First AG tinkering: Six-Grain Beer!

[Killer_Robot]

When placing my last AHS order, I decided that in my attempts to build up some ready beer by sticking to fairly quick recipes, I would try a rye beer. Similar to wheat, good summer drinking - well, maybe that's out the window now since when I was looking at recipes and joking on other threads I got thinking. Why not make a beer with lots of different grains? Especially once I'd settled on MikeFlynn74's Light Rye Ale , which already had four of the six most common grains. I altered the recipe as follows:

2lb Brewer's Six-row Malt
2lb Rye Malt
1lb Brewer's Two-row Malt
1lb Pale Ale Malt
1lb White Wheat Malt
1lb Red Wheat Malt
1lb Flaked Maize
1lb Flaked Rice
1lb Flaked Oats

1 oz Cascade hops at 60 min.
1 oz Cascade hops at 10 min.

I'm also torn between pitching onto a WB-06 cake as soon as the order arrives this week, or doing the quick and low-grav bitter I ordered with it first then pitching on Nottingham later. Hopefully the oats don't make it too weird though: I mostly just want a rye ale with a weird story to tell.

 

[Oldsock]

I would go with the cleaner yeast (nottingham) because I think you already have enough going on.

Most of those grains are pretty mild (no crystal/cara/roasted etc...) so I think it won't taste too crazy. My only real concern is how you will lauter, got any riuce hulls? Nearly 60% of your grain bill is husk-less, so if you aren't careful you could be in for a stuck run off.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

I hope I don't seem picky, but I'm wondering why you decided to use such a diverse recipe for your first all grain. Most people would keep it simple so they could use it as a control.

 

[mmb]

Hopefully the oats don't make it too weird though: I mostly just want a rye ale with a weird story to tell.

Oats don't really have much of a "flavor." That's why everyone adds sugar and other crap to oatmeal. They provide a silky and thick mouthfeel to my mind.

I hope I don't seem picky, but I'm wondering why you decided to use such a diverse recipe for your first all grain. Most people would keep it simple so they could use it as a control.

I think it is his first AG batch that isn't a proven recipe. Otherwise, I agree with the short garden dweller.

 

[Mutilated1]

I hope I don't seem picky, but I'm wondering why you decided to use such a diverse recipe for your first all grain. Most people would keep it simple so they could use it as a control.

yes I agree, simpiler is better

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

I think it is his first AG batch that isn't a proven recipe. Otherwise, I agree with the short garden dweller.

Ah yes. I didn't spot that. If it's not the first all grain, and you know your system, then go crazy!

 

[Killer_Robot]

Oats don't really have much of a "flavor." That's why everyone adds sugar and other crap to oatmeal. They provide a silky and thick mouthfeel to my mind.

I think it is his first AG batch that isn't a proven recipe. Otherwise, I agree with the short garden dweller.

That should help things, on the first point then. On the second, that's just it. I've done all-grain by a recipe and partial mash with some experimentation on the same setup, so I'm not breaking in any new equipment or technique.

As lautering goes, I have a big bag of rice hulls on hand, so I'm going to mix some of them in there too.

With Oldsock's point I think I'll use a neutral yeast, meaning I'll be putting this one off a couple weeks until I've finished a bitter and stocked my shelves a little more. That way if it doesn't come out all that well at least I'll have more to drink while I ponder what to improve next time. Thanks for all the advice.