Hello from the State of Georgia

Started brewing a few months ago.  I have brewed 7 batches. My first batch was an extract Muntons  American light lager.  It turned out great everyone loved it.  I went right into all grain brewing and brewed a cream ale.  It turned out great also it was some kick ass beer!  I have experimented with different kind of hops to try to find a recipe I like the best and I am still experimenting.  I have a Pilsner lager on right now hope it turns out great too. 

I like Beer Smith.  This tool helps in so many ways.  I feel that is why I have been so successful with every batch I have made so far.  If you just follow the instructions and stay sanitary you will produce drinkable beer.  Hope to be picking your brains for help very soon.

Cheers!
Grayeagle

Welcome to the madness. 

One way of learning about malts and hops is to make a SMaSH.  Single Malt and Single Hop beer.

You choose a single base grain and adjust the amount to the Alcohol strength you desire.  Then you use a single variety of hop and adjust it to the hopiness you desire.  English style beers work great for this, such as bitters, pale ales and IPA's.  It helps increase the complexity of these simple recipes if you add the hops in multiple additions.

If may make these very basic beers, but you'll quickly learn the profiles of the grain and hop that you used.  In that way, when you brew future more complicated beers, you'll understand a lot better what each grain and hop will be contributing to that new recipe.

I wished I hadn't waited 100 batches of beer before trying a SMaSH.  i prefer my SMaSH beers to be very easy drinking session types of beers.  I aim for about 4% ABV on mine, give or take about .5%.

I once made 10 gallons of wort, using NW Pale Malt as my base malt in a Pale Ale style with no specialty grains.  I used Cascade for 5 gallons and Fuggles for the other 5 gallons.  I set the IBU's identical for the two different hops.  I used the same yeast (US-05).  The two beers were so different that I was amazed.  I preferred the Fuggles hopped beer.  Most of my friends here on the west coast preferred the Cascade hopped beer.

Whatever you make next though, I'm sure that you and your friends will enjoy it!  Keep us posted on what you're making.