My Lemon-ginger beer got way too hot during the first few days of fermentation and completely f@!&ed my recipe. I’ve waited long enough and nothing has changed: still loaded with that hot alcohol smell/flavor.
To pull myself out of depression I am desperate for an easy, light summer beer extract recipe (one that’s nearly impossible to screw up). I’m open to wheats, pales, IPAs, reds, and such. Please post soon as I want to be brewing it by tomorrow afternoon.
Thanks guys.
EDIT: plus I’m sure I’m not the only one who’d love to take a peek at some of your most enjoyable quick-n-easy’s… if you’ll excuse any innuendos.
Here’s a link to an old thread showing extract recipes for cloning commercial beers. I am not endorsing any of these recipes as I have not brewed them. I just recalled this thread when I read your post.
[quote=“Sigma Brew”]Here’s a link to an old thread showing extract recipes for cloning commercial beers. I am not endorsing any of these recipes as I have not brewed them. I just recalled this thread when I read your post.
Make the extract version of MLPA. Very forgiving, very fast turnaround, very simple and very satisfying. Here we go…
Steep 1 pound of Crystal 60°L and 12 ounces of wheat (both crushed) at 150° for 30 mins. Remove the grains, raise the heat and add 5 lbs of light, pale or gold DME. Add 1 ounce of Mt. Hood pellets (try to get to 5.2 to 5.6 AAUs) for 60 minutes. Ferment with 1056 or WLP001 (preferred) or US-05. Try with all your might to keep the fermentation on the cool side (low 60s is best). If possible, drop the primary into a plastic tub filled with cool water and drop some frozen water bottles into the water to keep the temps stable and low.
I can vouch for the MLPA recipe. Simple and tasty. I did mine as a partial mash. I used the same specialty grains as indicated and added 2.25 lbs. two row to make 4 pounds. Used sufficient DME to get the OG to the proper level.
[quote=“Ken Lenard”]Make the extract version of MLPA. Very forgiving, very fast turnaround, very simple and very satisfying. Here we go…
Steep 1 pound of Crystal 60°L and 12 ounces of wheat (both crushed) at 150° for 30 mins. Remove the grains, raise the heat and add 5 lbs of light, pale or gold DME. Add 1 ounce of Mt. Hood pellets (try to get to 5.2 to 5.6 AAUs) for 60 minutes. Ferment with 1056 or WLP001 (preferred) or US-05. Try with all your might to keep the fermentation on the cool side (low 60s is best). If possible, drop the primary into a plastic tub filled with cool water and drop some frozen water bottles into the water to keep the temps stable and low.
[quote=“Ken Lenard”]Make the extract version of MLPA. Very forgiving, very fast turnaround, very simple and very satisfying. Here we go…
Steep 1 pound of Crystal 60°L and 12 ounces of wheat (both crushed) at 150° for 30 mins. Remove the grains, raise the heat and add 5 lbs of light, pale or gold DME. Add 1 ounce of Mt. Hood pellets (try to get to 5.2 to 5.6 AAUs) for 60 minutes. Ferment with 1056 or WLP001 (preferred) or US-05. Try with all your might to keep the fermentation on the cool side (low 60s is best). If possible, drop the primary into a plastic tub filled with cool water and drop some frozen water bottles into the water to keep the temps stable and low.
Where did you see that it called for two packs of yeast? One fresh smack-pack of 1056, a starter made with WLP001 or one packet of US05 is fine. I just put my latest all-grain batch of this beer on tap late this afternoon. It’s 90° here and we’re hanging out in the backyard. Fresh, delicious MLPA is on draft! Cheers.
One of the brewers made 10 gallons and fermented 5 with one yeast strain and 5 with another yeast strain. This is a great way to pick out the various differences in the yeast characteristics. But if you make 5 gallons of this beer, just giddy up with some 1056 and you’re all good. Please let us know how it comes out. Cheers.
Thanks for sharing the recipe Ken. I’m still ‘extracting’ but I placed an order last night for some wheat so I could ‘have some memory lapse’. Now I can just blame you when I over indulge and can’t remember what happened the night before.
Having brewed several of Ken’s recipes over the years, I would strongly suggest that if you’re going to brew the MLPA, try it first the way Ken created it before making tweaks to it.
In the end, it’s your beer, and you’ll make it as you see fit, but I can say from my own experience Ken’s recipes are solid and if it were me, i’d brew it as he suggested earlier in this thread before changing things.
[quote=“thegame310”]I’m going to try the MLPA as my 2nd brew.
I’ve never dealt with stepping grains before, so i’m still new to all the lingo.
I’m guessing the Crystal 60 is the - Briess Caramel 60L
Now for the wheat, I’m unsure which one to purchase as there is so many different kinds.
Also, which DME would you recommend?
Help for a noob?
-Eric[/quote]
If your homebrew supplier does Briess then you’d probably be looking for Light Gold DME. When you buy the steeping grains make sure to ask for them to be crushed (any halfway decent store will have the mill available for use and will crush it for you); the wheat malt was substituted with wheat (weisen) DME in one of the recipes so you can try that to make it easier on yourself. Do yourself a favor and buy a steeping bag for the grains (it also functions for hops!) it will make your life a million times easier.
If your homebrew supplier does Briess then you’d probably be looking for Light Gold DME. When you buy the steeping grains make sure to ask for them to be crushed (any halfway decent store will have the mill available for use and will crush it for you); the wheat malt was substituted with wheat (weisen) DME in one of the recipes so you can try that to make it easier on yourself. Do yourself a favor and buy a steeping bag for the grains (it also functions for hops!) it will make your life a million times easier.[/quote]
I appreciate the response. So to make sure I’m totally understanding.
The first step is Steep 1 pound of Crystal 60°L and 12 ounces of wheat (both crushed) at 150° for 30 mins
I plan on buying the Crystal 60 from NB but the 12 ounces of wheat is what I’m confused on, as I’m not entirely sure what wheat to purchase from here or my local homebrew store.
I
The wheat is just “malted wheat”. Sometimes referred to as White Wheat, Red Wheat but it’s wheat. In the UK they used Torrified Wheat (which has been referred to as an adjunct) and even that will work. Yes, make sure the crystal (Briess Crystal 60L is fine) is crushed as well as the wheat. Steep for 30 minutes at 150° and then continue. I agree, look into something called a muslin bag if you don’t already have them. They’re like cheesecloth and allow you to place the grains inside as if it’s a big tea bag. When the 30 mins is up, carefully pull out the bag (tongs work well) and allow it to drip a little bit into the pot. I’ve heard people say not to squeeze it… not sure if that’s correct or not… just pull it out, allow it to drip a bit and then toss it. Good luck!
I believe the thinking is that if tannins were extracted from the grains that squeezing the bags would mean more tannins in your beer. I haven’t brewed w/extract for about 8 years so I honestly can’t tell you if there is truth to that or not. But I have heard it MANY times. It’s one of those homebrew-isms that you hear like aluminum pots vs. stainless pots or hot-side aeration.
