Is it worth it?

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

ChimayLover

Active Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2007
Messages
32
Reaction score
0
So, I've made 4 extract batches so far. While they are far from undrinkable, they have all just been "ehhh". I'm thinking i just dont like the taste of extract beer. I use DME, pay close attention to sanitation, close attention to hop schedules, do not drink the beer until about 4 weeks in the bottle, and i brew with spring water and boil for 45-60 min. All of my extract beers have a noticeable "twang" aftertaste and while they taste like strong beer, they are not the type of beer I would usually want to buy a case of. Not very balanced, the flavor is kind of stale, there is a twang, etc... I would much rather have a Sam Adams or Harpoon. Anyway, how much of a difference is there in the taste of all grain beer? I want to make the switch if it is worth it, but if it tastes like extract brew then probably not. Is the quality of all grain compared to extract worth making the switch? Any tips to improve the taste in extract? I've never tried any extract beers other than my own, so maybe im just missing something...Maybe I will post this in the all grain forum as well...

Thanks!
 
It's a huge difference. Go all grain, you won't regret it.

... now, it may take some time for you to get the process down and make great beers... your first few might just be "drinkable" ... but it gets better. I have no need to buy commercial beer anymore.
 
Ó Flannagáin said:
It's a huge difference. Go all grain, you won't regret it.

... now, it may take some time for you to get the process down and make great beers... your first few might just be "drinkable" ... but it gets better. I have no need to buy commercial beer anymore.

x2, I did two extract batches went all grain and have not looked back.
 
You might also dip your toes in the water with a partial mash, especially if you withhold most of the DME until late in the boil -- like the last 10 minutes or so. That keeps the extract from caramelizing and (in theory) lessons the chance of "extracty" flavors.

Chad
 
Interesting, I think this is the first time I've seen someone talk about "twang" and DME. If you are making "strong beer", maybe you should try something with a lower ABV. If you still have the problem with brews around 5%, I would find another supplier.

Homebrewers routinely make award-winning beers using extract.
 
Is there a club near you? My brewing came along in leaps and bounds when I joined a club.

It gave me the chance to taste other brewers' beers so I could see what was wrong (and right) with mine.

It'll give you an indication of whether YOU think it's worth moving to AG.

/Phil.
 
It is entirely possible to make very good beer using extracts. There is no doubt about that. However, I noticed a very marketable difference in my beers when I went all grain. Cant give you a reason per se, but every one of my all grain brews has been very good, whereas only a couple of my extract brews were great and the rest were meh.
 
Back
Top