What's your best cheap/simple brew?

Danzar · Post by **Danzar** » Tuesday Oct 02, 2007 1:46 pm

Christmas cometh which means demand for my home brew reaches epic proportions. I have an eight case target for my mate's birthday and a ten case target for our annual beer-a-thon.

To ensure these quality beers are left well alone by me to condition over the next three months, I wanted to brew up my own drinking stocks on the side.

Now, these two big events that I cater for are funded by me and involve a lot of work so I was looking for some suggested summer brews that are easy to make, cheap but great tasters that I can happily swill while working on the larger projects.

Fire away!

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Tuesday Oct 02, 2007 1:58 pm

An easy k&k that is pretty tasty is:

coopers real ale
1kg LDM
150g crystal
25g amarillo (20min)
25g cascade (dry)

Kevnlis · Post by **Kevnlis** » Tuesday Oct 02, 2007 2:44 pm

My christmas Pilsner:

Morgans Golden Saaz Pilsner
1kg LLME
150g Crystal
150g Carapils (the grain and LLME can be subbed for with a tin of Morgans Unhopped Amber)
10g Saaz @60, 15 and flameout (dry hop if you can)
S-23 @ 18C

James L · Post by **James L** » Tuesday Oct 02, 2007 3:18 pm

I have all those ingredients Kev and would like to make it, but wouldn't you rather brew the pilsner at 8 instead of 18? or are you lacking a brew fridge?

Kevnlis · Post by **Kevnlis** » Tuesday Oct 02, 2007 3:23 pm

James L wrote:I have all those ingredients Kev and would like to make it, but wouldn't you rather brew the pilsner at 8 instead of 18? or are you lacking a brew fridge?

Yes, I am lacking a brew fridge. Much better idea to ferment at 8C, but honestly S-23 is pretty nice at 18C, not much difference from what I could tell.

James L · Post by **James L** » Tuesday Oct 02, 2007 3:30 pm

I guess the good thing about brewing a pilsner at 18 would be the rate at which you could pump out a batch... with 3 weeks to ferment, you start getting a backlog of beers you want to brew...

I have a brew that i am fermenting in the fridge at the mo...

2.6kg LLME
600g Pilsner malt (mashed 45 minutes)
28g Perle (60min)
40g Saaz (15 mins)
28g Saaz (5 min)
34/70 yeast
22L water

Fermented at 8C

Smells fantastic, but something tells me it might be a little too bitter for the style of beer. My beersmith has just expired, so i cant give you the IBUs but i think its about 35...

I was meant to put only 1/2 an ounce of saaz in at 15 minutes, but i put in 1 and a half ounces instead...

Danzar · Post by **Danzar** » Tuesday Oct 02, 2007 3:33 pm

I'd say it's a bit late here in Sydney to attempt a pilsner/lager without a brew fridge. We're staring down the barrel of 30+ degree days here for the next week or more and I don't expect temps to hover below 25 degrees now.

I can usually cool down a brew by a few degrees using more traditional methods but I'd be in trouble if I had to do a 7 degree adjustment

timmy · Post by **timmy** » Tuesday Oct 02, 2007 3:49 pm

Coopers Aussie Pale + 1kg BE2

Cheap, simple and pretty good.

Chuck in some extra cascade or amarillo at the end for a bit of extra kick.

Can also recommend the Real Ale that Chris has suggested. Have made something very similar and it was great.

Kevnlis · Post by **Kevnlis** » Tuesday Oct 02, 2007 3:57 pm

James L wrote:I guess the good thing about brewing a pilsner at 18 would be the rate at which you could pump out a batch... with 3 weeks to ferment, you start getting a backlog of beers you want to brew...

I have a brew that i am fermenting in the fridge at the mo...

2.6kg LLME
600g Pilsner malt (mashed 45 minutes)
28g Perle (60min)
40g Saaz (15 mins)
28g Saaz (5 min)
34/70 yeast
22L water

Fermented at 8C

Smells fantastic, but something tells me it might be a little too bitter for the style of beer. My beersmith has just expired, so i cant give you the IBUs but i think its about 35...

I was meant to put only 1/2 an ounce of saaz in at 15 minutes, but i put in 1 and a half ounces instead...

Should be fine really. If not give it a few months and it will come good for you

Boonie · Post by **Boonie** » Friday Oct 19, 2007 1:00 pm

How much do you want to spend per batch?

Good beer I made on 15/9/2005
Morgans Blue Mountain Lager
Morgans Master Blend "Lager Malt" I think it was the 1kg tin......no notation on my spreadsheet, but from memory....I think I am right

10g Hallertau (Teabag)
10g Perle
Hops in coiling water in Cup for 10 Minutes.

Man, have I been brewing that long....time flies

Cheers

Boonie

drsmurto · Post by **drsmurto** » Friday Oct 19, 2007 2:29 pm

Boonies LCPA
Pale_Ale's JSGA clone

Both easy. I reckon a week for primary, a week secondary dry hopping and you have a couple of K&K beers that are right up there.

Kev's pils looks like a good 'un.

And i like the look of Boonies German lager - altho i would use boiling water in place of his coiling water.....

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Saturday Oct 20, 2007 5:52 pm

Boonie wrote:...Morgans Master Blend "Lager Malt" I think it was the 1kg tin......no notation on my spreadsheet, but from memory....I think I am right

They are 1kg - I use that lager malt tin all the time

Boonie · Post by **Boonie** » Monday Oct 22, 2007 12:09 pm

Ash wrote:
Boonie wrote:...Morgans Master Blend "Lager Malt" I think it was the 1kg tin......no notation on my spreadsheet, but from memory....I think I am right
They are 1kg - I use that lager malt tin all the time

Thanks Ash, was struggling to remember.

The doc wrote

And i like the look of Boonies German lager - altho i would use boiling water in place of his coiling water.....

Bugger me.....I normally check thrice before posting

Cheers

Boonie