :

 

[mr_spin]

Hi - Graham Wheeler's book called Brew Your Own British Real Ale (Camra) is a good start. it contains info on both AG and extract brewing.

I have this and it has helped me.

there's also a wealth of knowledge on the internet - extract brewing is big in the USA so there's stuff on youtube also..

you actually don't need that much room for AG - I am seriously considering AG as I'm getting hacked off with the cost of LME/DME so I'm looking to procure/build a mash tun.

:drink:

 

[prolix]

I have reduced my brewery to a two vessel brewery so it takes up less room.

 

[evanvine]

Hello Richard.
You did wonders with "tweaking" kits, so now you are going "extract" the world will be your oyster!
I have a friend who does nothing but Extract brewing (also referred to as partial mash), so will ask her advice re litrature.

 

[richardagutteridge]

Hello Richard.
You did wonders with "tweaking" kits, so now you are going "extract" the world will be your oyster!
I have a friend who does nothing but Extract brewing (also referred to as partial mash), so will ask her advice re litrature.

: Thanks evanvine all advice will be welcome. I have tweaked kits for so long that I now need to move on.

I don't have the room for full AG but the extract style only needs a largs stock pan, I like the name partial mash, and according to what I have seen and read it is almost as good as AG

 

[evanvine]

according to what I have seen and read it is almost as good as AG

From some of the brews she's made, it's not far short!

 

[mr_spin]

Hello Richard.
You did wonders with "tweaking" kits, so now you are going "extract" the world will be your oyster!
I have a friend who does nothing but Extract brewing (also referred to as partial mash), so will ask her advice re litrature.

: Thanks evanvine all advice will be welcome. I have tweaked kits for so long that I now need to move on.

I don't have the room for full AG but the extract style only needs a largs stock pan, I like the name partial mash, and according to what I have seen and read it is almost as good as AG

I came across the following useful guide when I was researching the partial mash with extract type option a while ago

http://members.cox.net/steve.krieske/Ex ... 0Guide.pdf

hope it helps

 

[Cussword]

I have reduced my brewery to a two vessel brewery so it takes up less room.

Any chance of a look/ pics??? :thumb:

 

[richardagutteridge]

I came across the following useful guide when I was researching the partial mash with extract type option a while ago

http://members.cox.net/steve.krieske/Ex ... 0Guide.pdf

hope it helps

: Thanks but that is far to involved for me. I need a simpler description of method etc.

After that I will be able to adapt as I have with kits.

The book by Charlie gives a simple way to do it including using cold water in the FV then pouring the hot wort onto it.

\But the some ingredients he calls for are not on sale in the UK :grin:

 

[Aleman]

Sorry but any one who implies that by boiling a concentrated wort with hops and then pouring the whole lot through a sieve into a 5 gallon carboy of cold water you can make better beer than with a kit is deluding themselves and most unfortunately others :twisted: Put the 'New' (it must be 20 years old by now) complete joy of home brewing into the bin along with Ken Shales and Cyril Berrys beer books!

If the beer it made was that good don't you think there would be a lot of brewers out there doing that . . . Sh!t if it were that easy the commercials would be doing it on a bigger scale!

Extract brewing (Not partial mash as that is a different ball game despite what others might think ) can make great beers . . . witness the success of the 'firkin' brew pubs in the south east in the late 80's early 90's they use Muntons Cedarex extract ('B' Grade) to make their beers and they were pretty fine. . . . . However, they boiled a full volume . . . which for a 23L batch is 27-30 Litres, then crash cooled, and transferred off the break into the fermenter. . . . the only step they missed out is the actual mashing step.

I've made plenty of beers using extract and they have turned out fine . . . but it does need to be done 'properly' or you may as well stick to the premium kits.

 

[QED]

But the some ingredients he calls for are not on sale in the UK :grin:

Richard, which ingredients?

New' (it must be 20 years old by now) complete joy of home brewing into the bin..

I appreciate aleman that you must have years of experience of brewing under your belt however as a new brewer, I have found that book a great introduction so I would advise Richard not to throw it in the bin.

I've made plenty of beers using extract and they have turned out fine . . . but it does need to be done 'properly' or you may as well stick to the premium kits.

If us beginners are to throw away books, maybe you can give us a constructive tutorial as to what you would define as 'proper' extract brewing? If you can do it in a Charlie Papazian step 1 to 10 method then that would be even better?

I am now on my second carboy non-kit LME brew and was really happy with the results of the first. It equalled the taste and quality of a kit but hey, that's what I was aiming for as now I have equalled it, I can concentrate on improving the flavour to suit my taste and get to know the subtleties of the addition of different hops at different times.

Richard, there is no best way, there is however your own way and if you are happy with that then "Relax, don't worry, have a homebrew :lol: "

 

[evanvine]

Well said QED!

To my mind home brewing and this Forum is all about experimentation and seeking the advice of those who have been there before you.
Practical steps, short cuts, and most important, building the confidence of those new to the hobby.
Slighting and ridiculing has no part here.
Positive, progressive and simple steps are the order of the day!

You carry on Richard, I'll try to help you all I can although I'm an AG brewer!

 

[corby_brewer]

Richard

You say that you dont have the room for AG, well for my first brew all i used was a 25ltr electrum boiler and a grain bag.

