My first attempt at extract brewing

[Benfleet Brewery]

as the title says, i had my first ever attempt at an extract brew today. I was originally going to try the simple AG recipe posted on this forum but my LHBS didn’t have any Maris otter! Before I knew it, I’d come away with a 1.5kg can of premium Light LME instead!! Anyway, I got home and loosely follow another recipe I found on this forum for a mild. I’ve noted below the ingredients and process I followed. I hope I did ok. I’d be grateful for any comments.

5l water heated to 70 degrees

500g light crystal malt in a bag and steeped for 30 minutes

Removed grains stirred in 700g Light DME, 650g potters LME (from Holland and Barrett) and water to 8l

Boiled with 30g Goldings for 55 minutes.

20g Goldings for 5 minutes

Topped up to 23 litres, into fermenter with 1.5kg premium light LME and pitched 11g Wilko Gervin yeast at 20 degrees.

Put in brew fridge with temp set at 19.5 degrees.

OG 1.040

 

[dad_of_jon]

that should go down ok

 

[Gerryjo]

Looking good.Gervin is a cracker of a yeast.Im assuming it's G12 ale yeast.

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

Looking good.Gervin is a cracker of a yeast.Im assuming it's G12 ale yeast.

Yes, Wilko Gervin Ale Yeast. I used it once before with a St. Peter’s ruby red kit because I didn’t trust the measly 6g they supplied. The brew came out great and cleared just days after bottling. Also, you can hardly tell it’s been bottle conditioned at all because the sediment just clings to the bottom of the bottle!

 

[Drunkula]

Looks like a nice little beer. What volume have you diluted to? Not 8 litres, clearly. I punched in 20 litres and it says the bitterness is ~20 IBUs and with 15% crystal it might be a little bit sweet. Let us know how it goes. I did my first extract ages after I'd gone all grain and it was decent. Used extra dark spraymalt, 10% crystal and 25 IBUs so not that different. I used target and fuggles and reckon EKG will be nicer.

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

Looks like a nice little beer. What volume have you diluted to? Not 8 litres, clearly. I punched in 20 litres and it says the bitterness is ~20 IBUs and with 15% crystal it might be a little bit sweet. Let us know how it goes. I did my first extract ages after I'd gone all grain and it was decent. Used extra dark spraymalt, 10% crystal and 25 IBUs so not that different. I used target and fuggles and reckon EKG will be nicer.

Ha ha, sorry, should have said shouldn’t I?!
I planned to go to 21 litres but actually went to 23 (mainly to get the temp down to 20 degrees).

 

[terrym]

Looks OK to me.
What you have done is similar to what I have done with extract brews.
The bitterness might be down a bit , but it was mild you used as a basis so it might be spot on.
It will be interesting to see if your beer is 'twang free'. I have stopped using LME for extract and partial mashes and now use light DME since some of the beers I brewed with LME had a hint of the twang. I use light LME since I have found this does not introduce a taste of its own unlike darker DME, and that puts me in control of how my beer turns out in terms of grain additions.
Hope it works out

 

[Gulpitdarn]

Does 650g of potters LME equals to one or just a half litre?

I looked up H&B website and there is an offer of buy one and get one half price! I'm tempted...
Edit:
5x 650g Potters LME = £19.96
1x500g H&B Rye flakes = £0.49
Qualifys for Free post! Total £20.45....... Should I hit my paypal button?!

 

[terrym]

Does 650g of potters LME equals to one or just a half litre?

I looked up H&B website and there is an offer of buy one and get one half price! I'm tempted...
Edit:
5x 650g Potters LME = £19.96
1x500g H&B Rye flakes = £0.49
Qualifys for Free post! Total £20.45....... Should I hit my paypal button?!

1. Potters comes up dark
2. The last partial mash I did with some LME to use up final 2 jars of H&B turned out twangy*. And its not conditioning out. So I wouldnt be pressing the Paypal button.
*Duane Eddy anyone?

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

Been reading up a bit more on calculating IBUs so learning all the time. Well it’s bubbling away now so fingers crossed.