Moving from kit to ? (also need a recipe)

[Kyral210]

Ok, I have decided to move from kits to something more advances. I need to know the following?

1) Move to Extract or Partial Mash (links to instructions would be awesome)
2) What equipment do I need for this move up (what for extract, what for partial mash)
3) What recipe can I use for a good Pale Ale. I love Pedigree, so anything which comes close to that would be a godsend.

Luckily I live in Loughborough, near Burton on Trent, so the water is definitely going to be good for Pale Ale once I have given it a good boil to remove temporary hardness.

 

[djskinner]

I can speak for a move to extract:

1) Extract is a good step forward - I am starting to learn how to use hops and being able to create your own recipe is great. Although it's really limiting on the malt side.
2) Nothing more than a stock pot. 20l would be a good idea - about £30 on eBay.
3) I an developing an AIPA based on the Amarillo recipe on brewuk - there are a few on there which might take your fancy.

 

[jonewer]

Really, you need a boiler large enough to boil the full volume of wort and a wort chiller. You wont get good results without a proper full-volume boiler. Been there, done that, poured cloudy muck down the drain.

Extract can give you very good results but you need almost as much kit as you do for AG (just no mash tun) and the cost of malt extract is much higher than of grain malt. That said, extract brewing takes about 3-4 hours off a typical AG brew day and theres less scope for making the pigs ear of it.

When I moved from kits, I bought an AG kit off the shelf, did one extract to get used to the boiler and chiller, then moved on to AG.

Partial mash just seems like a total faff. Whats the point?

 

[unclepumble]

Don't bugger about, go straight to AG it takes a bit longer, but its never hectic just a nice relaxed day making something you know is going to raise eyebrows when your friends taste it.

You dont need much equipment, a couple of plastic buckets with kettle elements in, a plastic coolbox with a false bottom to use as a mash tun, and a plastic bucket to ferment in.

For more info have a good look around the forum, all the info you need is there if your prepared to look.

If you need a recipe look at the tabs at the top of the page there are plenty.

UP

 

[ash]

Hi

I decided to move to extract due to not having enough spare cash at the time to invest in all of the kit required for AG; I am pretty rubbish at DIY type stuff so would have to buy ready made stuff! Had some excellent results from extract brewing and it gets you used to at least part of the process. I have now bought a mash tun, which was the only extra bit of kit required so ready to do my first AG soon. I see extract brewing as 1) a good stepping stone, 2) good if you don't have the time to do AG.

Recipes here for both extract and AG.

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/recipes.php

also some here:

http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/#

These may help too:

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=2672

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=493

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=407

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=1709