tossing out the training wheels

when do you graduate to AG? I've just tasted my first batch of mr beer (that my beautiful, sexy and wonderfully intelligent wife bought me!) and though i've rushed the tasting, I think this is something to try again!
Should I go ahead and try a basic AG recipe or do a few more batches with training wheels first?

Also, I've done wine brewing in past and have ample 5 and 6 gal carboys. Guessing I can use these with the airlocks I've used for the wine. If I use these, shall I add enough water to elimate as much air in the carboy as possible or will the fermentation CO2 keep it happy enough that it won't matter?

Thanks!

AG isn't cheap. I'm still trying to figure out brew in a bag. And even that can be a bit tedious at times. Personally, I'd say if your gonna move up. Move up to brew in a bag. It's more work, and as you learn. I'm just starting out myself, and brew in a bag is a lot easier for me, due to lack of space, and funding for a full setup.

I went all grain after my first extract kit (it was a LHBS in house recipe), but i went off the deepend immediately. I've since learned a ton about brewing beer and every part of the process with it.

I would say maybe give some in-house kits a try (something like NB or Midwest or your LHBS may have, even a brewers best kit would help) Those are going to give you another taste of the process with adding a little bit more than just heating up hopped LME for the Mr. Beer kits.

You can still make great beer using extracts and there are plenty of people here that do, or you can maybe try a stovetop all grain or partial mash to give you some more experience. But without all the added equipment (mash tun, HLT, larger kettle, false bottoms, hoses, etc..) it is going to be a big jump from mr. beer to AG.

Please don't interpret this as me trying to talk you out of anything, i certainly can't be swayed when i've made up my mind on something. But definitely give a look to some of the smaller extract/partial mash kits that many places have to offer. AG is fun, and the process has more control, but if you don't fully understand what it is youre doing and why, you also have the ability to create some various off flavors in your beer.

whichever you choose, goodluck, and don't be afraid to ask a ton of questions here

when do you graduate to AG

Click to expand...

That is up to you. Some people start with all grain, some do extract kits and never go all grain. There isn't anything wrong with using extracts for as long as you like.

(that my beautiful, sexy and wonderfully intelligent wife bought me!)

Click to expand...

I'm sorry but this kind of statement cannot be believed. You have to provide us with pictures.

Do a few extract recipes, then move to partial mash and finally to AG. Doing this lets you buy things as you progress, learn something at each stage and enjoy the fruits of your education.

cluckk said:

Do a few extract recipes, then move to partial mash and finally to AG. Doing this lets you buy things as you progress, learn something at each stage and enjoy the fruits of your education.

Click to expand...

This is certainly one way to approach it, but there's no reason it has to be this way. I've helped a few folks jump directly into AG and they're glad they did. If you can afford it, I say go for the gold!

Brulosopher said:

This is certainly one way to approach it, but there's no reason it has to be this way. I've helped a few folks jump directly into AG and they're glad they did. If you can afford it, I say go for the gold!

Click to expand...

Man, I wish I could afford to go AG. But, BIAB isn't so bad for someone just learning on a budget.

homebrewer_wes said:

man, i wish i could afford to go ag. But, biab isn't so bad for someone just learning on a budget.

Click to expand...

biab = ag :d

If you're asking the question, then you are ready, grasshopper.

AG does not have to be that expensive. I batch sparge and use a rectangular cooler that cost me less than $30.00 and that much again to put in the ball vaulve. That allong with a brew pot that can do a full boil is enough to get you going. It may not look as cool as some set ups but works great. I have get 75+ effenciency on most of my brews.

Better ask that beautiful, sexy, intelligent wife of yours what you can afford to do first.

She might get pissed, or have her feelings hurt, if you cast away Mr Beer so quickly. Women are funny about having their gifts appreciated.

If she says go for it, thank your lucky stars that you have a very understanding and supportive wife...along with those other good qualities.

I did a Mr. Beer kit and wasn't impressed with the flavor and economy. A friend showed me his partial mash setup/process and I got a well-intentioned all grain kit as a gift. Like others have said AG isn't hard so much as it is expensive in initial setup costs. BIAB and some of the smaller 1-3 gallon AG setups can be very economic and practical. It all depends on what you're trying to get out of it.

