Good Links & Threads for New Homebrewers

www.homebrewersassociation.org ...Probably one of the best sites for almost all brewers! Great info on how to brew extract, BIAB and traditional all grain, random articles with tips and advice and a good collection of recipes. I get 15% off at my LHBS and discounts at many watering holes in my travels, and the magazine Zymurgy is one of the better homebrewing periodicals out there IMO...making a membership very valuable in several ways as well!

The percent instead of pound question... Some list percent instead because not everyone does 5 gallon batches all the time. This way you can calculate the grain for a 1 gallon batch or 10 gallon batch which seem to be the other popular batch sizes, or if you wanted to split a batch and experiment on different yeast for example (7.5 gallon batch can produce a 5 gallon batch which uses the recommended yeast and then you have 2.5 gallons for an experimental batch). I tend to do 5.25-6 gallon batches to compensate for trub/sediment that might absorb beer in the fermenter and give you a full 5 final gallons of beer. Even pro brewers can use the recipe then to produce much larger batches as well.

This forum is one of the better forums on the Web, with MANY helpful and knowledgeable homebrewers (many have amazing scientific/professional experience with brewing) with MANY years of experience. Do your research before posting a question on any forum, so you avoid the "well duh" answers, but there will usually be several competent people reply on this forum with excellent advice/answers to help guide you through your rough spots in brewing! Happy brewing!!

 

In addition to different batch sizes, two brewers making the same size batch may have different mash efficiencies due to process or equipment differences. If one is getting 85% efficiency and the other 65%, the brewer with lower is going to need more grain to hit the same original gravity. You and the recipe author are unlikely to have the same exact mash efficiency, so he gives you the % breakdown of grains in his mash and you scale that for yours.

Doesn't look like you are extract brewing but if so, extract should be pretty uniform if disolved in the same volume of water. No need to worry there.

 

It's about scale. If you want to brew a 1 gal batch, and I want to brew a 50 gal batch, you have the info you need and so do I. It's a PITA to convert to pounds and oz. You'd be surprised that you can get away with murder if you're working in half pounds when you begin brewing. Hops should still be by the oz. No need for a cocaine scale--yet.

The best thing you can do is keep the wheel turning. It sounds like you've had experienced help so far. Keep that going with your current contacts and feel free to rely on us for help too. Don't be afraid to post your next recipe on here and ask for advice. We like that kind of thing. Stick with something simple and forgivable. Porters and Stouts always come out drinkable, usually very drinkable, and more often than you'd expect they are great--even in August!

So, keep the questions coming and give us a recipe to chew on.

 

There are many threads in this forum about getting started homebrewing, what equipment to get, what recipe to brew, etc. so that if you do a search of a specific word, etc. you'll get a number of threads, posts, opinions. Or you can simply begin to page backward and look at the thread titles for subjects that fit your interests. Here is a link to a search that I did using 'newbie' and looking only at thread titles for that word. It will get you started. You can also try searching on 'equipment' or 'kits' to get other threads. http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/search/32630725/?q=newbie&o=date&c[title_only]=1&c[node]=8

 

Exactly. % of grist is much more universal.