First Brew Recipe Suggestions?

[boniochompio]

Hi all,

Having now purchased all of the kit for my AG brewing adventures (which I couldn't have done without all your help!) I am now thinking of what I should brew for my first ever brew day!

I have purchased BeerSmith and looked over various recipes, but obviously some are more complex than other so I thought I'd ask for your suggestions rather than end up having a nightmare first brew.

Ideally I'd like to start with an IPA, but need a simple recipe to ease me in to AG, after which I want to introduce more complicated procedures one step at a time. (adding woodchips soaked in whiskey, etc etc)

So.... If there are any recipes you think would be a great starting point for me, please let me know!

Thanks in advance!

ALSO:
In case this info is handy: I will be kegging in a corney. I have a 45L mash tun, and a 40L buffalo brew kettle, and will be aiming for a final batch size of around 19L (I have some bottles too, so I'd rather go over 19L than under, as I want to fill the keg!)

[seymour]

Welcome to all-grain brewing! Here's a good one, but if you're thinking of something else, simply respond with a more specific request.

I'm not sure if you'd call this an IPA exactly, but it's definitely a hoppy, refreshing golden summer ale, somehow simultaneously crisp and creamy. Several Jim's members have brewed it and all reviews are good.

SEYMOUR CITRA GOLD

6 US gallons = 5 Imperial Gallons = 22.7 Litres

GRAINBILL:
97% = 8.54 lb = 3.87 kg, English Pale Malt
3% = .26 lb = 118 g, Oats (from your kitchen: porridge, flaked, rolled, quick, pinhead, etc)

MASH at 150°F/65.6°C for 90 minutes

BOIL 60 minutes, adding a pinch of gypsum, add a little orange or clementine peel at 5 min remaining, if you got it.

HOPS:
.4 oz = 11.3 g, Magnum, 60 minutes
.65 oz = 18.4 g, Citra, 15 minutes
.65 oz = 18.4 g, Citra, Dry hops added to secondary fermentation

YEAST:
US-05/Chico, ferment warm around 70°F/21°C, don't filter nor use any clarifying agents, some chalky haze is nice. Or, a spicy Belgian yeast such as T-58 or any liquid Trappist strain is an exquisite twist.

When it comes time to bottle/keg, don't be afraid to prime with a bit more sugar than usual, you want this nice and spritzy to splash all the hoppy flavours around.

STATS (assuming 75% mash efficiency and 75% yeast attenuation):
OG: 1043
FG: 1011
ABV: 4.1%
IBU: 31
COLOUR: 4°SRM/8°EBC

[Piscator]

You could do a lot worse than a SMASH brew for your first AG.

Use enough pale malt to give you the OG you want using BeerSmith to guide you - suggest 5kg would be a fair starting point giving an ABV of around 5-6% depending on how your process performs in terms of mash efficiency, evaporation loss, dead space etc (which you won't really be able to dial in accurately until you're done a few brews and learned your kit)
Mash that in about 12ltrs of mash liquor - if you know the alkalinity of the water treat with CRS/AMS accordingly, otherwise boil it up the night before.(do more than you need for mashing so you have spare treated water for sparging)
Try any hops you like but Goldings or Fuggles will give you a classic English pale ale - use some in the first runnings into your boiler, as many IBU as you think you want (suggest somewhere about 40 - 50g unless you are a hophead in which case use as many as you like!) And add some more (qty up to you and your tastes - 30-40g would be okay but more if you like) for the last 15 minutes of the boil. If you want to, add some more after you finish boiling and let them steep for 30 mins before chilling and pitching.

There are a LOT of refinements to this but you should get a drinkable pint and will know from that if your taste is for a hoppier/maltier/more bitter brew and can change things accordingly.

I remember my first brew day was fraught trying to remember so many things (including fitting the hop strainer to the boiler) and my advice whatever you choose to do is keep it simple as there is plenty that will need your concentration.

Have fun with it and post us a brew day thread.

Cheers
Steve

[far9410]

Hi I usually do 23 L brews so that I can fill a corny plus a few bottles, which give you a chance of an early cheeky taster, and also first one thro the Fv tap goes in bottle, in case there's any crap lurking there. Good luck with your first brew.

[john_drummer]

My advice would be to aim for a well known draught or bottled beer that you already know you like, e.g. Old Speckled Hen, Old Peculier, Hobgoblin, Landlord etc

unless it's really exotic - or something awful - there's a pretty good chance there's be a version of it in print and/or online; I'd be happy to share any recipes I have access to and I'm sure most others on here would gladly do the same

BTW I've recently had a bottle of the Seymour Citra Gold brewed by Uncle Joshua (I think) & it was very very nice

[boniochompio]

Thanks very much. The Seymour Citra sounds like a good starter, and looks very easy to begin with! I tried putting it all through BeerSmith and think I've got it worked out.

Looking forward to testing my mash tun and working out dead space etc, and of course learning my brewhouse efficiency as i go. i will definitely post the story of my "first brew day" - which will be somewhat a collective effort after all the advice i've received from this forum!

[seymour]

Yeah, I thought it would be a fairly simple recipe, and one which will finish relatively quickly so you can have your own spritzy, citrusy summer refresher to boast about at parties.

Cheers and best of luck! Looking forward to following your progress.