Brewed an extract beer today
#1
Posted 28 February 2010 - 05:48 PM
#2
Posted 28 February 2010 - 06:35 PM
I've thought about doing this but I have so much base grain supply it just doesn't make sense for me to not use themFor the first time in prolly 6 years. I made a batch of wheat on the super bowl to show a buddy how the process works, so I had a yeast cake ready to go, but no motivation to get off my butt and brew. I decided I'd kick it old school and make an extract batch to save time and energy. I went with a simple pale ale from half LME and half DME. I steeped a pound of C-40 for color.Knocking a brew day out in 2 hours is very nice. Not having a ton of equipment to clean up is also awesome. However, spending $30 on extract for 5 gallons wasn't that cool.
#3
Posted 28 February 2010 - 06:40 PM
#4
Posted 28 February 2010 - 08:59 PM
#5
Posted 01 March 2010 - 07:01 AM
Beer?Can you guys guess what it is? lol
#6
Posted 01 March 2010 - 08:23 AM
WRONG! Barley tea with spice.Beer?
#7
Posted 01 March 2010 - 09:28 AM
$30 in 5 gals of beer, not bad.Introducing another future follower, priceless.However, spending $30 on extract for 5 gallons wasn't that cool.
#8
Posted 01 March 2010 - 09:38 AM
#9 *_Guest_Matt C_*
Posted 01 March 2010 - 07:12 PM
#10
Posted 01 March 2010 - 07:25 PM
Was it just the old extract, or something else? I've got some 15 month old liquid pilsener extract which I have no idea what to do with. Think I should just toss it, or waste the $6 in hops and $7 in yeast for an experiment?The Am Wheat with the old extract was horrible. It wasn't cidery, but tasted like bitter tea. That was an experiment gone wrong. It's drain pour.
#11
Posted 01 March 2010 - 08:17 PM
I have no idea if it was the extract for sure, but I'd be willing to place a wager on it. I don't know of anything else that went wrong with my brewday.I pitched a reasonably fresh smack pack into 3 gallons of 1.045-ish beer. It was WAY dark. Came out copper colored.Was it just the old extract, or something else? I've got some 15 month old liquid pilsener extract which I have no idea what to do with. Think I should just toss it, or waste the $6 in hops and $7 in yeast for an experiment?
#12
Posted 02 March 2010 - 06:59 AM
#13
Posted 02 March 2010 - 10:01 AM
There's no getting around the $6 in hops, but you could cut your yeast cost in half with dry. I don't see why you wouldn't just use an Ale yeast either. Save the space for a lager you know will turn out good, right? This way you will know sooner, rather than later. ORYou could can some starter wort, which is what I would do if faced with the same situation and if I had the equipment to can it properly.Was it just the old extract, or something else? I've got some 15 month old liquid pilsener extract which I have no idea what to do with. Think I should just toss it, or waste the $6 in hops and $7 in yeast for an experiment?
#14
Posted 02 March 2010 - 10:31 AM
Seeing as my birthday left me with the equipment - that's not a bad idea. I guess that stale extract when diluted down that much into starter wort wouldn't be bad...hmmm...You could can some starter wort, which is what I would do if faced with the same situation and if I had the equipment to can it properly.
#15
Posted 06 April 2010 - 07:29 PM
#16
Posted 06 April 2010 - 07:36 PM
#17
Posted 07 April 2010 - 05:04 AM
#18
Posted 11 April 2010 - 11:29 AM
Another is that most extract brews are made from partial boils, where the extract is added up front, whereas a very tasty extract beer can be made by doing full volume boils and adding extract in batches instead of all at once. You get as a result better hop utilization, and less Malliard reactionsin the wort.Before I went over to AG, I made some excellent extract brews, starting from Munton's Extra light Extract, or Alexander's Pale LME, as a base and working from there. I won't knock extract for being extract. Good fresh malt, appropriate hops, proper yeast strain, and pitching rates, along with sanitation and temperature control are IMO, more important than whether you mashed the grain or it was done commercially.I still think the big knock on extract beers having a twang is mainly inexperienced brewers and old extract. Nice looking beer. I'm actually planning on doing an all-extract hefe soon.
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