Is there any simple instructions for Extract brewing?

[Madness]

I've done a few brews with kit form and recently I bought a Bock Extract kit from daves home brew to try and do something a little different.

It had basic instructions with grain, malt, etc but as I'm quite new and cluleless to all of this the bags were labeled BAG 1, BAG 2, etc so I don't quite know what I did besides following the instructions.

The internet appears to have alot of information about all grain brewing but I just want to start small and am unable to find much simple information on extract brewing.

Can anyone point me in the right direction or give me some tips?

[Oliver]

Hi Madness,

There are some basic instructions on the main homebrewandbeer.com site.

Check out this page: http://www.homebrewandbeer.com/howtobrew.html

I'm in the process of updating the entire site and as part of that will update these instructions, which I first wrote about 10 years ago.

However, that page should give you a guide. Extract brewing is really just an extension of kits & bits (i.e. kit + grain and/or hops) brewing. So if you've been adding grain or hops to your brews, extract brewing isn't that much of a leap.

The main difference is that in extract brewing instead of using pre-hopped malt extract (i.e. the tin) you're starting with unhopped extract and adding hops (for bitterness, flavour and aroma) and possibly grain (for colour, aroma and flavour) to it.

You'll probably have some specific questions about the process once you've read that page, so let us know.

Cheers,

Oliver

[Madness]

Thanks heaps Oliver,

Reading the section on grain I'm a little confused,

Does the grain need to be broken up (wizzed in a food processor) as I thought this was the case?
I also thought the grain needed to be put in at a certian temp not cold water and then brough to that temp.

[earle]

The grains do need to be crushed. If you've bought unmilled you can crush hem by putting them in a bag and hitting them with a rolling pin or the like.

If your'e just steeping the grains (specialty grains only need to be steeped) the temperature is not that critical, just keep the temp below 70C or so. Once you go too high you will leach out tannins which don't taste very good. You can even cold steep with room temperature water, just leave it a bit longer. Make sure you strain out the grains and boil the liquor to kill any nasties.

[Madness]

Cold steeping? never heard of that one.

Also another possible really silly question, how do you know what grains/malt/yeast goes best together? If I want to make a fruity beer I assume I would stay away from dark malts??

[Oliver]

Hi Madness,

Yep, cold steeping. I'm not sure what the benefit, if any, is of it over hot steeping, considering hot steeping is quicker.

Re the ingredients that go together, also consider hops. Have a read through the recipe section and you'll probably get an idea. For instance, you'll see some common names such as Cascade, Amarillo and Centennial in many American ales, which are US hops that impart a citrusy character. Fuggles and Goldings are UK hops and result in a completely different taste in beer. Etc, etc. Same goes for yeast and even the malted and unmalted grains.

You can mix and match ingredients to some extent, but most people would draw the line at, say, brewing an American ale with a Belgian trappist yeast (although i'm sure that someone, somewhere, has tried

Most of the time if you substitute ingredients you'll end up with a perfectly drinkable beer, but just not to the style that the recipe intended.

Also, have a browse through the Beer Judge Certification Program style guidelines.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Oliver

[jello]

The grains do need to be crushed. If you've bought unmilled you can crush hem by putting them in a bag and hitting them with a rolling pin or the like.

Never thought about that. Is this a tried and true method earle? Sounds like it would be a lot of work.

Edit: Thought I should add a question here too. If you get the supplier to mill the grain for you (at a cost of course), how well do they keep compared to un-milled?

[squirt in the turns]

Edit: Thought I should add a question here too. If you get the supplier to mill the grain for you (at a cost of course), how well do they keep compared to un-milled?

A decent homebrew shop like Craftbrewer, Beerbelly, and Grain and Grape will do this for free, and vacuum seal the bag. Once crushed, the sooner the grain is used the better. However, if vacuum sealed, I would think it'd be ok for a few months. I've even made pretty good all-grain beers from bags of grain where the vacuum seal failed, and I haven't used them for a month or 2.

[Oliver]

From doing a bit of reading, I reckon that two months would be just about the limit for malted grain. Some also suggest storing it in the freezer.

Would it be different for adjunct grains such as crystal, black malt, etc, that do not need mashing?

