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Author Topic: First time brewer needing advice please.  (Read 1105 times)

Offline Foxlox

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First time brewer needing advice please.
« on: January 22, 2021, 07:39:43 am »
Hi
I'm looking to make a larger or ale,I'm interested in making it from raw ingredients as opposed to a kit,although raw ingredients seem hard to find where I'm from northwest of Ireland ,any advice on a first time easy recipe would be much appreciated TIA


Offline milanarambasic

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Re: First time brewer needing advice please.
« Reply #1 on: January 22, 2021, 07:44:36 am »
SMaSH beer is the way to go
Single malt and single hop :)

Best way to start if you are a beginner, because you can taste the flavor from your malt and your hops..

Poslano sa mog SM-A405FN koristeći Tapatalk


Offline Village Taphouse

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Re: First time brewer needing advice please.
« Reply #2 on: January 22, 2021, 08:08:59 am »
Are you able to order ingredients?  Do you have equipment to brew beer from grain?  Most homebrewers begin with extract kits so they can understand some of the concepts and then they typically move into all-grain where they can produce beer from raw ingredients.  A little more information should get you started.
Ken from Chicago. 
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Offline majorvices

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Re: First time brewer needing advice please.
« Reply #3 on: January 22, 2021, 08:33:03 am »
Greetings! You certainly can start off with all grain and mashing - it's really not that difficult. Just realize that understanding fermentation is much more important then how you make your wort (unfermented beer). If you don't understand the basics of fermentation you beer is going to suck no matter how you make wort.

I'd recommend starting with a good book or tutorial such as www.howtobrew.com to get the basics. We all will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Offline fredthecat

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Re: First time brewer needing advice please.
« Reply #4 on: January 22, 2021, 12:36:28 pm »
Hi, I would say almost everyone who homebrews started with extract or a kit of some sort. I actually went -first liquid extract kits -second all grain for many years -now back to extract again to save time and because frankly the quality of extract has gotten really really good.


If I were you I would buy an appropriate set of equipment for your budget/desire. Get a large enough boil pot for your intended fermentor size (at least 1/3 the size bigger than the fermentors volume). Buy some extract and hops and boil them up according to a recipe.


https://www.homebrewwest.ie/malt-extract--lme--spraymalt-439-c.asp

I have a local homebrew store in my city, but I prefer to order online now even with the shipping cost as the online prices are cheaper and selection much better.

the other advice is to download some free brewing software to create a recipe. i have been using Brewtarget for years and years now. You have to dial in the recipe, which takes praxis, but it works well. http://www.brewtarget.org/


Are you near Sligo btw?

Online Drewch

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Re: First time brewer needing advice please.
« Reply #5 on: January 22, 2021, 09:28:55 pm »
Hi
I'm looking to make a larger or ale,I'm interested in making it from raw ingredients as opposed to a kit,although raw ingredients seem hard to find where I'm from northwest of Ireland ,any advice on a first time easy recipe would be much appreciated TIA

My advice would be to get a copy of Speed Brewing by Mary Izett or Simple Homebrewing by Drew Beechum and Denny Conn. 

Both books have good advice for getting started without investing tons in equipment, as well as a number of simple recipes to start with.

You can get started with not much more than a stock pot to mash & boil in and a jug or bucket to ferment in.
The Other Drew

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Member at large of the Central Alabama Brewers Society and the League of Drews.

Offline MeMa

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Re: First time brewer needing advice please.
« Reply #6 on: January 23, 2021, 05:01:46 am »
Hi

I started with kits and then moved on to all grain, the difference was really worth the effort. I decided to invest in an all in one brew system, (I use grainfather but there are others) I am happy with my decision because its a lot easier than what I observe my buddies using with burners and pots.

I quickly got involved in adjusting my water for brewing, I suggest you look into your water and preferred water profile for what you are brewing.

There are a number of good home brew suppliers in UK, not sure where they would be near to you, sorry on that one.

