Malt Extract vs. All Grain brewing

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jakegreen58

jakegreen58

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I would like to start a debate on the benefits of using malt extract over all grain brewing. I have done two batches (one wheat and one IPA) using an all grain method. I compare it to eating process foods over fresh foods. Fresher foods provide a better taste and process foods often taste synthetic and overwhelm the sublte flavors of the ingredients themselves. I am very hesitant to use extracts in my brewing because of this. My last point is that the fun in brewing beer is also the process. I love the smell of steeping grains and the care I take in stirring and sparging. I would like your opinion, why should I use malt extract or what are the advantages.
 
If you're already AG brewing, I'm not sure anyone would contend you should use extracts, except for maybe a gravity boost in bigger beers
 
There is no way in hell you'll start a debate on this topic. It was started as soon as an all grain brewer and an extract brewer learned to communicate. It hasn't ended since.
 
BrightSpot said:
If you're already AG brewing, I'm not sure anyone would contend you should use extracts, except for maybe a gravity boost in bigger beers
Click to expand...

I do mostly all grain, but sometimes I just don't have time to do an all grain brew day. I can knock out a 15 minute hop bursted extract pale ale in less than 90 minutes using extract (including set up/clean up/etc).
 
A debate implies a right or wrong answer. This question is personal choice. Beer is about the process and good processes make good beer with all grain or extract. Plenty of medals have been won with both methods.
I say chose the way you want. If you are making great beer then you are doing it right. If you are making bad beer, switching to the other method isn't going to help.
 
I switched to AG after about 3 years. over a period of time I found myself brewing less and less because of the time factor. The AG process isn't any more difficult, as the fermentation procedure is more important and this the same fore extract and AG, but the time and moving equipment around. The process just wasn't enjoyable.
The occasional extract brew day started happening again.

Today Its all extract/specialty/partial mash.
 
tochsner said:
A debate implies a right or wrong answer. This question is personal choice. Beer is about the process and good processes make good beer with all grain or extract. Plenty of medals have been won with both methods.
I say chose the way you want. If you are making great beer then you are doing it right. If you are making bad beer, switching to the other method isn't going to help.
Click to expand...

+1,000

The methods, or whether or not it's extract or AG is not what makes great beer. The Brewer should make great beer with whatever materials at hand.

I've tasted some great extracts and I've tasted some ****ty all grain batches. It all depends on the brewer and his process. Not whether it's an AG or an extract beer. Ag is not the holy grail of brewing. If you refuse to read a hydromter, don't pay attention to temp control, don't make a yeast starter for liquid, or pitch the right amount of yeast, and follow the 1-2-3 rule regardless of whether the yeast lagged for 72 hours or not, you're going to make crappy beer regardless of it being an extract or ag batch..

And if you do all those things that the AG brewer didn't, and use the freshest extract and do a full boil and late extract addition, you're going to make great if not award winning beers. It's that simple. I think people who blame extract for their crappy beers are copping out, and maybe should considering mastering them instead of thinking ag is going to be the answer to good tasting beer....


Read this, and then just try to make the best beer you can regardless of whether you use commercially produced extract, or you do the extracting yourself...which is the only difference between the two, whether you do the extracting/converting yourself, or buy it already done.

It's really not a stupid -vs- argument. Be the best damn brewer with whatever you use. And don't make a battle out of it.
 
Revvy said:
+1,000

The methods, or whether or not it's extract or AG is not what makes great beer. The Brewer should make great beer with whatever materials at hand.

I've tasted some great extracts and I've tasted some ****ty all grain batches. It all depends on the brewer and his process. Not whether it's an AG or an extract beer. Ag is not the holy grail of brewing. If you refuse to read a hydromter, don't pay attention to temp control, don't make a yeast starter for liquid, or pitch the right amount of yeast, and follow the 1-2-3 rule regardless of whether the yeast lagged for 72 hours or not, you're going to make crappy beer regardless of it being an extract or ag batch..

And if you do all those things that the AG brewer didn't, and use the freshest extract and do a full boil and late extract addition, you're going to make great if not award winning beers. It's that simple. I think people who blame extract for their crappy beers are copping out, and maybe should considering mastering them instead of thinking ag is going to be the answer to good tasting beer....


Read this, and then just try to make the best beer you can regardless of whether you use commercially produced extract, or you do the extracting yourself...which is the only difference between the two, whether you do the extracting/converting yourself, or buy it already done.

It's really not a stupid -vs- argument. Be the best damn brewer with whatever you use. And don't make a battle out of it.
Click to expand...

Yup. +2000 for you.

The bigger suppliers have a large variety of extracts made custom for them now that are very flavorful and very fresh indeed. Long gone are the years old cans of Coopers or the dusted over bags of dme. Its all about the process.

Really, its preference.
 
And I want to start a debate on making spaghetti sauce from canned tomato sauce vs fresh tomatoes.

Seriously, you can't really compare. I've judged plenty of competitions that had AG beer that sucked bad, and some extract beers won. And vice versa. There is no debate, really. It's all about what each individual wants to do.

Just like my grandma wouldn't have used canned tomatoes for making spaghetti because she was a spaghetti sauce snob, some brewers won't use extract for brewing. That's fine. Really, who cares? As long as everybody loves their own product in the end, it's all good.
 
I do want to add that extracts aren't quite the same as canned processed foods. First you don't have preservatives since that normally hurts fermentation. If you get it fresh it can be better if you aren't good with mashing since they are professional maltsters. That said you normally don't know what grains they use.
 
Erroneous said:
I do want to add that extracts aren't quite the same as canned processed foods. First you don't have preservatives since that normally hurts fermentation. If you get it fresh it can be better if you aren't good with mashing since they are professional maltsters. That said you normally don't know what grains they use.
Click to expand...

Places like NB have their own extracts made for them by Briess. They specify and list grains used. Huge volumes sold and very fresh. You get them as fast as the distributor/LHBS.
 
Yooper said:
And I want to start a debate on making spaghetti sauce from canned tomato sauce vs fresh tomatoes.

Seriously, you can't really compare. I've judged plenty of competitions that had AG beer that sucked bad, and some extract beers won. And vice versa. There is no debate, really. It's all about what each individual wants to do.

Just like my grandma wouldn't have used canned tomatoes for making spaghetti because she was a spaghetti sauce snob, some brewers won't use extract for brewing. That's fine. Really, who cares? As long as everybody loves their own product in the end, it's all good.

In the interest of fairness, maybe you should make a drinkable beer before you denigrate malt extract. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/fi...some-help-troubleshooting-317730/#post3960426
Click to expand...

Hey! If you cant use fresh garden grown or home canned or frozen tomatoes, then use canned San Marzano tomatoes from Italy or dont make the sauce!:D
 
Wow! Not much of a dabate huh. Thank you for those answers. I see its more about the brewer not so much the ingredients. I see the advantages of both methods now. I will definitely use extracts in the future. I just wanted a poll.
 

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