Heading back to extract brewing. Am I crazy?

I need to brew and I don't have the time to AG. I've been saving this Porter recipe for this circumstance since I know it's good, despite the amount of extract. Would you brew this recipe or just keep waiting until you had time to AG? I don't even remember the steeping process, but basically its this or nothing for a few more weeks!

Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Volume: 4.00 gal Boil Time: 60 min

6.60 lb Pale Liquid Extract (8.0 SRM) Extract 72.53 %
0.50lb Black (Patent) Malt (500.0 SRM) Grain 5.49 %
0.50lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 5.49 %
0.50lb Special Roast (50.0 SRM) Grain 5.49 %
1.00oz Magnum [14.00 %] (60 min) Hops 36.9 IBU
0.25oz Magnum [14.00 %] (10 min) Hops 3.3 IBU
1.00lb Brown Sugar,Dark (50.0 SRM) Sugar 10.99 % (added @ end)
1 Pkgs Nottingham Yeast (Lallemand #-) Yeast-Ale

Estimated Original Gravity: 1.053 SG (1.048-1.065 SG)
Estimated Final Gravity: 1.013 SG (1.012-1.016 SG)
Estimated Color: 28.1 SRM (22.0-40.0 SRM)
Bitterness: 40.2 IBU (25.0-55.0 IBU)
Estimated Alcohol by Volume: 5.21 % (4.80-6.00

There's nothing wrong with extract. Personaly I'd switch it to dme and do the late addition but I'm sure it'll be a great beer.

Brew on!

Alamo_Beer said:

There's nothing wrong with extract. Personaly I'd switch it to dme and do the late addition but I'm sure it'll be a great beer.

Brew on!

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I only have LME on hand. I would do the late addition if the color were a concern but dark is good in this case...

I have gone back and forth too. I have 3 kids and my best ever brew is a toss up between AG and PM. I am leaning towards the PM. I don't have the time. Also the chance ofsomething going wrong is much greater with AG.(thermometer crapping out, minor emergency taking your attention away from your pot while it boild over, etc.)

Hard to answer that question, bruthah. On one hand, extract brewing is more expensive, and in my experience, not quite as good. On the other hand, darker beers seem to be more forgiving when it comes to extract, and one of my best batches ever was my very last all-extract batch, a chocolate coffee stout. Personally, I don't use extract anymore, except on the rare super-high-grav brew such as Mephistopheles. It costs too much, I don't care for the extracty taste, and I'd much rather just wait until I have time than rush it.

Well, if you're already got the LME on hand anyway.....

WHAT THE HELL ELSE YOU GONNA DO WITH IT!?

Brew on, my friend...

Evan! said:

Hard to answer that question, bruthah. On one hand, extract brewing is more expensive, and in my experience, not quite as good. On the other hand, darker beers seem to be more forgiving when it comes to extract, and one of my best batches ever was my very last all-extract batch, a chocolate coffee stout. Personally, I don't use extract anymore, except on the rare super-high-grav brew such as Mephistopheles. It costs too much, I don't care for the extracty taste, and I'd much rather just wait until I have time than rush it.

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I agree when it comes to price but I already have this LME on hand. I bought it a few months ago for this kind of situation. As you said, darker beers are more successful with extract so thats why I went with Porter. Plus I'm thinking the brown sugar and Notthingham will dry it out some...

Nothing wrong with extract, due to space (small condo) I only do that and PM at home. I do AG over at a friends place a couple of times a year. Lot o' work.
I would be careful with the late extract addition thing. You can really screw up the bittering of your beer if you are not careful with the hops adjustment. jmho.
AP

Nothing wrong with extract, I switch back too when I don't have the time to spend all day brewing.

Quick question - I don't remember the steeping process too well but what can I use to steep? I don't have any grain/hop bags on hand. Can I use cheesecloth?

Alamo_Beer said:

There's nothing wrong with extract. Personaly I'd switch it to dme and do the late addition but I'm sure it'll be a great beer.

Brew on!

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I agree nothing wrong with extract brewing. I also prefer DME and steeping specialty grains plus liquid yeast when extract brewing. I usually always make my German weiss beers with Dry wheat extract. After all the main part of its flavor comes from the yeast.

A cheesecloth would probably work just fine.

I'm with bird - you might as well use the extract if you've got it. Nothing wrong with extract brewing.

APendejo said:

Nothing wrong with extract, due to space (small condo) I only do that and PM at home. I do AG over at a friends place a couple of times a year. Lot o' work.
I would be careful with the late extract addition thing. You can really screw up the bittering of your beer if you are not careful with the hops adjustment. jmho.
AP

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How so? Is it because the hops are better utilized in a boil with less extract, causing more bitterness or because the late addition of the malt overpowers the bittering hops that have already spent 30 to 45 minutes causing less bitterness?

extract FTW... its just simple.