Good luck and enjoy brewing


I have a few receipes that I cloned from beers I like.

Note: another plug for Grainfather, but they have a great list of receipes from Grainfather and all the users that are rated

Offline denny

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Re: First time brewer needing advice please.
« Reply #7 on: January 23, 2021, 09:01:12 am »
Hi
I'm looking to make a larger or ale,I'm interested in making it from raw ingredients as opposed to a kit,although raw ingredients seem hard to find where I'm from northwest of Ireland ,any advice on a first time easy recipe would be much appreciated TIA

My advice would be to get a copy of Speed Brewing by Mary Izett or Simple Homebrewing by Drew Beechum and Denny Conn. 

Both books have good advice for getting started without investing tons in equipment, as well as a number of simple recipes to start with.

You can get started with not much more than a stock pot to mash & boil in and a jug or bucket to ferment in.

I appreciate the plug, but Simple isn't a beginner's book.  It's more for experienced brewers.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline joe_meadmaker

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Re: First time brewer needing advice please.
« Reply #8 on: January 23, 2021, 02:11:37 pm »
Is there a particular reason you don't want to use a kit?  Kits are put together with the same stuff, it's just already measured out for you.  Because everything is already put together, they'll allow you to concentrate more on learning the brewing process.  There's also going to be a kit for pretty much anything you would want to brew.  And you'll have a good chance of getting a nice beer when everything is done.

I don't mean to dissuade you.  If you really want to piece a recipe together, then definitely go for it.  I'm just a big supporter of recipe kits and homebrew kits when people are starting out.  I think they get you everything you need to learn the basics without having to worry about forgetting something.  Then as you learn you can start modifying your methods as you want.

Online Drewch

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Re: First time brewer needing advice please.
« Reply #9 on: January 23, 2021, 04:08:16 pm »
Hi
I'm looking to make a larger or ale,I'm interested in making it from raw ingredients as opposed to a kit,although raw ingredients seem hard to find where I'm from northwest of Ireland ,any advice on a first time easy recipe would be much appreciated TIA

My advice would be to get a copy of Speed Brewing by Mary Izett or Simple Homebrewing by Drew Beechum and Denny Conn. 

Both books have good advice for getting started without investing tons in equipment, as well as a number of simple recipes to start with.

You can get started with not much more than a stock pot to mash & boil in and a jug or bucket to ferment in.

I appreciate the plug, but Simple isn't a beginner's book.  It's more for experienced brewers.

Granted - I concede the point.  I think some of your ideas for keeping things simple are as applicable to the newbie as to the old hand -- particularly the discussion of the pluses and minuses of doing small batches, shorter mashes, etc.  But maybe it's not the best book start from.

My point to the OP is that you don't need to run out and spend hundreds of dollars pounds or euros on equipment. Start simple and then invest where it makes sense for you and what you like brewing. You can even get 1-gallon kits now if you're more comfortable starting with a kit.
« Last Edit: January 23, 2021, 04:38:39 pm by Drewch »
The Other Drew

Home fermentations since 2019.

Member at large of the Central Alabama Brewers Society and the League of Drews.

Offline Foxlox

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Re: First time brewer needing advice please.
« Reply #10 on: January 23, 2021, 04:41:10 pm »
I've done a bit of research and took all of the advice I got on this forum which is much appreciated btw so thanks,I think il start with a kit and a how to book,helpful links with local suppliers so thanks again 👍

Offline Lazy Ant Brewing

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Re: First time brewer needing advice please.
« Reply #11 on: January 26, 2021, 03:35:45 pm »
If you haven't bought a book yet, I would recommend Mastering Homebrew by Randy Mosher.  It's well organized with lots of illustrations and I find it easier to use and the information is better presented than several other books I've read.
It's easier to read brewing books and get information from the forum than to sacrifice virgins to appease the brewing gods when bad beer happens!