thood6
Well-Known Member
Once again, new to the art of brewing. The obsession has started. But anyways, how much better are all grain brews vs. LME?
The best idea is to:
DO BOTH
I have recipes that can only be done AG, a bunch that can be either (depending how long a brew day SWMBO will allow) and sometimes grab an extract kit like if I'm going to a brew party at a friends place... Stay open to all kinds of brewing. Don't get locked in to one style and start getting an attitude about it. That would just make you bored and boring.
It's more a matter of preference & opinion. A lot of brewers say the flavor, head retention, etc increase dramatically with all-grain, but others (like me...) are perfectly content with extract & partial-mash batches (and there's absolutely nothing wrong with either, by the way ). It's completely up to you if you want to make the jump already, but since you're a new brewer, I recommend getting some basic extract-only brews under your belt, make the move to partial mash, then consider if you're ready to hit the all-grain.
TopherM said:Some brewers have even done side-by-side EXTRACT vs. ALL GRAIN batch comparisons, and the latest prevailing experimental evidence seems to suggest that there isn't much difference. More than one side-by-side comparison I saw concluded that the MYTH behind EXTRACT being inferior to ALL GRAIN comes from a few basic facts:
#1: ALL GRAIN brewers tend to use fresher ingredients. Most kits that EXTRACT brewers buy tend to be in hobby shops or LHBS shops that do not turn over these products as quickly as ideal. There is no telling how old the LME in any given kit is, while most grain is fresh and is certainly freshly milled and freshly mashed on brew day.
#2: ALL GRAIN brewers tend to conduct a more seemless brewing process. Though they exist, there are very few EXTRACT brewers with 1+ years of experience. Through they exist, there are very few ALL GRAIN brewers with less than a few batches experience. So your average AG brewer tends to have the process down pact, while your average EXTRACT brewer is still learning and making mistakes. Find a newbie brewer and have him whip up an AG batch, and I'll whip up an EXTRACT batch, and mine WILL be better.
#3: AND THIS IS A BIG ONE: The average ALL GRAIN brewer uses advanced techniques that the average EXTRACT brewer just does not. Things like oxygen infussion into wort pre-fermentation, optimizing their water profile - especially getting a 5.2-5.6 PH and minimizing chlorine, full-volume boils, and the BIGGIE - TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED FERMENTATION. Practicing these advanced techniques, in particular controlling fermentation temps, and you can make an extract batch that rivals an AG batch. It's just the average EXTRACT brewer has already moved on to AG by the time they start doing these things. You are really GETTING SERIOUS by the time you have a temperature controlled cooler or freezer in your living room, and very few people get serious and stick with EXTRACT.
Anyway, hope that helps. It's just by the time you get to where you REALLY know how to brew, most people are ready to take on AG brewing, so you think you are making better brews jsut due to the ingredients, but you leave all of the other factors out.
It's kinda like saying that Bobby Flay couldn't make a world-class chili if you gave him tomatoes in a can. It's mainly the knowledge and skill of the BREWER that determines the quality of the beer, not whether you pre-mash the malt or do it on brew day.
Some brewers have even done side-by-side EXTRACT vs. ALL GRAIN batch comparisons, and the latest prevailing experimental evidence seems to suggest that there isn't much difference. More than one side-by-side comparison I saw concluded that the MYTH behind EXTRACT being inferior to ALL GRAIN comes from a few basic facts:
#1: ALL GRAIN brewers tend to use fresher ingredients. Most kits that EXTRACT brewers buy tend to be in hobby shops or LHBS shops that do not turn over these products as quickly as ideal. There is no telling how old the LME in any given kit is, while most grain is fresh and is certainly freshly milled and freshly mashed on brew day.
#2: ALL GRAIN brewers tend to conduct a more seemless brewing process. Though they exist, there are very few EXTRACT brewers with 1+ years of experience. Through they exist, there are very few ALL GRAIN brewers with less than a few batches experience. So your average AG brewer tends to have the process down pact, while your average EXTRACT brewer is still learning and making mistakes. Find a newbie brewer and have him whip up an AG batch, and I'll whip up an EXTRACT batch, and mine WILL be better.
#3: AND THIS IS A BIG ONE: The average ALL GRAIN brewer uses advanced techniques that the average EXTRACT brewer just does not. Things like oxygen infussion into wort pre-fermentation, optimizing their water profile - especially getting a 5.2-5.6 PH and minimizing chlorine, full-volume boils, and the BIGGIE - TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED FERMENTATION. Practicing these advanced techniques, in particular controlling fermentation temps, and you can make an extract batch that rivals an AG batch. It's just the average EXTRACT brewer has already moved on to AG by the time they start doing these things. You are really GETTING SERIOUS by the time you have a temperature controlled cooler or freezer in your living room, and very few people get serious and stick with EXTRACT.
Anyway, hope that helps. It's just by the time you get to where you REALLY know how to brew, most people are ready to take on AG brewing, so you think you are making better brews jsut due to the ingredients, but you leave all of the other factors out.
It's kinda like saying that Bobby Flay couldn't make a world-class chili if you gave him tomatoes in a can. It's mainly the knowledge and skill of the BREWER that determines the quality of the beer, not whether you pre-mash the malt or do it on brew day.
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