LandoLincoln

Recipes 

Water quality also becomes an issue when going AG, and that may require a goodly amount of research, if your water supply is iffy.

So if you go AG for the first time, consider using spring water until you find out if your local water supply uses chloramines and you send the water out for a water test to Ward Labs.

Actually, even if you're going to do extract batches you should find out if your water is treated with chloramines. 1/4 of a campden tablet per 5 gallons fixes the chloramine problem. Chloramine makes beer taste pretty nasty.

Some people never go this far with their water, I suppose, but in my opinion if you want to make truly excellent beers you're going to need to know what's in your water eventually.

TimpanogosSlim

Recipes 

I have never brewed with extract. Started with a brooklyn brew shop all-grain kit.

I also learned to drive in a car with a stick shift, passed my driving test in a car with a stick shift, and my first 3 cars were all manuals.

Just the way i roll.

ak-71

Recipes 

When and where I was getting my license - EVERYBODY (like the whole (huge) country) took tests on manual and drove stick shift cars... Not a big deal if you don't have much options

Forum may make AG sound more complicated than it really is.
I fermented some "wort in the bag" kits and went AG. Extracts are expensive here and AG is not that complicated and much more fun.
I like my AG batches better than pe-made kits - I can make them the way I like

daksin

Recipes 

No reason not to. I did two extract batches and then went right to BIAB nad haven't looked back. I definitely could have started on AG, and would recommend it to anyone.

This is a great analogy, and I am definitely going to start using it. Cheers!

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Holy cow- you guys did it. The Kickstarter was successfully funded! Now the real work begins!

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Bottled:Monticello Barleywine, Red Nosed Tripel
Kegs:Cali Common, Imperial Common, Sunshine Belgian Rye, Sticke Note Alt
Secondary:Cherry Blackberry melomel
Primary: Honey Blonde
On Deck: Belma Pale Ale, Cluster Fug IIPA, American IIPA v1.0, rauchbier, roggenbier

passedpawn

Recipes 

I had the exact same thought.

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Now there's some take delight in the carriages a rolling
and others take delight in the hurling and the bowling
but I take delight in the juice of the barley
and courting pretty fair maids in the morning bright and early

BrewinHooligan

Recipes 

I started with a Mr Beer kit as a gift from my wife for Christmas. I made 4 of their "kits" which I do not consider to be brewing. You mix the pre-hopped extract with some boiling water, cool, and pitch yeast. After that, I jumped headfirst into AG and have never looked back. It takes a lot of time and I like that, it is the only "me" time that I get and it's like meditation for me.

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Primary: Pineapple Heffeweizen, Skeeter Pee
On Tap: Simcoe/Amarillo IPA, Centennial Blonde
Bottled: Milk Stout(bronze and gold medals), Spiced Punkin Ale, White House Honey Porter (ag), Mango Wine, Gerwurztraminer
"If wrong feels so good I don't wanna be right."

Bobby_M

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Recipes 

I'm always asked if one should go straight to all grain (or if it's practical). I know you can but I always suggest a different approach. Start with a large boil kettle, like a 10 gallon that is ready to go for all grain. Get an immersion chiller. Figure out how you're going to pitch enough yeast and how you're going to keep the fermenter cool. Now... brew a batch of extract beer and prove to yourself that you can handle 6 gallons of wort from boil to ferment. If you can't master that portion of it, there's no reason to spend 4 extra hours manufacturing wort from grain. Spend a few batches getting used to full volume wort and clean ferments and THEN make wort from grain. It's a very logical progression.

Sorry, I really do think that there are just too many ways to fail starting fresh with all grain.

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Pilgarlic

Recipes 

When I was a teenager I took guitar lessons because I thought that I needed to do that if I wanted to learn to play banjo. I was quickly told to go take banjo lessons. If you want to brew grain, brew grain.

onthekeg

Recipes 

My first batch was all grain, and that was the only 5 gallon batch I ever made.

ryno84

Recipes 

Not everybody has the time for a 4+ hour brewday. Also not everybody has space and money for extra equipment. So, extract can be a better option for some.

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Primary: Pale Ale
Bottled: Yooper's Dead Guy Clone, Biermuncher's Centennial Blonde