+1 JadedDog. I've recently taken up extract brewing again for the same reasons.

I prefer AG brewing, but I don't have the time to do it as much as I want to. Plus, SWMBO gets more involved when we do an extract batch, and that makes it fun.

If the choice is between an empty carboy and a carboy filled with an extract beer, I'll choose the extract beer every time.

There are ways to avoid the twang.

You can steep them free floating if you don't mind pouring the whole thing through a strainer before you start boiling.

I don't think there's anything wrong with extract but I would feel like it's a step back. I just enjoy the all grain process too much I think. One of the parts of the process I really enjoy is the first whiff of malty goodness when I dough in. Extract brewing seems a little more "sterile" I suppose.

Beerthoven said:

If the choice is between an empty carboy and a carboy filled with an extract beer, I'll choose the extract beer every time.

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That's what I'm thinking. Its settled then, extract Porter it is. At least my brewing time will be cut in half (or more)!

If any style is better suited for extract, its a porter.

I free float my steeping grains as well. Use a mesh strainer to scoop and then pour through cheese cloth in colandar to filter.

I would still consider a later extract addition with at least half of the extract. You're still going to get your color, but you will have better utilization of the hops as someone pointed out. Also, it will avoid excess carmelization of the extract which could lead to some off flavors.

PseudoChef said:

I would still consider a later extract addition with at least half of the extract. You're still going to get your color, but you will have better utilization of the hops as someone pointed out. Also, it will avoid excess carmelization of the extract which could lead to some off flavors.

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I was actually hoping for slight caramelization. I think it'd be interesting in this case. The hop utilization is something to consider though. Maybe I'll add half the LME late...

Given that it's a Porter and there is a hop shortage, a late addition might be a good idea. Other than that have at it. Nothing wrong with extract. One OBC member submitted two similar Belgians to Widmer for the Collaborator project, the extract one won a slot. Of course, Widmer's pilot system isn't set up for extract, so matching the flavor will be a bit of a challenge on a 40 barrel run.

[I like more caramel (up to 1.5 lbs) in my porters, but that's strictly a personal choice.]

PseudoChef said:

I would still consider a later extract addition with at least half of the extract. You're still going to get your color, but you will have better utilization of the hops as someone pointed out. Also, it will avoid excess carmelization of the extract which could lead to some off flavors.

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Better hop utilizations -- That answers my question above. And I think I understand why APenejo was concerned about bitterness; Late addition method = better bittering hop utilization = a bit more bitter = may not be a good thing for a porter.

I learned something today!

Soulive said:

Quick question - I don't remember the steeping process too well but what can I use to steep? I don't have any grain/hop bags on hand. Can I use cheesecloth?

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I would just put the crushed specialty grain right in the water. Use a colander and cheese cloth to strain it out. This way you are sure to extract most of the flavor and coloring you are after.

Answered before I could get around to it.
I learned the hard way by ruining an extract nut brown ale and a best bitter on the same day doing a late malt addition. The 60 min bittering hops, EKG I believe, that should have blended into the beer completely overpowered the malt and the fuggles aroma additions. The finished products ended not so good. like someone had dosed each glass with a bit of quinine. Probably could have cut back 1/2 to 2/3 on the bittering hops.
I think the late addition is to keep light colored beers their proper color.
I always use extra pale extract anyway, careful not to scortch the pot and have never had any issues with the liquid extract darkening.
AP

With just a pound and a half you might be able to get away with just a kitchen strainer. I forgot the haute cuisine name for it. A fine mesh hand held strainer.

the_bird said:

Well, if you're already got the LME on hand anyway.....

WHAT THE HELL ELSE YOU GONNA DO WITH IT!?

Brew on, my friend...

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Sactly What That Guy Said.

Poindexter said:

With just a pound and a half you might be able to get away with just a kitchen strainer. I forgot the haute cuisine name for it. A fine mesh hand held strainer.

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Colander? Sieve?

To actually contribute, I agree with pretty much everyone here, brew the beer! Especially since you know that recipe will be good and you already have all the ingredients. On the other hand you might lose some points with the AG nazi elitists

I forgot about this. Things went smoothly yesterday. I actually only used one burner. No problems but I missed my precious, superior AG brewing

Soulive said:

I agree when it comes to price but I already have this LME on hand. I bought it a few months ago for this kind of situation. As you said, darker beers are more successful with extract so thats why I went with Porter. Plus I'm thinking the brown sugar and Notthingham will dry it out some...

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The only beer I made with extract + steeping grains that DIDN'T have the skank extract taste was a Porter. I say go for it!

EDIT - glad it worked out.