Brewing epiphany

[Glynn]

I am never using extract again. I just sampled my first ag batch after only 6 days in the bottle just to see how it progressing. all i have to say is wow. what a difference. i went with an ipa for my first one, its clear with a nice hop aroma and flavor. no funky aftertaste. although it's bitterness is a bit harsh which i assume will mellow
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/first-time-all-grain-attempt-338351/

 

[bottlebomber]

I would definitely brew an extract kit if I got a really great deal on it. Nothing wrong with extract for sure, I've made hundreds of gallons of great tasting extract beer. Most if it was better than the AG beer the guys in my brew club were making, actually. But I am glad you have been having good success.

 

[amandabab]

A lot of people brew a few extract batches, get some experience, mess up a few, then start all grain.
They learn stuff get better , get their process down and because their all-grains turn out better they blame past failures on the extract.

A good process and attention to detail make good beer, not where the fermentable sugars come from.

 

[MalFet]

Not to doubt your experience, but I just brewed my first extract batch after dozens of all grain. Can't say I notice any difference at all!

 

[Waynep005]

I make both all grain and exreact brews. I can not always find the time to do an all grain batch but can usaully find the time even late at night to make an extract brew.

 

[MisterTipsy]

I'm happy with extract.

If I go all grain, will I be super-extra happy?

 

[Glynn]

Don't get me wrong, I've been brewing with extract since about 1994 (with an 8yr brake until now) and have had my share of successes and failures. my intention was not to say that ag is better or worse then extract. just that with my first ag (and some better brewing practices that i learned here) being better than a lot of what I've done with extract i see no need to return.

 

[harrymanback92]

I agree with the OP. nothing wrong with extract at all, but there is a huge difference in your ability to control every aspect of your beer when doing all grain. You can't control 100% of what malts you use in extract, while obviously you do when doing all grain. This means you can make subtle adjustments that just wouldnt be possible with extract. Is one better than the other? No. Do you have more control in all-grain? Yes. And that level of control gives you the ability to make something more complex than an extract beer; but obviously you can make a ****ing delicious beer with extract.

The best stout I ever made was extract. But I prefer all-grain.

 

[MisterTipsy]

I brew extract and tell people it's all grain. Best of both worlds.

 

[RobertRGeorge]

Whenever I have 12 to 14 hours to spare I brew an all-grain beer and the results are excellent. Plus there's the magic of starchy water turning to sticky sweet wort. On the other hand if I want to get out of the brewhouse in less than 4 hours I do an extract beer. I use the lightest dry extract I can find and use specialty grains to create the flavor. I have also used mini-mashes of around 1.5 kilos of grain, which will fit in a giant strainer I can suspend over the fermentation vessel and sparge out directly into it. It does add a nice touch of umami. With that small amount of grain sediment from the dust does not seem to be a problem.

 

[Tim_Kreitz]

I brew all-grain simply because it's so much cheaper. Our HBC gets base malt for $20 to $30 per 50-pound bag, depending on type. DME can be $4.50 per pound or more. In the end, I think it just boils down (see what I did there?) to what works best for a particular home brewer.

Extract brews have won big competitions on multiple occasions here in the US, beating plenty of AG beers along the way. When even a BJCP judge can't tell the difference, I'd say either is perfectly acceptable.

 

[GingerBeer515]

I just started AG and I like brewing an extract beer in my mash tun while my AG boils. It's great for playing with strange flavor combos I don't know will work, or learning how to use new hops or steeping grains.

 

[BlakeL]

I've actually been thinking of going the other direction. I started out doing small one gallon all grain batches because of my limited space, but now I just want more beer per batch. I've been thinking of switching to 2.5-3 gallon extract batches using the icing buckets you can get at super markets. This would be ideal because I can get more beer and still do everything on my stove top and ferment in my closet. Since I'm not very experienced, it might actually help my end product since there is more to screw up with all grain.

 

[Unibrow]

Extract can easily beat an AG recipe in flavor, but it's also significantly more expensive

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

Whenever I have 12 to 14 hours to spare I brew an all-grain beer and the results are excellent. Plus there's the magic of starchy water turning to sticky sweet wort. On the other hand if I want to get out of the brewhouse in less than 4 hours I do an extract beer. I use the lightest dry extract I can find and use specialty grains to create the flavor. I have also used mini-mashes of around 1.5 kilos of grain, which will fit in a giant strainer I can suspend over the fermentation vessel and sparge out directly into it. It does add a nice touch of umami. With that small amount of grain sediment from the dust does not seem to be a problem.

Why does a brew day take you so long? It takes me a little over 5 hours cleaning included.

 

[Bamsdealer]

I'm in the same boat, but as someone else suggested, it was about the same time that I "got it". Now, I'm not so sure it was the ingredients or the process. I'm thinking of trying an extract batch again just to see, but I'm loving the all-grain process too much at this point.

 

[OldWorld]

Both can yield good results. Earlier in my homebrew days I denounced extract brewing as cheating and inferior. But a very well established professional brewer educated me on extract and grains. His conclusion was there was nothing wrong with extract and I agree. Although recently all grain brew in a bag has treated me well...I still think I've made some stellar 100 percent extract brewers.

 

[Brulosopher]

Extract... AG... s*it, I just fermented my own piss and it's amazing

 

[Cellarbrau]

If you can ferment your piss you may have severe diabetes.

If you can make the beer you want with all extract, go for it. If the are malts you can steep to reach the desired results, do that. If you need to mash, mash.

I'm drinking a pale ale that is just 1/3 amber and 2/3 light LME right now. It tastes great.

 

[Zamial]

Real epiphany...

Good beer can be made with extract, partial mash or all grain. The only reason to move away from extract brewing is for more control with mash temps (or similar technique limitations). If you do not know what you are trying to control or how to; then what is the point of try to do so? If you are not brewing decent beers with extracts you would be better served to learn why before dismissing extract as inferior... also an IPA is a poor choice to compare batches against. Anyone can make a super hoppy monster, the hops hide flaws. Try to make a cream ale in both extract and all grain with the intention of seeing how close you can get the beers to taste the same...

I brew all grain but when someone tells me it is cheaper to brew AG I sort of giggle to myself. I can brew an extract batch from ingredients to chilled wort in 90-120 minutes including clean up and have done 60 minute brew sessions. What people should be saying about extract vs. all grain is after the equipment investment, the cost of ingredients to brew an all grain batch is cheaper than extract but the time required for the brew day is doubled.

 

[DonMagee]

My extra beers were ok, but never what I would call great or even good beers. I do however think my AG beers are good and sometimes great. I think however this is because I have gotten better as a brewer and not because I was using extra.

To test this theory, I'm going to do an extract brew this winter. I hope it's me that is making better beer.

 

[KISS Brew]

My extra beers were ok, but never what I would call great or even good beers. I do however think my AG beers are good and sometimes great. I think however this is because I have gotten better as a brewer and not because I was using extra.

To test this theory, I'm going to do an extract brew this winter. I hope it's me that is making better beer.

I like that you're willing to test it out.

 

[ktblunden]

I really love the process of AG brewing. It's really interesting to me to be able to turn grains and hops into beer. That being said, 2 of my beers that have gotten the best reactions from friends and family were extract brews. For me I like having the extra control of AG and I LOVE the lower price tag of grains vs extract.