 

[tubby_shaw]

If us beginners are to throw away books, maybe you can give us a constructive tutorial as to what you would define as 'proper' extract brewing? If you can do it in a Charlie Papazian step 1 to 10 method then that would be even better?

There is a step by step guide to extract brewing HERE, the technique is the same for a stout as for a pale ale, bitter etc only the ingredients change.

 

[Moley]

There is a step by step guide to extract brewing HERE

:lol: It's interesting to see that I contemplated trying an extract brew as a “next step” after reading that thread.

I never did it though, the price of extract must have scared me off, I did some building and some more homework, went straight to my AG#1 about 3 weeks later and haven't looked back since.

That's a great thread if Richard (or anyone else) wants to try that method, but I think mashing and sparging is the fun part, and it really doesn't have to take up any more space.

 

[richardagutteridge]

: Thanks all for your replies.

I certainly would not contemplate throwing any books away, this happened with my wine note books, by accident, and I lost almost 40 years of notes.

As I have said I don't have room for AG despite all my endevours to make room, but I do have a little project forming in my mind that will probobly solve the problem

In the mean time I am going to try the intermediate brew.

Ivanvine thanks for the pm but that is the book I have, and thanks to you all :

ps Big thanks to Moley :clap: he knows why

 

[prolix]

step by step instructions? there are too methods no mash and partial mash if receipe uses amber malt, wheat or maize.

well this works for a 30l boiler and is adapted from Marc Ollosons book.

Step 0
Rehydrate the dried yeast in water of about 30

Step 1
Treat 18 litres of water with a crushed campden tablet and heat at about 50 (nearly too hot for a finger) add malt extract (you will want to pre dissolve dried malt extract you will not be having fun at this point) stir in well and add the grain bags with the grains for the recipe (chocolate, crystal, black, roast barley) keep heating until it boils.

Step 2
When boiling add first lot of hops in a hop bag

Step 3
Half way through the boil add any sugars, you can remove the grain bags now if you like too

Step 4
With 15 mins to go add late hops and Irish moss /protafloc

Step 5
Cool the wort to 25-30 either with a immersion chiller or overnight (this can lead to infection and lack of break so hazy beers)

Step 6
Pour wort into fermenter add cold water to make 23 l and oxygenate well (if you arm is not aching you have not done it well and there should be froth almost out of the bucket)

Step 7
Pitch the yeast fix lid and leave for 10 days

Step 8
Barrel or bottle with half a teaspoon of sugar a pint

Step 9
Leave for about 4 weeks

Step 10
Pour Imbibe Enjoy! or as Charlie would have said, easy as PIE

Others will say I haven't filtered the break so I should drop the beer after 24-48 hours to a secondary fermenter leaving the crud behind, or use loose hops and a filter, well you could do either or both but thats your choice.

 

[mr_spin]

I have reduced my brewery to a two vessel brewery so it takes up less room.

Any chance of a look/ pics??? :thumb:

me too - I would be interested to see what you've done here. :thumb:

 

[Aleman]

Both Shaw San and prolix methods are much better practice than Crapazian . . . but then I guess because he is a published author his techniques must be absolutely perfect.

Despite the variable quality of information on the internet . . . new brewers are much more advised to look on the internet rather than use TNCJOHB or even John Palmers How to Brew, Forums like this one, UK Homebrew, and JBK are doing a lot to try and bring knowledge levels up to a point where you can look at books and at least question the techniques. . . . If you can just be bothered to use the search.

For those that really want to get into Extract brewing and to follow Best practice you would be better off buying Al Korzonas's Book Homebrewing: Beginner Basics to Creating Your Own Award-Winning Recipes which while another US book, and has ingredients not available to us, does cover Extract and Partial Mash brewing as thoroughly as most authors cover all grain. . . . He was going to write an all grain book but his wife had quins

 

[mr_spin]

step by step instructions? there are too methods no mash and partial mash if receipe uses amber malt, wheat or maize.

well this works for a 30l boiler and is adapted from Marc Ollosons book.

that method is virtually what I have employed for my extract brewing.

I made a TT Landlord clone the other week. Here are the steps from my brew log that I used to make an extract based 25litre brew. My boiler is a 60litre jobbie.

1. Put 15 litres of water into an empty fv at 40c (from my central heating) and mix in my 3kg of pale DME - any clumping (and there will be!) can be sorted by your fingers at this stage rather than batter the feck out of the liquor/dme!
2. pour contents of fv into boiler and switch on both boiler elements.
3. top up boiler to 33 litres mark avoiding splashing
4. add crushed campden tablet into boiler liquor
5. add grains to steep in grain bag (in my case black malt)
6. when boiled, remove grain bag and add bittering hops directly into liquor
7. boil for 90 minutes without the lid on. I was able to switch off an element to keep a rolling boil at this point
8. at 75 mins, add wort chiller to steralise (don't switch on and keep hoses disconnected)
9. at 80 mins, add the flavouring hops and irish moss to boiler liquor
10. at 90 mins, switch off boiler and turn on wort chiller
11. wort chiller took 15 mins to chill to 24c - remove wort chiller
12. open boiler tap and drop liquor into steralised FV (this causes mass foam!)
13. add yeast and put in my temp controlled fridge at 20c
14. bottle/cask when appropriate