The story so far...

[ChrisD123]

So...
I took the plunge a month or two back, having bought some basic equipment, fermenters etc. I decidedto start with a few kits to cut my teeth on so to speak. MYO American IPA, MYO Bitter, Ritchies Brown ale were the first ones, these have allbeen made, bottled and conditioned and I have to say I am please with the results especially the IPA. I was a bit concerned when it came to bottling and the sugar situation but found allthe advice I needed on here and asi don't like things overly fizzy opted for a solution at around 3.5 grammes per litre. This, I have to say hase worked fine, I even get a bit of a head when poured without tilting the glass.

I then set about making a MYO irish stout along with the triple tykes export. I moved onto barrelling, the stout I racked into a Youngs 5g pressure barrel and its been in there for nearly two weeks, I have had a few samples and wow...a really creamy head and smooth velvety pint. The export ale is in king keg and has been in there for a few days, had a wee sample yesterday and all seems a bit flat but it could still be a tad early.

I have to say I am hooked, and have bought the GH book and am now looking to do my first Extract brew, ingredients ordered and looking forward to this. There are some great recipes in there but not all have a malt extract version, I assume by multiplying the malt by 0.75 0r 0.6 for lme/dme would be correct and perhaps increasing Hops by 20% should be okay..any advice on conversions would be appreciated.

One happy/hoppy chappy here.

 

[An Ankoù]

So...
I took the plunge a month or two back, having bought some basic equipment, fermenters etc. I decidedto start with a few kits to cut my teeth on so to speak. MYO American IPA, MYO Bitter, Ritchies Brown ale were the first ones, these have allbeen made, bottled and conditioned and I have to say I am please with the results especially the IPA. I was a bit concerned when it came to bottling and the sugar situation but found allthe advice I needed on here and asi don't like things overly fizzy opted for a solution at around 3.5 grammes per litre. This, I have to say hase worked fine, I even get a bit of a head when poured without tilting the glass.

I then set about making a MYO irish stout along with the triple tykes export. I moved onto barrelling, the stout I racked into a Youngs 5g pressure barrel and its been in there for nearly two weeks, I have had a few samples and wow...a really creamy head and smooth velvety pint. The export ale is in king keg and has been in there for a few days, had a wee sample yesterday and all seems a bit flat but it could still be a tad early.

I have to say I am hooked, and have bought the GH book and am now looking to do my first Extract brew, ingredients ordered and looking forward to this. There are some great recipes in there but not all have a malt extract version, I assume by multiplying the malt by 0.75 0r 0.6 for lme/dme would be correct and perhaps increasing Hops by 20% should be okay..any advice on conversions would be appreciated.

One happy/hoppy chappy here.

I reckon you'll be into FG by Christmas. Ask Santa for a mash tun.

 

[terrym]

I have to say I am hooked, and have bought the GH book and am now looking to do my first Extract brew, ingredients ordered and looking forward to this. There are some great recipes in there but not all have a malt extract version, I assume by multiplying the malt by 0.75 0r 0.6 for lme/dme would be correct and perhaps increasing Hops by 20% should be okay..any advice on conversions would be appreciated.

Where it is possible the GH recipes simply substitute malt extract for a base malt such as pale malt. But the reason some of the GH recipes do not have a malt extract equivalent is because the AG recipe version contains a non diastase containing grain (perhaps oats, amber malt or torrified wheat) that requires mashing in the presence of the diastase containing base malt, and since almost all malt extract available to home brewers nowadays contains no diastase you cannot use it in a mash, and so the AG recipe cannot directly convert. However some grains like crystal malt have had their starch previously converted to sugars by the kilning process, so you can use them as they come in conjunction with malt extract, in a steep with hot water to extract the sugars.

 

[ChrisD123]

Thanks for that. What I would really like to try is find an old English type ale that's hoppy. I love hops!

 

[ChrisD123]

I reckon you'll be into FG by Christmas. Ask Santa for a mash tun.

I belive his sleigh is being loaded as we speak....

 

[Clint]

AFTER he puts my stuff on...

 

[ChrisD123]

Mine will bebefore if he is coming in from the North...plus he'llneed to get the heavy stuff off first

 

[An Ankoù]

and since almost all malt extract available to home brewers nowadays contains no diastase you cannot use it in a mash,

Which is a mighty shame for two reasons: when I started brewing at the tender age of 16, just about all the malt extract I came into contact with was described as "diastic malt extract" or "DMS"; and I don't recall ever using it to convert any adjuncts- that's just the way things were. I wish I could remember the brand- might've been Muntons.

AND to refer to another thread, it definitely had the "twang".

 

[terrym]

Which is a mighty shame for two reasons: when I started brewing at the tender age of 16, just about all the malt extract I came into contact with was described as "diastic malt extract" or "DMS"; and I don't recall ever using it to convert any adjuncts- that's just the way things were. I wish I could remember the brand- might've been Muntons.

It was EDME. DMS was in a blue can. SFX or Superflavex came in a yellow can, but had no diastase and was darker as I recall. I used to buy large metal drums of both with screw cap openings which later changed to plastic tubs. I still have some of the old tubs somewhere in my shed. And I started off brewing in a small orange plastic dustbin with a black lid which I used for many years, complete with scratched inside. Food grade plastic, what was that? Airlocks on your FV, gerraway, only wine makers used those.

 

[An Ankoù]

It was EDME. DMS was in a blue can. SFX or Superflavex came in a yellow can, but had no diastase and was darker as I recall. I used to buy large metal drums of both with screw cap openings which later changed to plastic tubs. I still have some of the old tubs somewhere in my shed. And I started off brewing in a small orange plastic dustbin with a black lid which I used for many years, complete with scratched inside. Food grade plastic, what was that? Airlocks on your FV, gerraway, only wine makers used those.

Yes it was EDME and I remember using DMS and Superflavex. The latter was richer and, as you say, darker. A quick bit of googling shows that EDME still exists, and their website makes grudging reference to malt extracts to the health and well-being sector. Things have moved on, I think.

 

[johncrobinson]

Re:> An Ankou.Its probs a bit off topic but does concern malt.
I would love to know just how POWs in Germany were supposed to make alcohol from potatoes without a source of diastase as in malt to convert the statch.
OR are the filmmakers just taking poetic licence.

 

[An Ankoù]

Good question. I don't know. But I know a man who does: you around, Dutto?

 

[ChrisD123]

Took a step up and made an extract brew which is due to be bottled this weekend. I kinda followed the GH recipe for a 60 minute IPA using chinook, Amarillo and cascade hops as per recipe but instead of adding hops every 5 minutes as suggested I went for a single addition with 15 minutes left of boil then dry hopped 3 days ago...smells wonderful, OG was 1.055 and final readings were stable at 1.011. Bottling later today. Had to fir a blow off tube during fermenting as it went nuts.
Also have a Youngs American amber ale conditioning now along with another MYO IPA with additional hops and have a Bad Cat Imperial red ale fermenting. Love this homebrew malarkey!!!