Oliver

[earle]

Cold steeping - some reckon you get less acrid flavours from dark malts. Even though it does take longer I did it as a time saver. Weighed the malt and put it in water overnight rather than watching my stupid gas stove for 45 minutes to amke sure it didn't blow out. Now I mostly steep in a thermos if its a small amount and for larger amounts in my 19L pot, once its at the right temp I wrap it in a blnaket and put it in a large esky.

Cracking the grains with a rolling pin. I've always bought my grains pre-milled so have never done this. I reckon you would only do it with small amounts otherwise it could be a lot of work.

Storing grain. I store all my spec grains in the freezer for extended periods, right or wrong the beers that I have made with it have been fine.

In terms of what grain/malt/yeast combinations - sometimes its better to start with some styles that you like or clones of beers that you like and then work from there.

[Sonny]

..... Now I mostly steep in a thermos if its a small amount and for larger amounts in my 19L pot, once its at the right temp I wrap it in a blnaket and put it in a large esky.

I use the wife's slowcooker, t'is good.

[earle]

High or low, what temp does it hold?

[Sonny]

High or low, what temp does it hold?

I get it to 67deg, and just turn it off and come back every 20mins or so and just adjust as neccessary.

Haven't managed to work out what's what from Auto, Low and High yet???
It's good though, as it doesn't lose heat fast at all. You could just leave it 60min I reckon and it wouldn't be any lower than abot 59deg when you came back.

Strain and sparge into my 19L pot and bring to boil. Add hops etc from there on and as per usual. Remembering to wash up wifey's stuff before vacating to the garage.

[jello]

Auto and High settings would get too hot (simmering). I do like the idea of using the slow cooker though, I might have to run an experiment on low setting to see what temperature it holds with some water.

[Sonny]

Auto and High settings would get too hot (simmering). I do like the idea of using the slow cooker though, I might have to run an experiment on low setting to see what temperature it holds with some water.

Mate, if you could write some 'Standard Operating Procedures' on the use of a cooker. That'd be fantastic.

I usually fill from the boiled jug with a mixture of tap water to find correct temp. But yes I think you'd be correct that I couldn't just leave it on low and walk away for 60-90mins.

[Tipsy]

Mate, if you could write some 'Standard Operating Procedures' on the use of a cooker. That'd be fantastic.

1. The auto starts it on high and then switches to low when it reaches temp.
2. The food goes under the lid.

[gregb]

Laymans terms please Tips.

[jello]

I usually fill from the boiled jug with a mixture of tap water to find correct temp. But yes I think you'd be correct that I couldn't just leave it on low and walk away for 60-90mins.

I intend to find out this weekend if it is possible to do just that. I'm intrigued by the idea of using the slow cooker to steep grain. However, I have a suspicion that the temperature will be close to 80-85 on the low setting.

[earle]

A quick google suggests that low setting could be as low as 70-77C but the settings seem to be based on wattage rather than temp, so would probably vary between brands, sizes and designs. I think I would be checking the temp of my slow cooker even after reading Jeff's results.

[Oliver]

... most people would draw the line at, say, brewing an American ale with a Belgian trappist yeast (although i'm sure that someone, somewhere, has tried

And no sooner had I written that than I tasted a Belgian oatmeal IPA

I had it last night at Cookie here in Melbourne, and it was bloody good.

It's from Doctor's Orders Brewing in New South Wales and is described on their website thus:

Winter, cold Winter. Oatmeal for breakfast, IPA for afternoon tea ? How about a Belgian Oatmeal IPA. The colour and bitterness of an American IPA, the aromatics from a Belgian yeast, and the smooth mid palette from oatmeal. This is your Winter prescription from Doctors Orders; 6.5% and ~54 IBU of Belgian Oatmeal IPA goodness.

And details of the brew:
Malts: Ale, Pilsner, Wheat, Munich and Oats.
Hops: Northern Brewer, NZ Motueka, Citra, NZ Sauvin
Yeast: Belgian High Gravity
OG: 1.058. FG: 1.009. ABV: 6.5%. SRM: ~15. IBU: ~53.

Cheers,

Oliver