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Puzzled

Northern Brewer General
#1

So, I have always been fascinated with the thought of brewing my own beer. Well I happen to be browsing one day and a starter kit was staring me in the face so I finally got the chance to try this.

I have 3.15 lbs of NB Gold Malt Extract Syrup( from my reading this is referred to as LME) , 1oz US Brewer’s Gold Alpha 9.9 beta 5.5, 1oz Zythos Alpha 10.9 beta 5.2, and 1oz Falconer’s Flight alpha 11.4 and beta 4.4. hop pellets

Leaving the hops aside, my question is what is the water to LME ratio? :stuck_out_tongue: I’ve googled, but so many varying answers I thought I would just asked you guys.

Also to be sure I am on the right track from my many weeks of researching before I start and ruin a batch when it come to the hops, start of the boil accounts to flavor and the to the end of the boil is aroma?

Any other things I missed or could be filled in would be greatly appreciated! And any possible recipe to follow with what I have? I also have a can of Classic American hopped malt extract 1.87 pounds…

#2

What made you buy the ingredients that you have? Do you have a particular recipe in mind? Seems kind of random to have some misc ingredients when there are some outstanding recipe kits offered by a lot of online places, including our host. Comes with instructions and everything.

#3

Well, the Gold Malt and all my tools hydrometer ect are all from NB, the other random items where in the starter kit I came across at a local hole in a wall store. I think the hops were just placed in the box as the kit only calls for using 1 can of the hopped malt extract and 2 gallons of water…

I have since spent like crazy on NB here and over looked the fact that recipe kits might of been a good idea, but with what I have, I could use the gold malt as a base and experiment with the hops for a beer of my own?

Also, the starter kit being confused me only calling for the can of extract when I ordered my last order from NB I got the gold malt thinking that would be what I needed…

#4

3.15# of LME will give you 2.5 gallons of beer with a starting gravity of 1.045 which would finish out to 4.2-4.5 ABV. With the ounce of Brewers gold hops boiled for an hour you’d have a nice plain ale.

#5

Thanks, :cheers:

#6

To answer one of your earlier questions, the hops at 60 minutes adds bitterness and probably not much flavor. The later hop additions add flavor and aroma.

#7

Thanks everyone for the replies!

I just thought with what I have I could make a first time batch of alright beer, as I study and learn the process better. As well as try to understand using hops with the LME as I have seen in my treading. So I can move on to making different and great tasting beer. Just trying to cross my “t’s” and dot my “i’s” before just hopping in.

#8

You see very thoughtful and wanting to do it right. I try to br totally that way, so I get it.

Others will feel different, but that is why, for me, I recommend you start with a kit and tried and true recipe. If for no other reason that you know what to expect as a finished result. Using your ingredients will make beer and it could be good. For me, even after two years of brewing, I still start with a base recipe for most beers, brewing to a style.

#9

[quote=“560sdl”]You see very thoughtful and wanting to do it right. I try to br totally that way, so I get it.

Others will feel different, but that is why, for me, I recommend you start with a kit and tried and true recipe. If for no other reason that you know what to expect as a finished result. Using your ingredients will make beer and it could be good. For me, even after two years of brewing, I still start with a base recipe for most beers, brewing to a style.[/quote]

I completely understand what you mean, I went hard into supplies (i.e. fermenters, and bottling ect) but didn’t put to much thought and research into the ingredients, I figured with the malt extract and the hops, I had what I needed to brew me a batch, but didn’t realize I would be brewing “blind” so to speak. So I am going to order a kit to brew with, and go ahead and give it a go with my current ingredients. and start a batch from the kit asap, worst case my now batch will be good enough to drink after I’m drunk off my good batch from a kit :stuck_out_tongue: I think that’s a great idea didn’t think of using a pre-figured recipe and making it my own, which is in essence what I am wanting to do.

Thanks again for the replies, I’ll be seeing you around the forums, and I’m here to stay :cheers:

#10

While I have you guys here, what is your opinions on secondary fermentation, I see so many people arguing over it in google searches. :blah: Does it make for a better beer to rack to a new fermenter leaving all the trub behind? I am sure many have post on this, and I am trying to learn your forums and hopefully will once I learn the proper terms be able to search these answers here without having to post an already posted problem/question!

#11

I used to secondary every batch. I have been convinced that it is not necessary so I have done several batches without it and the turn out just fine.

The primary reason that I use a secondary is because I don’t have open kegs and need to use my carboys to free up buckets for new batches.

That being said, I do ferment in buckets and cannot see the action or clarity of the beer. I do like watching the beer clarify in the carboy over a week or two.

#12

Pick up palmer’s “How to Brew”. It’s a very helful tool that you can use from day one, throughout stages in this hobby.

#13

Just thought I would update this post with the outcome of my experiment recipe. Well, I let a a buddy who works with me on the melt deck at the foundry try one, next thing I know the whole deck was asking for some. Then it was all gone… One old man even stated “I’ve drank beers for 50 years, and this is one of the best I’ve tried!” Ended with a 6.8% as well. I, myself wasn’t a fan of the outcome… but we are our worst critics? In the end they all wanted to chip in for the ingredients to get me to make that batch again. I am now on my way to a kegging system and will be trying to duplicate that, and try a new one.

#14

+1

There’s an old edition of “How to Brew” available free on-line at howtobrew.com

The free version is not as up-to-date as the print version. I believe the print version has an excellent answer to your question about secondaries. Read at least the free version before you try to decipher the instructions you’ll get with a kit!

Sanitation is the first consideration in home brewing. Controlling fermentation temperature is second. Pitch yeast at or below the bottom of the yeast’s recommended range and keep the beer near the bottom of the range for at least three or four days. Don’t let it get above the upper limit of the range.

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