2009 Batch # 1

On a cold winter day, after a ride, family is bunker down. What to do but brew. So a long time ago I got a home brew kit with, buckets, racking cane, hydrometer and air locks, bottle capper. I had not use this stuff since 94. This past fall I found two 5 gal. glass carboys at a yard sale, which I bought for 15 bucks. I then began making strong cider or cider wines. So for christmas I got a gift cert to a beer supply store. I ended up buying a 6.5 gal glass and some other ingredients. I then order a bunch of hops from here. So, I scratch out a recipe using some resourse. It went a little like this.

Grains - 1 lb cara pils
1 lb crystal 20L
1 lb pale ale
7 lb LME

* Note I used a 3 gal vessel and a 2 gal vessel. I split the grains and extract accordingly. I think I should have used less crystal and cara, but I was make 6.5 gals and I didn't have anymore regular malts.

Hops - here is where I may have gone over board. I think I used too much bittering hops for flavor.
In the one kettle I did: 1 oz perle 60min
.5 perle 30 min
.5 perle 15 min
.25 perle 5 min
In the other I used the very high AAU Zeus hops : (I should have done this 90, 60, 30 minutes) and maybe just .5 oz each increment.
1 oz 45 min
.5 30
.25 15
I did take a sample, but my hydrometer rolled off the counter last night(oops). I did taste the sample. Well, I think a little too much Zues. Can a beer be too hoppy. It also seemed a little lower in gravity than I wanted, but it could have been the hops covering it up. I used an American ale yeast. A couple of things would make this process better. First off all grain is the way to go. For the price of the extract I could have bought over ten pounds of grain. Just need to get a launter tun of sorts. One big kettle 8 gal we be easier than spliitting a batch. If it is too hoppy from the start it will be a batch for storing since hops do make a great preservative.