Benefits of all-grain vs. extract.

Read about some people who now claim they are all-grain brewers, and am wondering what benefit you get out of that?

Is the beer better? If it is, how so? Also, is it possible to make really good beer from extract kits? My first extract kit is in the secondary right now, and so far so good, but I think my expectations might be a little high for the quality of it. Can I make beer that is equivalent of micro brew beer that you can buy at the grocery store, or will I be disappointed? Is there a cap to the quality that can be achieved by extract brewing?

Never done an extract brew... what I have heard is that some great beer can be made with extract, or partal mash. The benefit of brewing all grain, YOU have control over every oz of extract that goes into your brew... there is alot more manipulation possible. From malt types to mashing temps, they all have an affect on the brew. I have heard that the beers are generally better tasting because of this fine tuning that can be accomplished. The down side... more equipment and more time along with alot more knowlege. Read Papazians book and you will be ready for AG brewing.

Brewpilot

Brewpilot pretty much sums it up. I did extract kits for years and over time got more and more into the nuts and bolts of what was going on - this lead me to wanting to move to partial mash and finally all-grain. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't make a great beer from an extract kit - because you definitely can. A lot of people decide that they don't want to spend the extra time and money to go all-grain and that is 100% cool. It's your hobby, you do what you want! The main different for me is the control over your beer that you get with all-grain. I wanted to be able to design my own recipes, make style-correct beers and experiment with my own ideas. To fully control this process, I felt I had to go all grain. Is has cost more $$$, and CERTAINLY takes up more time (I'm doing a pilsner this weekend that I've probably spent 12 hours setting up, doing water and mash calcs, asking questions, pondering, and sampling many commercial pils on the way ) but it is what I feel will take me to the next level of brewing.

I do the same... I spend hours at the hotel here working out grain bills, hop utilization and infusion calculations for my upcoming brews. I find alot of enjoyment in all of the work. I would rather do everything long hand than automate it all... I want everything I make to be a creation of my own imagination.

Brewpilot

I have made some fine brews from extract before switching to AG. It mostly depends on your sanatation (for every brew, not only extract) and your recipie.
For instance, using sugar to replace malt extract in a recipie might not give you the flavor you want out of a brew while at the same time increasing the amount of alcohol in your beer.
Not everyone wants to extend their brew day to do AG and while it can be more rewarding IMO it can also be more frustrating if you haven't done your homework.
Dialing in your system takes time and the more detail you attend to will decrease the number of brews you have to make to start to get the ones you like.