All grain or extract for beginners

So I'm just starting out in the home brewing and I wanted to know what everyone thought about jumping right into brewing all grain as a beginner, or is it really more beneficial if I start out with extracts and work way up?


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It really depends on how adventurous you are and what type of learning curve you are willing to take on to start. Many people have gotten started AG as well as extract or even partial mash.

Extract with steeping grains is the easiest way to get started IMHO and the learning curve is pretty shallow. Partial mash involves the combination of both mashing and extract so you get a feel for what it is to mash and AG has the biggest learning curve with the most variables that come into play.

I would highly recommend you read Palmer's How to Brew regardless of how you start, you can search the free, somewhat outdated online version of get the new version at your LHBS or online somewhere.

Thank you very much that is very helpful, I will definitely look up that book. The only reason why I am entertaining starting out all grain is I feel like I'm just cutting out so much with extracts, and I want the full experience.


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More often as not,it's better to start weith extract kits to start working out a good brewing process first. But whatever level you feel confident with will work too. Just read & be sure you knowwhat you're letting yourself in for. It took me a couple years to get around to partial mash. I was having too much fun with recombinent extracts to change right away. PB/PM BIAB is pretty easy once you get the bugs out of your updated process. I still use the same 5G SS kettle I started with. Just added a nylon 5 gallon bag & a cake cooling rack for the bottom of the kettle & away I went.

SKELATOR51695 said:

Thank you very much that is very helpful, I will definitely look up that book. The only reason why I am entertaining starting out all grain is I feel like I'm just cutting out so much with extracts, and I want the full experience.


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Yeah you are cutting out a lot going the extract route. However if you have never brewed before I would suggest starting with the extracts. Give yourself some experience with the basic process and what to expect throughout the fermentation process and bottling and conditioning.

But as others have said it depends on how adventurous you are. And definitely read and reread before jumping in.




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I agree with uniondr. Better to start with extract and get familiar with the basics of sanitation, yeast, temp control etc. Starting with extract also helps spread out startup equipment cost.

You could quickly advance to all grain after just a few batches.

Just my 2 cents

Start with extract and work on your process. Avoid buying equipment until you've made a few batches then go wild with all grain.

I don't agree starting with extract is better. I did one extract then went all grain. And that one extract was the only beer I bottled. I also got kegging gear right away.

If you know you'll be into this for a long time, go for it. If you're not sure, start with extract. But if you start getting gear for extract, make sure it will work for all grain too. The biggest thing is the investment for the all grain equipment, so don't make it so you'll have to replace as you upgrade. You'll waste money that way.

The rest you can learn before you try. Learn about mash temps, learn techniques to hitting the temps.. Etc. from there, learn from your mistakes during each brew. I would always have something happen, so I would change my gear or upgrade as needed before the next brew. Then something else would happen... Again upgrade or modify. I always made beer and mostly it was very good beer.

I started with a 10gal aluminum pot with no ball valve. I've been buying and selling gear off Craig's list slowly building up my brewery on the cheap. Now I have a single tier 3 blichmann 15 gal capacity brewery with pumps and SS quick disconnects. It took a lot of work trading buying and selling, but I only gave a few hundred invested in it.

I couldn't be happier. Now I just need to order my herms coil and start working on the automation control panel.

I think the jump to all-grain looks more daunting on paper than it actually is. The only major adaptation, is the more time it takes. I personally find the all-grain process more leisurely than extract. Once you start the boil for extract, you have to have all your stuff ready to go. Extracts open, liquid ones warmed up enough to flow, when to add them to the boil, etc.

All-grain, where it takes more time, allows some time to get things together as you are brewing, but with that leisure, comes more time. So that's the real trade off.

As has been mentioned here before, the key to making a good beer, really lies in fermentation. That's where most of your off flavors come from. So, either way you go, make sure you are keeping your fermemtations in the mid to lower range of the temperature for the yeast. I like to keep most of my basic Ales in the mid to lower 60s. So for some on their first brew, it might be better to go extract, if you are unsure of your fermentation control This way you haven't invested 6+ hours in making a wort that doesn't come out very good because you let it get up towards 80 degrees while fermenting.

If you are confident you can keep your temps steady, then personally, I don't see any thing that would keep me from going all grain. just do you research so you have a decent game plan set up when you do start.

Starting from all grain to me would be nice as you skip into the fray and just go for it

but it is expensive and it requires a lot of knowledge

starting from extract you learn step by step and also get to buy new equipment as you reach that step

however you start, if you do want to get into all grain, remember that when you guy equipment, DO not buy a brew pot unless it can boil a full volume wort, that means such as an 8 gallon for 5 gallon batches or 15 for 10 etc.

also if you want to start all grain, find a local club around you, You will be able to see different types of all grain systems as you learn how to brew and decide what you want.
A lot of guys will let you help them brew for !/2 the wort (you split expenses) when you are learning and you get a lot of benefit from their experience.

good luck

Generally:
More equipment with all grain.
More things to keep track of with all grain.
More ways to screw up with all grain.
More hours in a brew day with all grain.

The benefit is that all grain gives you more control which means you have a better chance of getting exactly what you want.

It also depends on what you want to do down the road. These days it seems like the assumption is that everybody ends up going all-grain, but that's not the case, either. I've done all grain, but really prefer to use extract kits, since I only do a few batches a year, and I'm pretty happy with that.

It's also interesting to consider the fact that this wouldn't even be a discussion if malt extract hadn't been invented. So, while it seems like a natural progression to start with extract and go from there, that's really just a more modern ingredient to make things easier. If it wasn't around we would' even be considering whether or not a beginner should start with grains!


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I'm actually feeling very fortunate right now I just found out that a friend of mine brews all grain and he said he would show me how to do all grain and extracts and let me decide off that.



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I am new to this as well....my two cents so far states....lets get the system down...then move up. Practice and patience are two things we will learn working with the extracts.... I think most folks do several extracts before moving on...of course not everyone does this. I intend to do at least 20 more extracts before I move on....having said that...I am already adding my own stuff to the extracts to make them my own. Happy brewing brother!

I actually debated the same question. I knew I would want to end up all grain (as I am a bit of a control freak), so when I got the opportunity to get a second hand all grain setup, I jumped at it.

As prepared as I thought I was, the things the caused me problems were all equipment related. Not that there was anything wrong with it, I just had no experience with it. My second batch went way smoother than the first, but posed some new challenges. I assume after 3-4 batches, I will have my equipment much more dialed in.

I agree with others about reading Palmers book as well as maximizing your usage and contributions to these forums. Lots of great information here.

On the flip side...with all grain everyone seems to do it uniquely. Mostly because everyones equipment, environment and tastes vary. So sometimes it's hard to get the "right" answer because it is so subjective.

I personally think if you have the patience to learn from your mistakes, there is no harm in starting all grain (assuming you don't mind shelling out the $$$ for equipment). A buddy said something to me the other day that resonated greatly...this hobby is about trying to control as many variables as there are thousands when you consider systems, process, recipes, ingredients, yeast, fermentations, packaging, etc. it can be pretty frustrating at times yet somehow it’s fairly easy to make good beer.

My biggest advice is stay patient. If you keep trying and learning, you'll start learning how to react on the fly and do your best to adjust to curve balls your brew day may throw at you. At least that is the route I am going.