Following other peoples recipes like those found in The Joys of Homebrewing, Brew Like a Monk, and the many on this website isn't hard. Formulating your own recipes from scratch can be difficult if you don't have some mid-level understanding of the processes in action when you brew.

While the books mentioned in this thread and found at your LHBS are excellent sources of the how and why, and I'm sure I'm not the only one, it is entirely possible to get a thorough understanding of all of the forces at work in brewing from free sources. The members of this site along with brewing blogs such as Science Brewer, The Mad Fermentationist, BKYeast, Grain and Grain, BrewingTV, blogs maintained by members here, and countless others will give you just as much information for free!

I would say you're better off doing some more extract batches first, or partial mash. You can still build wonderfully complex beers with extract, but there are some fundamentals that it's really good to master first. My first few all grain batches were much worse than any of my extract batches, until I really got my head around the process. It's taken me several batches to get to where I can consistently make beer as good as my last few extract brews.

AG does not have to be expensive. A stock pot can be had for $40 or less. The material to make a bag is less than $5 at Walmart. A mill can be ordered for about $25. That's really about all you need to add to the equipment for doing extract to switch to AG.

Euphist said:

AG does not have to be expensive. A stock pot can be had for $40 or less. The material to make a bag is less than $5 at Walmart. A mill can be ordered for about $25. That's really about all you need to add to the equipment for doing extract to switch to AG.

Click to expand...

I use a different approach to AG that does not use a mash tun...just a bazooka tube (I paid $9.99 for the tube). I already had a spigot on my brew kettle though.

http://morebeer.com/brewingtechniques/library/backissues/issue2.3/schmidling.html

I'm trying to avoid any additional equipment...the garage can only hold so much stuff before I end up on an episode of Hoarders.

Extract is expensive, but the additional gear you pick up definitely adds up. I know, I know.. you don't have to get a bunch of extra gear.. but who are we kidding?

I started with the idea of being cost conscious.. $1k+ later, i'm still not in the black, but i'm loving every minute of it! And i'm loving the beer I drink too and it's always getting better.

My setup. Rectangular cooler (Walmart/$17), ball valve and cpvc manifold ($25), Bayou Classic 8 gal SS kettle and SQ14 propane burner ($125), 5 gal kettle for strike/sparge water ($40), Barley Crusher ($125), 2 fermenting buckets ($40), carboys (left over from my wine making days). You don't need to spend a lot to get up and running.

Read up on BIAB and traditional mash tun methods and watch some videos (I watched a ton of them before I started purchasing my equipment) so you get a good feel and can decide for yourself how you want to proceed.

Welcome to the addiction!

I did one extract and enjoyed it, my second was a biab all grain (done today), only 3 gallon to fit my equipment. I'm glad I took this step now instead of later. The cost for the bag was cheap and that was the only additional cost for me, ingridients were cheaper.

I have read this forum and other info about ag for the past few weeks, felt as confident as I could and all worked out well during the brew, all the numbers matched up perfectly. It's more to think about and more to prepare for but its worth it.

Even if in 2 months when this beer is done it tastes like cat piss, the process of actually doing it will be worth it. I can read everything in the world, but without doing it myself things never line up in my head,

Excuse my long drunk ramble

as others have stated AG doesn't need to be very expensive, for the first five years I brewed, my AG equipment consisted of the turkey fryer/pot combo that I used for extract batches, a 10 gallon cooler, a ball valve that I put in the cooler, a part off of a toilet, (eventually I upgraded to a slotted manifold) and a couple of buckets from the home depot. Hell I know a guy who used the same turkey fryer setup and a zap-pap tun.

Move to AG once you decide that extract brewing doesn't give you the results you are looking for. For some folks that is never. For me it happened 2 brews ago. I'm slowly putting together the equipment. I have a mash tun and a 50L pot. I just need the outdoor burning equipment now.

She might get pissed, or have her feelings hurt, if you cast away Mr Beer so quickly. Women are funny about having their gifts appreciated.

Click to expand...

There isn't any reason to discard the Mr. Beer. You can do all grain 2 1/2 gallon batches (BIAB in the 20 qt pot works great) and they fit right in that little brown keg. I've done several batches that way (except I don't have the little brown keg).

My best friend's dad. Who I also call pops because he's pretty much like family to me has an AG setup. And said he'll teach me.